Nestled at the top of Bow Market in Somerville is Nook, a swanky new cocktail bar with an inviting ambiance and an extensive cinema-themed menu.
Nook’s menu changes every three to four months with a different theme. Previously it was organized around a cross-country road trip, with drinks for regions of the country. Drinks now are for films such as “The Silence of the Lambs” (the Little Starling includes fava bean shrub and a chianti float) and “The Big Lebowski” (named The Other Lebowski, with clarified milk punch and cold brew). I opted to try The Substance, named after Coralie Fargeat’s body horror extravaganza starring Demi Moore. Served in a whiskey glass with a tajin-lime garnish, the color was more muted than I had hoped, but the drink still packed the vibrancy of the film, and the description was apt – it was nicely spicy, refreshing and vegetal.
My friend had “The Long Goodbye,” a house rum blend with Aperol, coffee, cinnamon, lime and wormwood bitters. Served in a highball glass, it was spiced and slightly sweet, in an sunset shade of orange. I also sipped on the Gordon Cole, a “Twin Peaks” reference from the previous menu that was made to represent the Pacific Northwest. It’s made up of Vecchio Amaro del Capo, Aperol, lemon juice and baijiu, a Chinese liquor with a funkier taste slightly reminiscent of the citric punch of sour candy. In combination with the citrus, the drink is as bold and unexpectedly delightful as the show itself, in a gorgeous shade of luminescent orange in a coupe glass.
Some of Nook’s cocktails are experimental and often appear strange to those unaccustomed to mascarpone-washed vodka or gouda-washed Teeling Irish whiskey. It’s previously served cocktails with dashi-infused whiskey and feta-infused rum. All of these infusions, along with their shrubs, syrups and ingredients (apart from the liquor) are made in-house, and the creative cocktails and themes come from the collaborative bartending team, trying out cocktails and seeing what works.
Nook is owned by Bow Market, which allows guests to take their drinks out of the bar and walk around the shops, enjoying them on the tables outdoors or as they peruse the other restaurants and businesses. It is unsurprising that Nook makes for a popular date spot, especially when the sun goes down and the lights dim and the staff places candles on the tables; Nook is a classy, cozy environment for anybody looking for a uniquely themed cocktail in Union Square.
Nook, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville
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