Tiny and full of energy, Barra is the newest addition to Union Square’s robust drinking scene. Located in a space that previously housed a juice shop, the intimate bar brings a taste of Mexico City to Somerville in the form of small plates and a big selection of mezcal, sotol, and other booze. (Both owners are from Mexico City, and they collaborated with Mexico City chef Sofía García Osorio on the bar’s compact food menu.) Sip on bacanora; snack on aguachile.

This is a two-for-one at Somerville’s Bow Market:

One of the latest additions to Bow Market is Create, a gallery and cocktail lounge from Louis DiBiccari — chef and owner of the now-closed Tavern Road and creator of the annual Create event, which showcases local talent in the food, art, and music spaces. Create (the gallery/bar) is like a permanent version of Create (the event), featuring a rotating selection of buyable art, cocktails on tap made from recipes from numerous local bartenders, and music playlists curated by a variety of local personalities. Check out the cocktail menu here.

Plus, Variety Bar (located in the Comedy Studio) has recently been revamped by acclaimed local bartender Naomi Levy; stop by before a comedy show or anytime for what the bar describes as “cheeky cocktails and trashy snacks in a no-judgment, relaxed environment.” Indeed, where else will you find incredibly well-made but silly cocktails like a pastrami spice Old Fashioned or a Yoo-hoo espresso martini? (And don’t forget snacks such as Cup Noodles, Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies, and a variety of cereals.) Check out the cocktail menu here.

The West End is incredibly busy these days — the usual sports crowds are now amplified by huge amounts of new development, especially everything going on at the Hub on Causeway, which already includes a giant sports bar, a Guy Fieri restaurant, a cinema, and more, with a food hall and other businesses still to come. Fortunately it also includes a hidden-away cocktail nook a few floors up, away from the hustle and bustle, built in consultation with the expert team behind New York cocktail destination Death & Co. Sound Advice features a mix of classic cocktails and originals for every taste, such as the tequila-based La Paloma (classic) and the vodka-based Joyride (original), the latter made with vodka from Boston-based Bully Boy Distillers. Check out the cocktail menu here.

The newest venue from the team behind Yvonne’s, Ruka, and Lolita has arrived, and it’s as beautifully designed as the rest: Mariel, a downtown restaurant and bar that draws inspiration from Cuba. As such, the drink list features mojitos front and center — four of them, in fact, including ones flavored with guava, strawberry, or lulo. Rum also features heavily on the rest of the drink list. Check out the cocktail menu here.

Connoisseurs of Greek wine, this is your new spot. Dig deep into the all-Greek wine list at Krasi, or explore the selection of spirits, such as ouzo, tsipouro, mastiha, and tentura. Pair regional Greek dishes with the drinks, and definitely order the tableside tzatziki. The lively new restaurant and bar has ties to Committee and Greco and is located in Back Bay’s longtime Cafe Jaffa space. Check out the wine, beer, and spirits list here.  

Orfano is a new Italian-American restaurant in Fenway from Tiffani Faison, who is behind a trio of other Fenway hits (Sweet Cheeks, Tiger Mama, Fool’s Errand). The restaurant is punctuated with welcome bits of silliness, like a hilariously gigantic pepper grinder, but the overall vibe and service are cool and classy, including a featured martini prepared tableside. Those who aren’t martini fans will find plenty to love elsewhere on the cocktail list, from a bottled Aperol spritz to a refreshing gin drink that includes cucumber and clarified tomato. Check out the cocktail list here.

A cozy wine bar from a team that owns a popular pair of shops selling wine, cheese, charcuterie, and other specialty food items? Sounds like a perfect fit, and it is. The American Provisions team opened Gray’s Hall next to the original South Boston American Provisions on New Year’s Eve, and they’re serving mostly natural wines and a small but strong menu of wine-friendly snacks and larger plates from talented Tasting Counter and Tres Gatos alum Marcos Sanchez. The whipped sheep feta with crudite and black lime is a must, as are the grilled lamb skewers with yogurt, chimichurri, and lime.

Brookline has a new Thai restaurant, Mahaniyom, that’s serving up dishes unlike any other Thai restaurant in town, not to mention creative cocktails, including a selection of Western classics with Thai twists by Chompon (Boong) Boonnak, a cocktail enthusiast and Shojo alum. Mahaniyom’s Sazerac, for example, uses a Thai tea-infused rye, while the gin and tonic is made with chrysanthemum-infused gin. Thai herbal spirit Eleven Tigers is also on the menu alone and in “bomb” form with Thailand’s Leo lager. After a few of those, watch your step in the dark bathroom, which is adorned with an eye-catching blacklight-responsive mural. Check out the drink menu here.