The Best Espresso Martini in Massachusetts Can Be Found at This Bar

Massachusetts is home to numerous fantastic restaurants, making it challenging to pick a favorite. From delicious farm-to-table food in the Berkshire hills to some of the best Italian food outside of Italy in Boston's North End and everything in between, Massachusetts is chock-full of culinary greatness.

Besides awesome restaurants, Massachusetts also boasts some of the best BARS in the country. In fact, the Bay State has quite a history with alcohol. Historians agree that bars in Massachusetts are about as old as the state itself. Early settlers wasted no time setting up local taverns, even before schoolhouses in some cases.

Massachusetts is home to what are believed to be the oldest bars in the United States, like the Green Dragon Tavern, which dates back to 1654, or Warren Tavern in Charlestown, which was the first building the town erected after the British burned the whole town during the Battle of Bunker Hill in June of 1775.

Since the country's inception, the bar business in Massachusetts has continued to boom. In 2023, the state was home to 828 bars and 1,645 beer, wine, and liquor stores, so needless to say there are plenty of choices.

With all those choices of watering holes, what sets one bar apart from the other? One major factor can be the variety and quality of cocktails offered. In 2025, you can't talk about popular cocktails and not talk about the rise and saturation of the sought after espresso martini.

At this point every basically every bar and restaurant has their version of the now infamous drink, some creamy, some sweet, some even daring to use REAL espresso (shouldn't they all be this way?!) But which establishment has the best espresso martini in the state? If you're a coinsurer of martinis of any kind, the answer will be no surprise.

 This Boston Bar Crowned Best Espresso Martini in Massachusetts

According to Time Out Boston the kind of the espresso martini is Grill 23. It's the second year in a row Grill 23's Ryan McHugh has taken home the honor. He said the key is "good espresso". Imagine that! What else is in his perfect cocktail? Vanilla infused vodka, Kaluah and a small splash of Baileys, in edition to the espresso. Another key to quality? Shaking the drink really, really, well.

Grill 23, located at 161 Berkley Street in Boston, is already well know for it's classic martinis, with the traditional variety being served in their signature icy, chilled glass.