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Pretty much from the second I found out about the Tea Party Museum and Ships’ construction in Boston, I was excited to not just check out the new attraction, but also that something nice was being built on the bridge I crossed over for a year while working in Fort Point. A few months passed, and I only visited the museum’s gift shop, putting off my tour for another time. When I received an invitation to a Boston Cocktail Summit kickoff party at the museum, I responded yes instantly. A cocktail party featuring spirits like Brugal rum, Mount Gay rum, Black Grouse whisky, Cutty Sark whisky, and Cointreau in the Tea Party Museum was bound to be a fabulous event, and Thursday night we confirmed that it was.

We arrived at the party through the West Meeting House door of the Tea Party Museum, and we were greeted by actors in period costumes. Inside the meeting house, we checked in and received our cocktail passports for our travels throughout the evening.

The whole museum was open to us, and we took advantage of the chance to explore inside and out.

Inside one of the ships, we found a setup showing what the ship might have looked like in 1773. The mannequins looked sort of lifelike, and coupled with the tiny space and dark, misty evening, made for a slightly creepy scene. It was great to see the inside of the ship as well as the deck where passengers can throw “tea” overboard in their very own reenactment of the Boston Tea Party.

The museum would be a fun destination and history lesson for people of all ages. I look forward to returning to check out Abigail’s Tea Room.

The Tea Party Museum made for a unique, fantastic venue for an event. Cocktail tables were set up in both the indoor, upstairs part of the Tea Party Museum as well as downstairs on the deck. A spread of New England food from Jasper White was featured on upstairs tables, still leaving plenty of old wooden tables to put down a drink or stop to have a bite.We enjoyed lobster rolls, hot dogs, crab cakes, and chowder before getting our cocktail tasting on.

Each of the brands present featured a cocktail made by a Boston bartender. Here’s what was on the cocktail menu:

Cutty Sark “Into the Mystic” by Nicole Lebedevitch, The Hawthorne

The Black Grouse “Rendevous with History” by Michael Ray, Boston Nightlife Adventures

Cointreau “Four Ships” by Michael Rose, Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grille

Mount Gay “The Earl of Windsor”, by Cyllan Hicks, Mount Gay Rum Ambassador

Brugal Extra Dry “Elevation Punch”, by Joy Richard, Franklin Restaurant Group

In addition to the cocktails on the passport, each table also featured another cocktail, making for lots of sampling. Sharing sips became out strategy, ensuring we could taste everything while still able to walk out of the event in a straight line. Favorites included “The Earl of Windsor” at the Mount Gay table, a cocktail made with Earl Grey tea,  the Cointreau “Four Ships”, made with green tea, the Brugal Dehumidifier, and the Cutty Sark “Into the Mystic” made with tea maple syrup. I’ve been loving cocktails that contain tea lately, so this theme was right on for my palate. I also really enjoyed a Blood and Sand made by Nicole Lebedevitch, along with a brief chat about her performance in the Speed Rack event the night before.

Everyone mixing and pouring drinks did a great job of showing their knowledge and enthusiasm for what they were making. The spirit of the evening was contagious, and the spirits were delicious! Many thanks to Brugal and my friend Catherine for inviting me to participate in such a fun evening.

Did you go to any of the Boston Cocktail Summit events? Do you have a favorite fall cocktail?