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2 Mass Bars Deemed Best In US: New Report

A new report ranking the top bars in the United States has named two Massachusetts spots as among the best of the best.

Birds of Paradise (top row) and Equal Measure (bottom row), two Boston-area bars, were named by Esquire as some of the best bars in the US. 

Birds of Paradise (top row) and Equal Measure (bottom row), two Boston-area bars, were named by Esquire as some of the best bars in the US. 

Photo Credit: Instagram via birds.of.paradise.bar/Instagram via equalmeasurebar

Out of the 42 best bars in the country, two hail from of Boston, according to a new 2024 ranking released by the men’s magazine Esquire.

Both bars — Birds of Paradise, located at 525 Western Avenue in Brighton, and Equal Measure, at 775 Beacon Street — were lauded for their creative and delicious sips served among an aesthetically pleasing backdrop.

Birds of Paradise, for example, curated a menu based on traveling, with one section focused on a single destination (as of publication, the bar chose Guadalajara, Mexico) and a section for the “global cocktails,” which take ingredients from two different locales and combines them into one delicious drink (think Rio to Tokyo, which is a savory version of a pina colada).

“This place was a hidden gem,” said Yelp reviewer Melanie W of Quincy, Massachusetts.

She described the bar’s concept as “interesting,” and said that “all drinks are presented beautifully, and you really can taste the alcohol.”

“Come here for amazing cocktails!! This is a travel-themed bar and [its] drinks are VERY unique and delicious,” Taylor L of California agreed in a review.

Birds of Paradise also includes a variety of rice bowls, boxes, and hand rolls.

Equal Measure, for its part, is a swanky spot with drinks that are equal parts creative and tasty and a selection of small bites.

Some of the bar’s current drinks include the “Princess Peach” (which features Roku gin, peach shrub, lemon, tarragon, and more) and the “Sugar Daddy” (with cachaça, sugar snap pea, falernum, serrano, and ginger).

“Our night at equal measure was incredible. [The] cocktails were delicious and the ambiance is amazing,” wrote an OpenTable user from Charleston, South Carolina, after a recent visit.

“Can’t wait to come back!”

Birds of Paradise is open Tuesday through Sunday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Equal Measure is open Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. and on Sundays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

For more information, visit the Birds of Paradise website here and Equal Meausre’s site here.

Click here for the full list of Esquire’s Best Bars in America 2024. 

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