Scandinavian Cocktails in Center City
What do you do with a friend who recently returned from a two-week work trip in Sweden? Go out for Swedish/Scandinavian cocktails in Center City Philadelphia, naturally. So, on a recent Saturday night, we strolled over to Andra Hem on 16th Street between Walnut and Locust.
It’s not a big place, but it feels comfortable and cozy. The first floor has a sleek bar that seats about eight people with a standing area behind it and a handful of small tables with banquettes and plush stools just inside the door. I dug the floral wallpaper. We were lucky enough to be there on a night when one of the patrons wore a shirt that seemed inspired by the wallpaper.
We ended up at one of the small banquette tables. I took the banquette so I could peruse the night’s activity while my buddies gracefully sat on the stools, which they said were comfortable for an hour or so. As far as the vibe, the place was busy with a good mixture of older/younger folks that leaned more toward women than men.
Now, to the important stuff. How were the cocktails? Some were different. All were good.
I started with a Nothing Beets a Dala Horse featuring beet-infused mezcal, tequila, rum, and horseradish coconut cream. WHAT??? You read that right—beet-infused mezcal, horseradish, and coconut cream.
I didn’t know what to expect, especially since I’m more of a whiskey drinker, but I liked it. I honestly don’t know how to describe it aside from different and creamy. Our server, who was excellent, said they simply describe it as a Swedish Bloody Mary. I’ll leave it at that.
My buddy enjoyed his Red Hatorade featuring Aquavit, aperitivo, and gin.
My other friend ordered a Blinker (Rye, grapefruit, grenadine), which I tasted. It was dynamite.
The first cocktail I remember having was a grasshopper when I was about eleven at the bar in my aunt’s basement. Feeling reminiscent, I finished the night off with a Stay Grassy, Philadelphia (Rum, creme de menthe, creme de cacao, lime). I was surprised to see it was a clear drink as opposed to the green one I had when I was eleven. The Stay Grassy tasted infinitely better than that grasshopper when I was eleven.
I can’t speak on the food. We only had warm olives, which were a great salty snack. Warm olives are pretty amazing. I’ve never actually had warmed olives before. That’ll be my preference going forward.
There is an upstairs but we never made it up there.
Overall, we all liked this place. The atmosphere is cool and chill. The drinks were fun and comparatively priced with other swanky cocktail bars in town. Hop Sing remains number one in my power rankings, but I highly recommend checking out Andra Hem. It’s perfect for both a date night and a low-key night with some friends.
By the way, my friend just back from Sweden was impressed.
PS. Andra Hem has no social media presence aside from their website: https://www.andrahem.com/