Dylan Brogan
The new whiskey lounge Cask & Ale, 212 State St., is scheduled to open this July. But it’s also a nod to the past: Owner Ken Boll long managed State Street mainstay Paul’s Club, originally located in the same spot. (In 2012, Paul’s Club moved a few doors up the block.)
Cask & Ale will be stocked with whiskies from around the world as well as small-batch, craft varieties distilled close to home. “The whiskey end of the cocktail world is definitely the biggest growing market right now,” says Boll.
Boll will also cater to the Overture/Orpheum crowd with wine and cocktails and a revolving list of 30 draft beers. Late night he hopes to have DJs and acoustic music.
The space, most recently home to 608 Restaurant and Bar, is being remodeled with a new back bar and new floors. Unlike 608 (which is moving to the former Einstein Bros. Bagel space on Fordem Avenue), Cask & Ale won’t have a kitchen and has been licensed to serve alcohol exclusively.
Boll says it’s a “bit surreal” running down the basement stairs like he had so many times before to change a keg at Paul’s Club.
“It’s also where I met my wife, so I have some history with the space. It’s neat to be back,” says Boll.
