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New York's cocktail scene just picked up another major bragging right—and the trophy is headed straight to the East Village.
Bar Snack, the laid-back neighborhood bar known for serving what it calls "dressed-up classics for dressed-down people," has been named Best U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2026 Spirited Awards, one of the drinks industry's most prestigious honors. The awards were presented last Thursday during the annual Tales of the Cocktail conference in New Orleans, where bars and bartenders from around the world gathered for what amounts to the Oscars of the cocktail world.
The win caps off a meteoric rise for Bar Snack, which only opened in late 2024 but has already become one of New York's hottest reservations. Earlier this year, we named it the best bar in New York City, praising its playful cocktails, excellent snacks and gloriously weird bathrooms. Now, it's officially the best cocktail bar in the country, according to the industry's biggest awards.
The menu is packed with inventive riffs, from a whiskey sour finished with a silky Guinness float to frozen drinks like the smoky, citrusy Mama Tried, plus a dedicated daiquiri section that encourages ordering tiny pours or full pitchers. On the food menu, Bar Snack's cult-favorite Spice Bag—crispy chicken tenders, fries and peppers served in a paper bag with curry sauce—is reason enough to visit, even if you stick to beer.
East Village newcomer schmuck. took home Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar, while Takuma Watanabe of Gramercy's Martiny's was named U.S. Bartender of the Year. The global top prize, meanwhile, went to Fura in Singapore, which was named World's Best Bar after also winning Best International Restaurant Bar. Other international winners included London's Satan's Whiskers, Hong Kong's Bar Leone and Paris newcomer De Vie.
As for Bar Snack, the latest accolade is likely to make one thing harder than ever: snagging a seat. If you've been meaning to stop by for a Guinness-topped whiskey sour, a frozen cocktail and a bag of crispy tenders, consider this your sign to go sooner rather than later. The rest of America just caught up to what East Village regulars already knew.