The Wallingford Dram

We’ve been loyal customers at Wallingford Dram for many years and have always enjoyed the atmosphere and quality drinks. Unfortunately, our most recent visit was disappointing. While the drinks were still excellent, the staff seemed overwhelmed, and the service reflected that. We were unexpectedly refused another drink without any clear explanation, and the way it was handled felt condescending. We completely understand that bartenders have to make judgment calls “this was not one of those times”. It would have been appreciated if the situation had been communicated professionally and respectfully. When we asked for clarification, the waiter became defensive instead of simply explaining the policy. We weren’t trying to cause a scene — just hoping for a bit of understanding and consistency, especially since we’ve ordered similar rounds many times before. We hope this was just an off night, but better communication and professionalism from the staff would go a long way in maintaining the great reputation we’ve always associated with Wallingford Dram. Remember you are dealing with grown adults not children!

We hit the jackpot with this place! Jeff and his team have put together an incredible atmosphere that welcomes everyone and takes each patron on an unforgettable experience filled with detailed and curated cocktails, interesting conversation, and meaningful connection. It is clear that he takes what he does seriously and genuinely wants everyone that walks through the door to have a good time. My wife and I had such a wonderful time chatting with him and the other guests at the bar. We left with a fantastic memory and a renewed reminder of what a classic cocktail bar should be: fun without pretension. Stop in and say hi; you won’t regret it.

Jeff went above and beyond to welcome us into this establishment then made sure our experience was top notch. What an amazing team member you have! Thanks Jeff. The “make haste” and “Crunch punch” were fantastic.

The most amazing small bar with delicious cocktails. A hidden gem we are so grateful to have found years ago & a place we return to every time we're in the area.

Just the best place for a cocktail. I selfishly don’t even want to say this because I hope I can always get a seat. And if you also have a fear of not knowing cool ingredients, the bartenders here are so nice and attentive and clearly passionate about what they do, they are happy to help! We also ordered the pimento cheese which I’m normally not a huge fan of but was the best one I’d ever had.

Met some friends for drinks and had a nice time, service was very attentive and the drinks were good

A little hidden gem in downtown kittery and definitely the best place to experience cocktails on the seacoast. The staff are friendly, upbeat and can always give a good recommendation if you're not sure what you'd enjoy

As a bartender，this is my favorite place to drink. high quality cocktails and good service as well.I got the “text me Ishmael ”(which is White Negroni ‘s twist)and Last word. Highly recommend

One of my favorite spots in Kittery! The bartenders are all amazing and create delicious, creative cocktails. Have tried most of the drinks on their menu and haven't found one I dislike. Have also gotten some off-menu creations that were amazing. Small space, seating can sometimes be difficult to come by. I recommend The Dram to anyone visiting the area!

This bar is a great local bar in Kittery which is a sister property to Anju noodles bar. They're actually connected to each other. It's a casual and cozy vibe. The cocktail menu is extensive and the bartenders are knowledgeable and friendly. We tried several of the gin and mezcal cocktails and enjoyed all of them. Seating is limited so not great for large groups but great for couples or groups of 4 or less.

I had a couple of out of town guests visiting and I took the to the "Dram". The craft cocktails are amazing and second to none! If you are lucky enough to sit at the bar, you'll find the bartenders really know what they're doing and if it's not too busy, they will gladly pass along their knowledge. I'm a pretty good amateur mixologist and I really enjoy learning from the pros, these guys are the real deal. My guests are already planning their next visit which has to include a visit to the Dram. Not sure if they are coming back to see me or just to go to the Dram...

Nice little "hole in the wall" bar with limited indoor seating but some outdoor seating too. This is the place to go for a cocktail! Quite a large menu with lots of drinks where I know less than half of the ingredients so it's a bit of an adventure to pick a drink. The staff can help with your choices as well. I had the Jupiter Jazz wit spicy Mezcal - loved it Will add that there is also a small selection of non-cocktail drinks for people who want that.

Super cute cocktail spot in the heart of historic Kittery! A wonderful find attached to Anju which is also stellar! Delicious cocktails and wine and you can order snacks including Anjus delicious pork belly bun! Service was beyond top notch! Will definitely be back!

This place is a great hidden local gem in Kittery. The cocktails are unique and very innovative, they offer a variety of drinks so there is definitely something for everyone. The bartender and staff are great and very knowledgeable too. The inside is small but still very cozy. The location is kind of hidden so it makes it feel more exclusive. Will definitely be going back!

A delightful little spot -- a bit challenging to find but worth the searching. Cozy bar with unique options. Service was excellent and it's clear they have a solid following of regulars.

Loved stumbling into this vibrant place. Jeff welcomed us at the door with menus and told us he'd get us seated as soon as something opened up (the place was packed). Molly set up us with "Cowboys," her favorite drink on the menu, which ended up being mine too. We met awesome locals and felt like we were home in the NY. Great cocktails without being pretentious. Definitely recommend if you're in the area.

The overall experience is a 4 Ambiance 4.5 Cocktails 3 Cocktail prices 4 Good ambiance place. The prices were great for so many hand crafted drinks (this is my big city perspective though). The drinks looked amazing too. We did not care too much for the cocktail flavor though which was a big let down. Tried 6 cocktails and they all felt like they were just missing something. The prism ice cubes were cool though. Overall good vibe but the cocktail itself may not blow you away

Space is small but inviting. Cocktails are well made and the staff are great. I love this place.

Having lived in Portland, Maine for quite a bit of time, I was spoiled with the amount of cocktail bars in any given radius. I then moved to Portsmouth and found that higher-end cocktail bars are a rarity. The Wallingford Dram is one of those rarities in the Kittery/Portsmouth areas, and it is doing it right. The Wallingford Dram, when not in a pandemic, is a venue that is dark with very dimmed lighting with a nautical aesthetic. The space is very small, but it adds to the Dram's charm. Being that we are in a pandemic, the Dram has expanded itself with outside seating, which allows for them to serve a wider community. The staff at the Dram is always attentive and super, super nice. Need a recommendation? Have questions? They take the time to give you thoughtful answers and walk you through the various flavor profiles. The menu offers a variety of cocktail options, and they also have a fairly extensive local beer list and wine list. They even have some snacks to munch on which range from nuts, cheese plates, and some sandwiches. Their cocktails, in my opinion, are the draw of the Dram. Their flavors are elevated and there is an abundance of options. Why not 5 stars? Because they are using fresh ingredients and are utilizing a variety of cocktail methods, their prices definitely reflect that. I just find that their cocktails tend to be on the smaller side for the larger price point. Does it push me away from going to the Dram? Definitely not. But just a minor critique!

Seven years after my first review... still the best cocktails north of New York City! Yum.

Delicious cocktails, perfect for before or after a meal. The names are clever and the drinks are garnished beautifully. Super cute environment to hang with friends or with your date. Dress up or come in fairly casual, you'll feel right in place. We've come here before going to local establishments and have enjoyed every minute! My star off is that I like my drinks a touch stronger . But I recognize I'm not everyone, so it'll likely be perfect for most.

Sat outside late Sunday afternoon. It was the perfect spot for a drink before dinner at the noodle bar. Fun selection of cocktails that are picturesque. Service was great too.

Best cocktails on the Seacoast! Geoff and Carlos are the best and take perfect care of all customers. For all visiting Portsmouth, hop across the bridge and you'll be pleasantly surprised. The cocktails are thoughtfully created and well balanced. I have too many fun cocktail photos pick, but happy to share if you ask nicely!

- ten stars - anyone who gives this place less than five stars is nutzilla - great waiting area as u wait for black birch - no to go drinks - good suggestions good substitutions for products they may be lacking - these drinks are heaven - this is one of my favorite bars in the United States - I won't recommend a drink, because whatever you get will be divine - neat sound track

I would give this place 10 Stars if I could. What a heart little place to have amazing cocktails and have a chat with amazing people.

So far, I have only had a few cocktail places really impress me with their drinks. Example: Jinjoint in Charleston, Santa ella in Puerto Rico. Straightlight in Chinatown, NYC. The Wallingford Dram is now definitely on that list.Coming from new York , i found the prices here very reasonable. I love their casual atmosphere. Super friendly staff. Drinks we were drawn to and enjoyed: -Eddy and the bridge. Strawberries, peychaud bitters, pineapple gomme, tequila, guajillo pepper, lemon, seltzer, Thai basil. -Brutality. Tequila, mezcal, creme de coconut (substituted with peanut), pineapple, like and campari. Definitely will come back

My favorite bar in Kittery. Cocktails are awesome. My last visit I had the Mos Eisley and the Drama And Bewilderment. Also snacked on some spiced nuts. The bartenders were quick, busy, but friendly and conversational when they had a second. They also clearly were friendly with each other which was nice. The place is small, so you can get here and not find a seat. Thems the breaks. I love this bar and appreciate it.

We stopped at this quant bar on our way back from dinner. Our Airbnb was just a couple of blocks away. The bartenders were super friendly and knowledgeable!! They made us some amazing cocktails!!! Definitely make a stop here if you're in Kittery.

Dram is a breath of fresh air in the mixology realm in the seacoast area. Their cocktail menu is deep and rich without being pretentious, and Sam and Jeff understand flavor pairing and nuance like drink texture. Probably the best pure bar in the area, and up there with Raised by Wolves in San Diego. If you can't find a libation here that you love, you don't love alcoholic drinks.

Absolutely loved this place. Terrific cocktails and a really cool environment. We were outside on a perfect day, music was playing and could smell food from neighboring restaurants. My wife and I each ordered two cocktails. Two were amazing and two were pretty good. I wish we could have been inside, but COVID protocols were rightfully in place. We would absolutely go back. Such a great time.

Great server and cocktails that are very unique and extremely tasty. Small but cozy bar that you need to get to early - highly recommend for a date night

I'm so glad I got to try this bar while on vacation in Maine. Cute little bar with lots of funky drink options. Great for date night!

The cocktails are ALWAYS amazing!! The drink menu changes with the seasons, so they never get old or predictable. I love that they forage some of their ingredients and make their own bitters. It's tiny, and the atmosphere is nicest on a snowy evening when most have stayed home. Can be hard to find space to stand on a busy night so go claim a seat early.

Sorry to review again but when it's the best made drinks well I gotta do it again. August 30th last weekend of summer had the best drink ever. Love the drinks can't go wrong.

This is an awesome bar. Cocktails are expertly made and creative in inspiration and ingredients. Staff are friendly, professional and kind, and the ambience is the perfect pitch of warm and dynamic. We'll be back.

There aren't enough positive adjectives in my vocabulary to fully describe the experience at The Wallingford Dram. At first glance, you say to yourself "Okay. Cool, a cozy bar. Awesome," then things quickly go up up and beyond expectation as soon as you look at the menu. An eclectic menu of in-home classics. Riffing and jamming on cocktails of yesterday with their own characteristic twists and turns, while also digging that sometimes you just want an old fashioned, or a beer from their selection of delicious brews. Offerings include a meat and cheese menu (with some of the best little crackers I've ever eaten), and a menu of small plates - hummus, biscuits with honey, a salad, brownie sundae, warm olives, spiced nuts, and a new development, the pork bun from an adjacent restaurant Anju. The ambience is great. Dimly lit and loud during its peak hours, it is a little embodiment of the character of surrounding Kittery - sometimes loud, sometimes sleepy, surprising and unique. It's not a big place, both the bar nor surrounding town, but it's full of character. The staff is phenomenal. I don't know how to describe the staff other than knowledgeable and friendly. Even those words fall short. It feels like every experience is an invitation into their homes and you're being shown the same care and love of craft that you'd put into something if you were serving someone you truly enjoyed being around. At a certain point it becomes prudent to say that this is not just a cocktail bar with a good bar staff. It's a great cocktail bar with artisans. Overall, this is what a five star experience should be.

Keep coming back here every time when visiting Kittery. Always cool urban,but relaxing atmosphere and fantastic cocktails. A secret gem,that I hope will stay secret

Best cocktails in New England... Trust me, I know. Even better than the wannabe speakeasy type bars in Boston. I have Death and Co in Manhattan and awesome Chicago bars to compare cocktails to and the only one that can stand in the ring around here is the Dram. Atmosphere is great, nicely dim, and the service is good too. No complaints. Plus you can come here after Anju so it's a perfect night out of food and drinks.

This might be one of the best bars in the US and it is a hole in the wall in Kittery. Justin the scientist/mixologist/taste master has put together one of the finest cocktail lists I have ever seen, it is amazing and the drinks just seem to sing to your taste buds as they glide down your throat. I've been to The Nomad bar in NYC and the Dead Rabbit, Raines Lawroom this is as good if not better, talk to Justin he's there he's passionate about his craft and his sister bar the Wilder. This is exceptional you must try.

Just an absolutely great little spot in a cute area of Kittery. We went in right as it opened at 3:30 for a few pre-dinner drinks and had Chris make us some awesome cocktails. All the drinks are interesting with their own style so there is definitely something for everyone. It was so nice to have actual professionally made cocktails with the right ratio of fresh ingredients instead of crappy watered down drinks with no thought whatsoever. Chris was also super knowledgable about all the myriad of questions we had not just about the cocktails but spirits in general. Perfect place for a few drinks before dinner or to cap off a night. No fratty bars for you.

The Wallingford Dram is my spirit animal. There is nothing better than sitting at the window seat of "the dram" during a Maine snow storm as the flickering glow of candles and oil lamps reflect off the icy panes and the sounds of crooners softly croon in the background. Sipping on a deliciously handcrafted cocktail full of warming spices, a touch of bitters, and garnished with a piece of pine tree warms you and warms your soul. The only thing that could improve the ambiance is if they could somehow squeeze a fireplace inside, if this happens I would never leave.

When we showed up to this bar, we knew it was a small exclusive place. No problem, we don't mind waiting for good cocktails. All of the bar seats were taken, but we noticed that one high top was getting ready to leave. Seeing as we were definitely first in "line" for this table we politely asked the group if they wouldn't mind us putting a coat on the table to claim it while they finished paying. They didn't mind, but suggested we asked the bartender just to make sure no one else was waiting on it. Okay, so we head up to ask and are met with the strangest display of condescension. We were just trying to be polite and courteous of other guests to make sure the table was available and bartender was visibly annoyed and replied "I don't know... it's a bar so..." in a really condescending manner. He really lived up to the pretentious vibe, which sucks cause this is a really cool spot. Not a huge deal, but still a strange way to respond to a group of patrons trying to do the right thing. We sit down and are passed by the server 4 times before we ask HIM if we can order drinks. This is a different server and he too seemed annoyed by us for some reason. We were thinking about leaving and going to Black Birch instead but decided to wait for our drinks. The drinks were excellent, really unique and not super over priced. We asked to order olives and some bread and our server was visibly put off by the request. Really strange service, not sure why they were being so pretentious.. All in all, drinks and atmosphere are both awesome but the service is slow and not super attentive. We have been to a lot of other high end bars like this in Boston and even Portsmouth and the bartenders are usually the exact opposite. Extremely helpful, they take time to suggest drinks and let you try samples and make you feel like you're their only guest. Definitely not the experience here, probably won't visit again.

Not only are the cocktails creative and made with fresh herbs, fruits, and evergreens that decorate the bar, but the bartenders and waitresses welcome you back like family. The place is small and cozy, so I always feel lucky when I can snag a bar seat where I can watch the bartenders shake, rattle, and roll!

Thoroughly outstanding place to relax with well made, top shelf cocktails. Highly recommend for the drinks and the hummus. You will not be disappointed.

Very speakeasy-esque & such a mellow chill place. Very neat and nicely made drinks. Definitely stop in for a drink.

Tasty, unique drinks and charming bartenders. Might not be great if you have a really big group, because it's a small place. I had a great time here with some friends. I'm excited to go back and try some more of their cocktails.

One of the top two places to have a drink. The other place is their sister bar the Wilder. Great drinks, music and service.

I never imagined I would have the BEST drinks of my life at this cozy and intimate bar in Maine. Seriously- no bartender in Boston can even compete with the craft we witnessed at The Wallingford. The quality and creativity of ingredients makes every other drink I've tried seem...uninspired. We tried several drinks off the menu which were all insanely good. The bartender offered to make us a few of her own creations, one being an "original" Mai Thai recipe. I know it might sound dramatic but it was life changing. I didn't think a Mai Thai could be so damn good. To the owner - I applaud your menu and commitment to quality and finding such amazing bartenders. Sadly there's no comparable place in Boston so I will be back to Kittery just for this place!

Delightful. Tiny but very cozy interior in quaint Kittery with excellent atmosphere. And the cocktails...oh, the cocktails...

I challenge anyone to try to order a bad drink here. I've only been here a couple times but I will keep coming back. The drinks are a work of art and delicious.

It's loud but the cocktails are great. Small and intimate. So many choices. They have little plates. Biscuits with honey butter and pork bun small plates were delicious. Best part is it's connected to Anju noodle bar and you can take your cocktails to the restaurant via back-hall if you are waiting for the noodle bar. Love this spot.

As good as anything in Boston. Wallingford Dram nailed the tiny cocktail bar atmosphere. Its kind of cramped, but in a convivial way. They have the appropriate glassware for any drink. And the bartenders really know their stuff. I've tried four different cocktails here and I can't make a recommendation since all were fantastic. Get whatever appeals to you.

We walked to Kittery from Portsmouth to get a drink at The Black Birch. Either that place is closed or we could not find it. But we were lucky enough to find The Wallingford Dram and our fine bartender Misty. We had 2 excellent cocktails made by a true professional. My wife got a "Golden Hour" a truly delicious tequila (100% Agave) themed beverage. I got a "Painkiller" a great rum drink reminiscent of the Islands. Both were expertly mixed and beautifully presented. If you are staying in Portsmouth walk to Kittery and go see Misty.

If you like cocktails made to perfection go here. These people are cocktail geeks. Hand cut ice to homemade orgeat they have all the bases covered. We sampled multiple cocktails during our visit to this hip cozy 25 seat bar, and greatly enjoyed them all. 100% we'll be back.

Amazing craft cocktails. I live in a big city but this is some of the best I've had. Highly recommend!

This place had been so great for the longest time. Seems like no matter the evening the drinks and atmosphere was great unfortunately I've noticed some of the employees in particular bartenders have changed and are no longer there. In my opinion the well-made drinks ended up leaving with them ;"(

We came with friends and Carly was great. Very informative and answered all of our questions about their drinks and process. Great selection of unique and creative drinks, definitely recommend coming here when Carly works she makes a great drink.