Speakeasies with whiskey drinks, luxurious bars with botanical-filled multi-colored cocktails, and sitting in the middle of the ocean with a tiki drink in hand sound like nothing but a dream. As world travel starts to pick up again, we found the bars to make these daydreams a delicious reality. We rounded up some of the coolest bars that are serving the trendiest drinks and Instagrammable ambiance to help inspire your brands’ next beverage product:
Thyme Bar – New York City, New York
Billed as Flatiron’s underground hideaway beneath the Patisserie Chanson bakery, Thyme Bar in NYC is located in an historic pre-war cellar that served as a former 1920s gambling den and speakeasy. The ambiance of soft lights and dark brick give it that sensual speakeasy feel, and its location in the cellar lends more authenticity to the speakeasy format.
The drinks, however, steal the show with each served in special, artfully designed glassware and with garnishes that make it feel like you’re getting served a bouquet of flowers inside a gin drink, which the bar has deemed “floriography.” Inside the drinks, botanicals, like eucalyptus, jasmine, and rosemary, and experimental flavors, like charcoal burnt coconut milk, make each a unique experience.
What to order:
• Chatpata Fizz – El Silencio Mezcal, Chatpata Soda (Jasmin, Wasabi, Green Tabasco, Smoked Salt), Pandan Lime
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Carousel Bar & Lounge in Hotel Montelelone – New Orleans, Louisiana
The classic Carousel Bar & Lounge in Hotel Monteleone is a long-time favorite New Orleans hotspot in the French Quarter with a fun twist that harkens back to childhood. The bar, which was established over 70 years ago, is built into an actual 25-seat carousel that revolves as patrons sip their beverages and enjoy the pleasant 15-mintue ride around – the only carousel you have to be 21 to ride! Even the drinks include a twist on the classics to continue the nostalgic theme with a touch of a childhood favorite: chocolate.
What to order:
• Plantation Old Fashion - Dark Rum, Toschi Italian Cherries, Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters With A Touch Of Agave Nectar
• Cherry Manhattan - Belle Mead XO Bourbon, Toschi Italian Cherries, Sangue Morlacco Liqueur, Bitterman's Mole Chocolate Bitters
Cahoots – London, England United Kingdom
Cahoots is a 1940s-themed bar located in the heart of London’s Soho with three locations designed to bring patrons back in time with the motto “High Spirits, Scoundrels & Swing!” The Underground location is set inside an abandoned train station complete with train cars to eat and drink in, while the Control Room under the Ticket Hall offers an escape room-style experience available to book for those who want to be even more immersed in the time travel adventure.
To top it off, the drinks are served in everything from tea cups to literal tomato sauce cans to tiki glasses and more. The menu boasts “black market liquor” classics while also introducing some modern, more unusual cocktail flavors, like cantaloupe melon syrup and red pepper yogurt foam.
What to drink:
• Rosie’s Riveter – Bosford Rosé Gin, Martini Riserva Speciale Bitter Aperitif, Martini Riserva Speciale Rubino Vermouth, Grape Cordial, Lime, Topped With Franklin & Sons Pomegranate & Hibiscus Soda
RELATED: 4 Key Trends Behind Rising Interest in Mocktails
ICEBAR – Stockholm, Sweden
If we’re talking “coolest” bars, ICEBAR is certainly as ice-cold cool as they come. Made of literal ice, ICEBAR in Stockholm is kept at constant temperature of -5°C (23°F) year-round and has room for up to 60 people who don a silver, fuzzy ice cape and a pair of gloves to keep themselves warm as well as protect the ice from their body heat. Everything inside, down to the tables and bar itself, is carved from ice, which includes the cube shaped, hollowed out ice glasses all the drinks are served in.
What to drink:
• Propeller – Absolut Vodka, Lingonberry Juice, Lime
Floyd’s Pelican Bar – Black River, Jamaica
If you’re looking for the coolest, and most secluded bar in the middle of the ocean, Floyd’s Pelican Bar is a built-in adventure before you even have a drink poured. Located in Black River, Jamaica, this small thatched bar with a roof of palm branches is built on stilts a full mile from land and 7 miles away from the nearest town, so the only way to reach it is by taking a 10-25-minute boat ride to it. The bar was built in 2001 originally for fisherman but quickly became an exclusive destination for adventurous vacationers. License plates and flags decorate the inside and be sure to carve your name into the wooden dock before you leave.
What to drink:
• Toast a traditional Red Stripe or rum punch with the local fisherman and other adventurous visitors
Cybermachina – Multiple locations, Poland
The best bars are ones that are a little hidden and reward those who find them. Cybermachina in Kraków, Poland, as well as other locations around Poland, is an underground dungeon oasis for gamers who love to enjoy a drink and have their pick of virtually any game to play at the same time. Choose between old-school Nintendo systems or Wii, pinball machines, or stacks of tabletop board games, then set up and enjoy under the neon lights and colorful décor of the bar that sticks with the video game theme from today and yesteryear – Mario waves from the tap, glass brick dividers shine like Tetris, and brightly shining Pac Man ghosts watch your drink from all around.
What to drink:
• Popular shots follow the video game theme – try the Wario, Triforce, or Angry Bird
MO Bar – Singapore
Recognized as one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars of 2021, MO Bar in Singapore is a vibrant experience inspired by the Pacific Ocean and rich culture of the flavors and aromas of the region. The sleek bar made of stone and wood feels like a museum dedicated to the art of bespoke cocktails and features dramatic views of the Marina Bay. The cocktails themselves are treated as modern art pieces – whether they are swirled with color or deliberately garnished with a balancing cherry – each meant to bring the indulger on a journey through Asia and includes elaborate backstories to immerse them in adventure as they go.
What to drink:
• Sarimanok – Rum, Mango, Citrus, “After a calm crossing, we arrived at the pearl of the orient. We reunited with the mother of dragons who told us a story about a rooster in the first of the seven heavens. We explored local rations before she directed us north to trade.”
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