After 14 Years, a Quirky Somerville Cocktail Bar Passes the Torch

"Since Backbar opened in 2011, tucked into a weird little former office space attached to the now-defunct Journeyman restaurant, the acclaimed cocktail bar has probably served around 3,000 distinct cocktails, according to cofounder Sam Treadway. That includes about 700 different clarified milk punches-smooth, clear drinks infused with complex flavors (his favorite tasted like trail mix)-and countless cocktails inspired by wide-ranging themes, most notably Star Wars."

"Over the past 14 years, the eccentric bar, hidden off a Union Square parking lot, has become known for its geeky and inclusive spirit and its fun-kitschy, tchotchke-filled ambiance, along with its creative, frequently rotating drink specials. Now, it's under new ownership-the team behind Field & Vine, the adjacent restaurant in the old Journeyman space, bought it early in 2025-and Treadway will depart this week after a year spent helping with the transition."

"Still, it's impossible to imagine Backbar becoming such a nerd-cool neighborhood institution without Treadway, who started as bar manager and became a one-third owner of the business with Journeyman's Diana Kudayarova and Tse Wei Lim. His route into the professional cocktail realm is circuitous, starting from a college-era summer job at the now-closed Faneuil Hall Cheers. (He was a math major, but not "useful" math that would lead to a job, he says: "chaotic dynamics and weird not-real numbers and shit." )"

Backbar opened in 2011 in a small former office attached to Journeyman and has served roughly 3,000 distinct cocktails, including about 700 clarified milk punches. The bar is known for a geeky, inclusive spirit, a fun-kitschy, tchotchke-filled ambiance, and frequently rotating creative drink specials inspired by themes such as Star Wars. The adjacent Field & Vine team purchased Backbar in early 2025, and cofounder Sam Treadway spent a year helping with the transition before departing. Treadway rose from bar manager to one-third owner and entered the cocktail world via early service jobs and a love of hosting regulars.

Read at Boston Magazine