19 Sep Where You Should Be Drinking: Russell House Tavern + Amen Corner Cocktail Recipe

Posted at 07:00h in Blog, Cocktail Recipes, Cocktail Recipes: Modern, Where to Drink, Where to Drink: Boston by Roberts & June

Where We’ve Been Drinking: Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square

There were two distinct things we did this summer: go to France and go to Boston (a lot). Getting married in the Boston area was a popular activity among our friend group, and thus we happily trekked multiple times to our home away from home during the most beautiful season of the year. Summers in Boston is literally what can take credit for there being a population in Boston. People experience summer there in its radiant glory and instantly forget that they just survived six months of freezing, gray hell.

During one of these lovely Boston summer wedding jaunts, I grabbed drinks with a friend at Russell House in Harvard Square. Most people’s time in Harvard Square is in 4 year, 2 year, or the occasional 6 year increments–all depending on what type of letters you want to come after your name. Thus, most people assume that the Harvard Square they see is the Harvard Square it’s always been. But that is just not the case. And while Russell House has been a delightful and welcomed staple in the square since 2010, there was a time before 2010 where places like the Red Line existed and places like Crema Cafe and Russell House did not.

We find the patio and the upstairs bar of Russell House particularly charming. They have a lovely selection of fresh and classic American eats, and they have the perfect rhythm with their cocktail menu: always keeping the winners and the classics, while slowly trying out new seasonal drinks. We can easily spot–oh that’s the one we had last time time, let’s get it again OR we had that last time let’s try this new one.

What We Ordered

Amen Corner: Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon, Cappelletti Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro, Merlet Creme de Peche, Cynar

What We Thought

I would describe this drink as a light summer smoke. The creme de peche sweetened the drink just enough with a slight summer fare and also cut down on bourbon’s bite. And the not one but two amare added a deep notes of complexity. This is the drink you want at a summer bonfire, maybe with guitars playing in the background. That’s our type of amen corner.