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Drink's interior (above) is both sleek and warm. Kold Draft ice is used in the bar's long drinks. The bar's Gin Gin Mule (left). words on the page and on the bottle, but it can be scary. We want to demystify that, give them a hug and say 'it's ok.'" Th e room's minimalism lends itself to focus, he says. "We don't want people to have a barrage of bottles and words that accompany them, just with the great cocktails and food pairings. People love the discovery process, the novelty of the experience." Gertsen helped craft that novelty factor. It started with design fi rm C&J Katz Inc., which designed a number of Lynch's other properties. Th ey had to work with the building's vintage infrastructure, so they constructed the bar to meander around the room's bulky concrete support column pillars. Each station has custom designed units, from the freezers and bar racks to stainless steel sinks and level decks for constructing drinks. Th e concealed racks have challenges, of course: liter bottles don't fi t, and there's only space for 30 or 40 bottles to make hundreds of drinks, Gertsen says. Citrus is juiced and fresh herbs are kept in pots on fi re slate table in the middle bay. Th e station closest to the door is the www.cheersonline.com stage for the ice show. A bartender chisels away at a fresh 50-pound ice block each night, using pieces for shaved ice and dense, clear hand-hewn pieces that end up in Old Fashioneds and other stirred drinks. Cubes from a Kold Draft machine are used in long drinks. Th e logistics of service are a display of military precision that provides a steady tempo for the kind of instinctive, gracious hospitality typically dispensed by a grandparent. Each station has a team comprised of a bartender, an apprentice responsible for tools, garnishes and working with customers and a backup (bar back or manager) who oversees ice, food, music, lighting and capacity and makes sure a variety of vintage glassware is accessible. "It's set up so guests feel double served," says Gertsen. Th ey focus on drinks that not only have a history, but future, Gertsen says. Th e most popular recipe is the namesake Fort Point, a fourth generation Manhattan with Old Overholt rye, Punt e Mes and Benedictine ($12). Guests can choose from a limited, well-curated bottled beer list, which usually includes a Harpoon selection since the brewery is down the street. All beers fetch $5. Gruppo's wine director Cat Silirie selects an equally thoughtful wine list. Punch is popular among groups who linger and many cocktails are available in punch format. It lends itself to the cocktail party theme, says Gertsen. Same goes for the food. Th ere are no forks and knives for the chic fi nger food ($4 to $17). Th e menu, created by Gruppo's executive chef Colin Lynch (no relation to Barbara), is prepared by Drink's own cook. "You have to control the room to control what happens in the glass or on the plate," he says. "Making someone comfortable and happy and answering questions is just as important as memorizing 27 recipes." Only one question goes unanswered: Is the bar's name a noun or a verb? Liza Weisstuch is a Boston-based food and drinks writer whose work has appeared in the Boston Globe, Fine Cooking, Th e New York Times, Huffi ngton Post and Boston Magazine. She's a correspondent for Whiskey Magazine and recently completed an internship at Bruichladdich distillery on Islay. SEPTEMBER 2011 | 19 JUSTIN IDE