If you are on your way to a Red Sox game or just want to spend some time around Fenway Park, there are plenty of options in the area to grab a drink. There are so many, in fact, it is difficult to pin down where to best enjoy the ambiance of the Fenway area. So we did it for you. Here are some of the best places to stop for a beer or a cocktail and relax, whether or not the Red Sox are playing.
The Bleacher Bar is not only near Fenway Park, it is inside Fenway Park. It is situated underneath the bleachers in centerfield and features a one-of-a-kind view of the outfield action. The Bleacher Bar opened in 2008 and the space was once used as the visiting team’s batting cage. Its menu not only features a wide variety of sandwiches, such as a BBQ Italian sausage sub or a pastrami burger, and some of your typical ballpark foods, but also a solid selection of beer from the likes of Harpoon and Sam Adams. Whether there’s a Sox game on the schedule or not, you can swing by for a beer, making this bar is the best Fenway experience you can have without a ticket to the game.
Where: 3 Lansdowne St., Boston, MA
617-262-2424
No list of bars around Fenway would be complete without the Cask ‘n Flagon. The neighborhood staple right across the street from the ballpark has been a famous pregame watering hole for fans since it opened in 1969. There is an extensive beer menu, but also cocktails, like a Blueberry Sangria, a Strawberry Jalapeno Margarita and Fresh Watermelon Martini, all perfect for a summer night before, during, or after a game. If you venture outside of Boston for a drink, the Cask also has a location in Marshfield.
Where: 62 Brookline Avenue Boston, MA
617-536-4840
The Baseball Tavern has been a go-to place for Red Sox fans since 1963 and offers a full bar on each of its three levels. And, of course, it features one of the only roof decks in Boston. To make this place even more perfect, that roof deck overlooks Fenway Park. Talk about ambiance. The drink menu offers premium draft beer, such as Allagash White, Maine Peeper’s and Shock Top. The walls show off Red Sox memorabilia everywhere you look and the Fenway-esque exposed brick walls make you feel right at home while watching the game, either on TV or from the roof.
Where: 1270 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
617-867-6526
Boston Beer Works and its “BeerTenders” have been serving Bostonians beer before, during and after Red Sox games since 1992. It has expanded from its original location right next to Fenway Park and now also has two locations in the city, as well as establishments in Framingham, Hingham, Salem, Lowell and at Logan Airport. Its tap room near Fenway features loads of original brews like the Fenway Pale Ale and Original Boston Red and a rotating run of seasonal beers like a nitro cookie stout.
Where: 61 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA
617-536-BEER,
If you’re into Irish pubs, The Lansdowne is your spot. It’s rich with Irish culture, beer and food. The beer list is robust and includes Mass. beers like the Wormtown Be Hoppy IPA and Cisco’s Whale Tale Pale Ale. Besides its proximity to Fenway there’s another reason to go: themed trivia. You and five of your closest and smartest friends can bring home a $100 gift card every Wednesday if you know about things like Nicktoons, Game of Thrones or Boston movies.
Where: 9 Lansdowne Street, Boston, MA
617-247-1222