With the craft cocktail revolution firmly in its groove for some time now, NYC bars have entered their latest phase: specialization. They’re following a restaurant-like path of centering around the cuisines of different regions around the globe.
For this list, we’re focused on the flavors and ingredients of India, Korea, Mexico, Peru, and more. Now, you can experience them mixed into world-class cocktails. If you’re feeling wanderlust, scratch the itch the same evening with a mixological visit to the region of your choice. Now, we are visiting Scandinavia and Spain
NYC Bars Channeling Scandinavia KABIN 
Inside KABIN in NYC. | Photo by Joanna Lin
KABIN is unmistakably Scandinavian in its ability to somehow simultaneously convey sleek, modern, artful coolness plus inviting, laid-back warmth. The monochrome, marble-accented space is the stuff of Architectural Digest dreams, but you’ll also feel so comfortable you’ll want to tuck in for the evening.
Opened by Norwegian-by-way-of-London Alex Tangen in 2024, KABIN deftly weaves Scandinavian flavors and ingredients into sophisticated cocktails. Take the Karpe featuring mezcal, chai, mango, rose, lemon, and Greek yogurt with aquavit. Or, try the Kardamom Bun with rum, bourbon, cardamom, brown butter, and stout. In try Scandi fashion, the Vaffeltopp comprises white rum, blueberries, raspberries, lemon, sparkling water, and a foam made with Brunost, a caramel-like Norwegian cheese that gives dessert notes more than charcuterie board.
There are also non-alcoholic cocktails, beer, and wine, as well as a coffee program by day. Don’t miss Scandi eats like the Danish Hot Dog, Swedish Meatballs, Hasselback Potato, Husets Salat, and Gin-Cured Yellowtail. 300 Spring St., Soho, kabin.nyc
Björk Cafe & Bistro 
Come get all the Norwegian-style drinks at this trendy bar. | Photo courtesy of Björk Cafe & Bistro
Björk is located in New York’s Scandinavia House cultural center, and it doesn’t get much more immersive than that. You can flesh out your visit by taking in a Scandinavian art exhibit or event from Nordic music performances and readings to craft lessons, and visit the center’s shops to take home Scandi wares and snacks.
On the dining side, chef Ulrika Bengtsson has created an authentic yet approachable menu. Think Smörre Bröd open-faced sandwiches, the Herring Plate, Färö Island Salmon, Toast Skagen, Swedish Meatballs, Savory Potato Waffles with toppings from bacon and lingonberry preserves to smoked trout roe, and more.
For drinks, Scandinavian flavors emerge in refreshing, tasty low- and no-ABV cocktails like the Nordic Spritzer with elderflower and lingonberry or black currant, and a Margarita with lingonberry or black currant. The star of the show is Bengtsson’s house-made aquavit, which she crafts around varying flavors and a lower-than-typical ABV for easier sipping. There’s Dill Bliss with caraway, dill, and fennel; Nordic Punch with lemon and elderflower; Orange Viking with orange, ginger, and St. John’s wort; and Scandinavian Forest with lingonberry, black currant, and pine. 58 Park Ave., Upper East Side, scandinaviahouse.org
Spain in NYC Carlota This NYC bar serves a taste of Spain. | Photo courtesy of Carlota
If you’ve been fantasizing about strolling small-town Spanish streets and stopping along the way for a refreshing, bitter, effervescent vermouth and soda, you’ll be happy to know you can do this without a plane ticket at Carlota. Opened in 2023, this vermutería boasts a flavor-forward cocktail list. For example, the La Luchadora with rum, Guinness reduction, vermouth, lavender, and chocolate; Burbuja Sangria with apricot and tarragon; the spritz Don Juan with sake, strawberry, and rhubarb; and a Kalimotxo riff, Blood Moon Rising, with whiskey, cola spice, and a red wine float.
The real star of the show is the vermouth service. Order from the sizable vermouth menu and choose your own adventure: neat, on the rocks, or with soda. Pair drinks with oysters, Croquetas de Guisantes, Pan con Tomate, Tortilla Espanola, ceviche, and more. 14a Orchard St., Lower East Side, carlotanyc.com.
Bar Celona 
Come have a drink and pretend you’re in Spain. | Photo courtesy of Bar Celona
What better place to find a taste of Spain than in a place actually called Little Spain? This bustling marketplace from José Andrés is studded with Spanish restaurants, bars, kiosks, and shops where visitors can feel fully immersed in the flavors of the Iberian country.
Pull up a stool to Bar Celona for an authentic vermutería experience. There’s a vermouth menu so you can taste through reds and whites to your heart’s content. The wine list is expansive, and you can even experience the porron, the traditional Spanish wine-drinking pitcher. You’ll find Spanish-style gin and tonics, too, gorgeously aromatic with botanicals mixed in, plus cocktails with a Spanish twist like a martini with an olive oil wash and a Gilda skewer. There’s even a sangria menu, plus edible accompaniments like jamón, cheeses, olives, and anchovies. 10 Hudson Yards, Midtown West, littlespain.com
Dining and Cooking