You have finished the shopping, or the credits just rolled, and nobody is ready to drive home yet. That is the moment a good cocktail bar Blue Back Square regulars rely on earns its keep. At Boqueria West Hartford, on South Main Street, the bar pours Spanish drinks that can look a little mysterious on paper: vermut, fino, oloroso, PX, a gin and tonic served in a glass the size of a fishbowl. This guide is here to make all of it feel easy.
Think of it as a friendly cheat sheet for a suburban night out: the three house sangrías, your very first vermut and sherry, easy cocktails for a safe first round, and zero-proof drinks for the designated driver.
No wine degree required. In Barcelona, nobody studies before stepping up to the bar. They point, they ask, they sip from a friend’s glass, and they order something crispy to go with it.
Key Takeaways
- Boqueria West Hartford at 46 S Main St is a Spanish tapas restaurant with a full bar, so every drink can come with a small plate to share.
- Beginners can start with one of three house sangrías: Tinta (red), Blanca (white with white peach) or Sandía (rosé with watermelon and mint).
- The bar carries vermut from Atxa, Lustau and Casa Mariol, plus a short sherry list that runs from crisp Fino to sweet PX.
- Easy first cocktails include the Shishito Margarita, Aperol Spritz and the Spanish-gin Summer Gin Tonic. Cocktail menus rotate.
- The designated driver gets real choices: four zero-proof cocktails, a non-alcoholic hazy IPA and a sparkling non-alcoholic Albariño.
1. Why Boqueria Is the Cocktail Bar Blue Back Square Beginners Can Relax In
Some cocktail bars feel like an exam, and you end up ordering whatever the person next to you ordered. Boqueria works differently, because it is a tapas restaurant first. The drinks were chosen to go with food, and the staff are used to explaining what a Spanish name means.
That changes the mood of the whole evening. You are ordering one glass and one plate, tasting, talking and deciding what comes next. If the first sip is not quite your style, the next round is a chance to try something else.
Boqueria’s motto is “Inspired by Barcelona. Forged in NYC.” The first restaurant opened in 2006 on 19th Street in New York’s Flatiron district, built around the busy, social feel of a Spanish tapas bar. West Hartford carries that habit to Blue Back Square: small plates, shared glasses, and a bar where a quick stop can turn into dinner.
The only rules: order small, ask freely, share your glass, and eat as you drink. Spanish drinks were made for salty, crispy food, and they taste better with it.
2. Start with Sangría: The Easiest Way into Spanish Drinks
If you only know one Spanish drink, it is probably sangría, and it is the right place to begin. Sangría is wine mixed with fruit and a splash of spirits, served cold. It is fruity, easy to share and hard to dislike. House-made sangría has been part of Boqueria since the beginning.
The West Hartford list has three, and each one has its own personality.
Tinta (red wine, gin, orange and lemon) is the one most people picture: deep red and citrusy. If you like a fruity red, start here, with Bacon-Wrapped Dates on the side.
Blanca means “white.” Made with white wine, rum and white peach, it stays gentle and summery even on a cold Connecticut evening.
Sandía is Spanish for watermelon. Made with rosé, vodka, watermelon, lemon and fresh mint, it is the lightest of the three and an easy pick when the group cannot agree.
A simple trick for a table of four: order a different sangría for each pair of friends and pass the glasses around. In one round, everyone knows their favorite. We have a whole post on the house pitchers, too: read why Boqueria’s sangría is a Blue Back Square favorite.
3. Your First Vermut and Your First Sherry
Once sangría feels familiar, the next step is the drinks Spaniards actually order at the bar on an ordinary afternoon: vermut and sherry. Both sound old-fashioned to many Americans. In Spain, they are the opposite. They are social, casual and cheerful.
Your first vermut
Vermut is the Spanish word for vermouth, a wine flavored with herbs and spices. In the U.S., vermouth usually hides inside a Manhattan. In Spain, it is poured on its own, over ice with orange or a splash of soda. La hora del vermut, “the vermouth hour,” is the pre-meal ritual of a small glass and a few salty snacks with friends, especially in Barcelona and Madrid.
Boqueria West Hartford lists vermut from Destilerías Atxa (White, Dry and Red), Lustau (Blanco, Rosé and Rojo) and Casa Mariol Vermut Negre. For a first try, we suggest a red (rojo) style over ice. Red vermut is sweet, herbal and gently bitter, a bit like a grown-up cola with spice. If you prefer lighter and crisper flavors, choose a white or blanco instead.
Your first sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine from southern Spain, and it comes in many styles, from bone-dry to sticky-sweet. That range is exactly why it confuses people. Here is a short ladder, using the sherries on the West Hartford list, from lightest to richest.
| Step | Sherry on the list | Style in plain English | Try it with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emilio Lustau Fino del Puerto | Pale, dry, crisp and a little salty | Croquetas de Jamón |
| 2 | González Byass Viña AB Amontillado | Dry and nutty, a bit deeper in color | Pan con Tomate |
| 3 | El Maestro Sierra Oloroso | Darker, rich, toasty and still dry | Bacon-Wrapped Dates |
| 4 | Valdespino “El Candado” PX | Dark, very sweet, raisin-like | Classic Churros |
A good first sherry is the Fino. Serve it chilled, take a small sip, then eat something salty and sip again. The second sip almost always tastes better than the first, because fino was made to be drunk with food. If you have a sweet tooth, skip to the end of the ladder: PX, short for Pedro Ximénez, tastes like dessert in a glass and is a great way to end the night.
Not ready for a whole glass of sherry? Try the Fino What You Did Last Summer cocktail, which blends blanco tequila, strawberry, basil, fino sherry and lime with clarified milk. It is a gentle introduction to how sherry tastes.
4. Easy Cocktails for a First Round (and a Few to Grow Into)
Cocktails are where many people feel most comfortable, so here is how to read the West Hartford list. Cocktail menus rotate, so treat the drinks below as examples from the current menu.
Safe and familiar
Boqueria’s Iconic Shishito Margarita is the house classic: tequila infused with shishito peppers and fresh lime. The peppers add a fresh, green flavor rather than real heat, so it tastes like a brighter margarita.
Aperol Spritz (Aperol, cava, soda and orange) is light, bubbly and gently bitter. Cava is Spain’s sparkling wine, so even this familiar drink has a Spanish touch.
The Espresso Martini adds Licor 43, a golden Spanish liqueur with vanilla and citrus notes, and Torres 10 brandy. The Lychee Cosmo and Gimlet round out the familiar choices.
The Spanish gin and tonic
Spain takes its gin and tonic seriously. It usually arrives in a big balloon glass with plenty of ice and fresh garnishes, so you can smell the botanicals with every sip. The Summer Gin Tonic at Boqueria West Hartford uses Gin Mare with lime, tonic, rosemary and grilled peach. The bar also carries four Spanish gins: Nordés from Galicia, Regina from the Basque Country, and BCN and Gin Mare from Barcelona.
When you are ready for more
Negroni Blanco: Ford’s gin, Atxa white vermut, Faccia Bruto Centerbe and Luxardo Bitter Bianco, with a paella rice wash. A softer, paler take on a Negroni.
Midnight in Madrid: Banhez mezcal, coffee liqueur, Licor 43 and mole bitters. Smoky and dark.
Ibérico Washed Old Fashioned: bourbon fat-washed with jamón ibérico, Spain’s prized cured ham, plus demerara and Angostura. Fat-washing gives the spirit a rich, savory roundness. It is the most Boqueria drink on the list.
Happy Ending: vodka, passion fruit, Licor 43, lemon and clarified milk, for a silky, fruity finish.
Prefer beer? Try Estrella Damm, the lager from Barcelona, or keep it local with the New Park Brewing Pilsner, brewed right here in West Hartford.
5. Zero-Proof for the Designated Driver
A suburban night out usually means someone is driving. At a lot of bars, that person gets a soda with a straw. At Boqueria West Hartford, the designated driver gets a real menu, with zero-proof cocktails built with the same care as everything else.
| Zero-proof drink | What is in it | Order it if you like |
|---|---|---|
| Forget-Me-Not | Butterfly pea flower, thyme, honey, lime, ginger beer | Something bright, bubbly and pretty |
| A Better NA Negroni | Ritual gin alternative and aperitif, Roots Divino Rosso, Pathfinder, orange bitters | Bitter, grown-up aperitif flavors |
| No Fizz Given | Wilderton citrus aperitivo, Hollow Leg sparkling Albariño, lemon | A spritz without the alcohol |
| SPF Zero | Ritual tequila alternative, watermelon, verjus, lime, guindilla pepper | A margarita-style drink with a little kick |
| Athletic Free Wave Hazy IPA | Non-alcoholic hazy IPA | A cold beer with the game or the movie recap |
| Hollow Leg Sparkling | Non-alcoholic sparkling Albariño | A toast without the buzz |
No Fizz Given is a smart pick when the rest of the group is drinking spritzes or cava, because it feels like part of the same round. And the driver deserves the first croqueta.
6. Visit Us in West Hartford: A Night Out at Blue Back Square
Boqueria West Hartford sits at 46 S Main St, in the heart of Blue Back Square. That location shapes how most evenings here unfold. People come in carrying shopping bags, or straight from a movie, or after a walk around the square with the family. The bar is right there, and bar seating is kept for walk-ins, which is perfect for an unplanned “one drink before we head home.”
Here are three easy ways to build a night around the bar.
| Your plan | First drink | Something to share | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| After an afternoon of shopping | A glass of Sandía sangría | Pan con Tomate and Patatas Bravas | Stay for paella if the bags can wait |
| Before or after a movie | Shishito Margarita or Summer Gin Tonic | Croquetas de Jamón and Croquetas de Setas | Classic Churros to share |
| Date night with a designated driver | Red vermut over ice and a Forget-Me-Not | Bacon-Wrapped Dates | A glass of PX with dessert |
New to the food? Pan con Tomate is Catalan-style toasted bread rubbed with tomato, garlic and olive oil. Patatas Bravas are crispy potatoes with salsa brava, pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika) and garlic allioli, a Catalan garlic mayonnaise. Croquetas are creamy croquettes, either Serrano ham with quince purée or mushroom with truffle allioli. Bacon-Wrapped Dates are stuffed with almonds and Valdeón blue cheese, and Classic Churros come with dulce de leche, hot chocolate or Nutella for dipping.
If anyone in your group eats gluten-free, several gluten-free options are marked on the menu. Tell your server about any allergies before you order.
Planning more than a casual round? Birthdays, team outings and celebrations can be arranged through our West Hartford events page, with private and semi-private options and family-style menus. For what else is happening around town, the Town of West Hartford site is a handy place to check before you head out.
Conclusion
Spanish drinks are much friendlier than their names suggest. Start with a glass of sangría, move on to a red vermut over ice, take a careful first sip of Fino with a croqueta, and finish with a little PX and a churro. Along the way, the Shishito Margarita and the Summer Gin Tonic are always there as a safe bet, and the designated driver has a full zero-proof menu of their own.
That is what makes Boqueria the cocktail bar Blue Back Square shoppers, moviegoers and neighbors can walk into without a plan. See the full drinks list on the Boqueria West Hartford location page, then reserve a table or simply come by and take a seat at the bar.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have never had Spanish drinks before. What should I order first?
Start with sangría. The Tinta (red), Blanca (white) and Sandía (rosé) are fruity, easy to drink and simple to share. Once you know you like it, try a red vermut over ice as your next step.
What is vermut, and how is it served?
Vermut is the Spanish word for vermouth, a wine flavored with herbs and spices. In Spain it is usually poured on its own over ice, often with orange or a splash of soda, as an aperitif before a meal. Boqueria West Hartford carries vermut from Atxa, Lustau and Casa Mariol.
Which sherry is best for a beginner?
A chilled Fino is a great first sherry because it is light, dry and made to be enjoyed with salty food. If you prefer sweet flavors, try the PX, a dark dessert-style sherry that pairs well with churros.
Are there good options for a designated driver?
Yes. The current menu lists four zero-proof cocktails (Forget-Me-Not, A Better NA Negroni, No Fizz Given and SPF Zero), plus a non-alcoholic hazy IPA and a non-alcoholic sparkling Albariño.
Do I need a reservation just for drinks?
Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends and for tables. Bar seating is kept for walk-ins, so if you want a drink and a bite after shopping or a movie, you can stop by and grab a seat when one is open.
Does the cocktail menu change?
Cocktail menus rotate, so the drinks in this guide are examples from the current menu. Check the West Hartford location page for the latest list before you visit, or ask the bartender what is new.