Boston Rum Week draws people in from all over the country, and a good part of the week happens in bars you would never stumble across on your own. This page covers the practical side: getting into the city, getting around once you are here, where to stay near the action, and which rum bars are worth your time whenever you visit.
Travel
Boston is small, walkable and well connected — you will not need a car.
Most visitors fly into Logan International Airport (BOS), which sits about fifteen minutes from downtown — closer to its city than almost any other major US airport. The Silver Line SL1 bus picks up outside every terminal and runs to South Station, where you can transfer to the Red Line for Cambridge; inbound from the airport it is free, so there is no fare to sort out with luggage in hand. A free Massport shuttle also runs to Airport station on the Blue Line.
By train, Amtrak's Northeast Regional and Acela services arrive at South Station and Back Bay, both of which connect straight to the subway. The Downeaster from Maine comes into North Station instead. Intercity buses also use South Station.
Driving is the one thing we would gently talk you out of. Parking in Cambridge and downtown Boston is expensive and scarce, and you will not want a car after an evening of tastings. If you do drive in, leave it at the hotel and use the T.
Boston's subway — the MBTA, universally called “the T” — is the easiest way to move between neighbourhoods, and it is especially welcome after a few rums. Five colour-coded lines cover everywhere you are likely to go, and the Red Line, linking Cambridge to downtown Boston, will do most of the work.
A few places worth the trip sit beyond the subway. The Commuter Rail reaches those — the Fitchburg Line out to Waltham, for instance — and runs less often than the subway, so check the timetable before you set out, and check the last train back.
You do not need to buy anything in advance: tap a contactless card or phone straight at the gate. If you would rather have a pass, CharlieCards and multi-day LinkPasses are sold from the fare vending machines in major stations. Current prices are at mbta.com/fares.
Service runs from roughly 5:00 AM to somewhere between 12:30 and 1:00 AM. Not every station is step-free — check mbta.com/accessibility before you plan a route.
Cambridge to downtown Boston — the line most visitors use. Check the front of the train: Alewife serves Harvard, Porter and Kendall/MIT; Braintree and Ashmont head south.
Back Bay, Fenway and out to the western suburbs, plus the Union Square extension into Somerville.
The South End, Back Bay and Roxbury.
The waterfront and Logan Airport.
Bus rapid transit, connecting the airport and the Seaport to South Station.
On the Red Line the branch matters. Alewife serves Harvard, Porter and Kendall/MIT; Braintree and Ashmont head south. The destination is written on the front.
No ticket needed — tap a contactless card or your phone at the gate. A CharlieCard is only worth the detour if you want a multi-day pass.
The T stops running around 12:30–1:00 AM. Check the last train before the evening gets away from you, or budget for a rideshare home.
Bully Boy Distillery is the one stop that is not an easy walk from a subway station. Uber and Lyft both cover it.
Bluebikes docks are all over Boston, Cambridge and Somerville, with day passes available. Handy for the short runs between Cambridge bars.
Boston, Cambridge and Somerville are genuinely walkable, and September is one of the best months here. Many venues are closer together than the map suggests.
Cambridge puts you within walking distance of the Harvard, Central and Porter Square bars. Boston proper is handier for downtown and the waterfront. The Red Line connects the two in minutes.
$ Moderate · $$ Upscale · $$$ Luxury
Harvard Square
A AAA Four Diamond hotel with the Regattabar jazz club on site and a garage next door. The most comfortable base if you want to walk to the Harvard Square bars.
1 Bennett St, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Harvard
Harvard Square
A small boutique hotel steps from Harvard Square, with elegant modern rooms and a quiet residential setting.
1 Remington St, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Harvard
Harvard Square
Central and straightforward, a short walk from both the Harvard T stop and the Harvard Square bars.
110 Mt. Auburn St, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Harvard
Riverside
Overlooks the Charles River, about a ten-minute walk from Harvard Square.
575 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Central or Harvard, then a short walk
MIT / Kendall
Modern rooms in the MIT area with the Red Line at Kendall/MIT, an easy ride to every Cambridge neighbourhood.
20 Sidney St, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Kendall/MIT
Porter Square
Steps from the Porter Square T stop and within walking distance of Gustazo.
1924 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Porter Square
Alewife
A design-led boutique hotel near the Alewife T stop, with a free local shuttle.
220 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Alewife
Downtown Crossing
A historic downtown landmark, steps from the Government Center and State Street T stops.
60 School St, Boston, MA — open in Google Maps
Green or Blue Line to Government Center
Waterfront
On the harbour beside Faneuil Hall, with the Blue Line at Aquarium.
296 State St, Boston, MA — open in Google Maps
Blue Line to Aquarium
Theater District
Compact, stylish rooms at a fair price, on the Green and Orange Lines with an easy Red Line connection over to Cambridge.
246 Tremont St, Boston, MA — open in Google Maps
Green Line to Boylston or Orange Line to Tufts Medical Center
Fenway
A rock-and-roll boutique hotel beside Fenway Park, good for exploring the wider city.
1271 Boylston St, Boston, MA — open in Google Maps
Green Line D branch to Fenway
Back Bay
A large Back Bay hotel at the Prudential T stop, with easy access to every line.
39 Dalton St, Boston, MA — open in Google Maps
Green Line E branch to Prudential
These are independent recommendations. Boston Rum Week has no affiliation with these hotels and receives no commission — book directly with whichever suits you.
Boston has a deep rum culture well beyond our own events. These are the places worth a detour, whenever you are in town.
Harvard Square
New England's premier tiki bar: an enormous rum selection, tiki classics, rare pours and scorpion bowls. Don't miss the mai tais or the Peking duck.
112 Mt. Auburn St, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Harvard
Central Square
A new-wave cocktail bar with a rotating rum-forward menu and Chinese-influenced dim sum bites. Creative and inventive — no two visits are quite the same.
464 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Central Square
Central Square
An acclaimed speakeasy with no exterior sign — look for the unmarked door beside Central Kitchen and head upstairs. The frequently rotating menu features rum and Caribbean spirits regularly. Good oysters and steak tartare. Upstairs only, so not step-free.
567 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Central Square
Porter Square
A superb rum list rooted in Cuban classics: mojitos, Hemingway daiquiris, the Hotel Nacional, the Old Cuban, and the house 'Raisin the Bar' with house raisin rum, sherry and rye. Excellent food pairings. There is a second, larger location in Waltham with a deeper rum selection.
2067 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Porter Square
Downtown
R&B speakeasy atmosphere with panoramic rooftop views, on the 6th and 7th floors. The craft cocktail list includes plenty of rum-based creations.
150 State St, Boston, MA — open in Google Maps
Blue or Orange Line to State Street
South End (Ink Block)
A basement tiki bar with an excellent rum programme spanning local white rum, Jamaican pot still and tropical classics. Downstairs only, so not step-free.
11 William E. Mullins Way, Boston, MA — open in Google Maps
Orange Line to Back Bay or Tufts Medical Center
Roxbury
The distillery's own cocktail bar, open Thursday to Sunday — check ahead. Seasonal cocktails with fresh juices and house-made tinctures, outdoor seating in a charming alley, plus a barrel room and a pinball parlour.
44 Cedric St, Boston, MA — open in Google Maps
Orange Line to Ruggles, then a short rideshare
Somerville, near Inman Square
A friendly neighbourhood bar from the team behind Daiquiris & Daisies, known for inventive, prep-intensive cocktails including rhum agricole pours, plus low-ABV options and elevated bar food. Warm and unpretentious, with a back patio.
70 Beacon St, Somerville, MA — open in Google Maps
Green Line to Union Square, or Red Line to Central Square then a bus
Quincy Center
A Latin- and Caribbean-leaning cocktail bar with a deep rum programme; the rum Old Fashioned is a house specialty. The menu runs to tacos, street corn, jerk chicken and a raw oyster bar.
32 Chestnut St, Quincy, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line, Braintree branch, to Quincy Center
Waltham, Moody Street
The larger of the two Gustazo locations, with the deeper rum selection of the pair, plus a speakeasy-style backroom styled after a 1950s Havana bar. Worth the trip out if rum is what you came for. Its sister location is in Porter Square, Cambridge.
240 Moody St, Waltham, MA — open in Google Maps
Commuter Rail (Fitchburg Line) to Waltham, then a short walk — not on the subway
Somerville, Teele Square
From the award-winning team behind Spoke Wine Bar: advanced cocktails and an eclectic selection of elite spirits, with rare rum bottlings such as Velier Savanna HERR, Sol Tarasco and Rosalie Bay appearing on the list.
1153 Broadway, Somerville, MA — open in Google Maps
Red Line to Davis, then a short walk or bus
Independent recommendations — we receive no commission. Hours, menus and reservation policies change, so check ahead before you travel across town.
Every Boston Rum Week event is 21+, without exception, and you will need a valid government-issued photo ID. Bars and restaurants will often ask for one at the door as well as when you order.
No — and we would recommend against it. Parking in Cambridge and downtown Boston is expensive and limited, and the T reaches almost every venue. The main exception is Bully Boy Distillery in Roxbury, which is best reached by rideshare.
Tap a contactless credit card, debit card or phone directly at the gate — there is nothing to buy in advance. If you want a multi-day pass, CharlieCards and LinkPasses are sold at fare vending machines in major stations. Current prices are listed at mbta.com/fares.
Not everything. Most but not all T stations have lifts, and a few of the bars listed here are up or down a flight of stairs — Brick & Mortar is upstairs, Shore Leave is a basement. Check mbta.com/accessibility for stations, and call a venue directly if step-free access matters to you.
As early as you can. September is one of Boston's busiest months — the universities return and conference season is underway — so rooms in Cambridge and downtown go quickly, and prices climb as the date approaches.
Cambridge if you want to walk between the Harvard, Central and Porter Square bars. Boston proper if you would rather be near downtown and the waterfront. The Red Line connects the two in minutes, so neither is a wrong answer.
For bars and restaurants, often yes. The good ones fill up and several of the places listed here are small, so it is worth booking rather than turning up and hoping.
Usually excellent — warm days, cool evenings and not much rain. It is one of the nicest stretches of the year here. Bring a light layer for after dark and shoes you can walk in.
The T stops running around 12:30–1:00 AM, so check the last train before you settle in. After that, Uber and Lyft operate throughout the area. If you have been drinking, please do not drive.
If something here is out of date or you cannot find what you need, tell us — we would rather fix it than have you guess.
Get in touch →All Boston Rum Week events are 21+ and you will need a valid photo ID. Please drink responsibly, pace yourself across the week, and plan how you are getting home before you head out — the T stops running around 12:30–1:00 AM.
