The World's 50 Best Bars 2024 - annual list revealed at Madrid event

Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy crowned The World’s Best Bar 2024 at live awards ceremony

October 23rd, 2024

The annual list of The World’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, was unveiled as part of a live awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain. on October 23rd. Now in its 16^th edition, the awards once again united the global bar community in recognition of the bartenders, bar owners and brands at the forefront of the international cocktail scene.

The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 features venues from 28 cities, with Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy crowned The Best Bar in North America and The World’s Best Bar, sponsored by Perrier. This is the first time a bar from Mexico has claimed the No.1 spot in the list.

Tucked away in the Colonia Juárez neighbourhood of Mexico City, Handshake Speakeasy is one of the capital’s best-kept open secrets. Hidden behind a secret door in a dimly lit room stocked with an impressive array of vintage spirits, the bar’s interiors masterfully evoke the bygone age of the Hollywood speakeasy.

While the atmospheric black marble, rich brass detailing and moody lighting of the interior are akin to stepping back a century, the innovative cocktail menu is rooted firmly in the future. Bar Director Eric van Beek effortlessly melds tradition and innovation, elevating the classics through cutting-edge technique developed in the on-site lab, revolutionising familiar recipes with unexpected flavours and a complex palate. Homemade tinctures and infusions add signature Art Deco flare alongside the use of considered rare and aged spirits.

The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 – YouTube

Singapore bars take the lead in Asia

With four bars on the list, Singapore leads in Asia, with stalwart bars Jigger & Pony at No.5 and Atlas at No.43 joined by new entries Nutmeg & Clove (No.28) and Analogue Initiative (No.47). In Hong Kong, new entry Bar Leone has stormed into the list at No.2, taking the title of The Best Bar in Asia as well as Disaronno Highest New Entry with neighbour Coa at No.18.

Bangkok and Tokyo also claim two bars a piece, with Bangkok’s BKK Social Club rising to No.12 alongside new entry Bar Us at No.41 while Tokyo’s Bar Benfiddich (No.25) is joined by newcomer Virtú (No.42). In Seoul, Zest is at No.9 and wins this year’s Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award.

Special Awards

The ceremony began with Cat Bite Club in Singapore receiving the Campari One To Watch Award, an honour bestowed on a bar outside of the 1-50 ranking that the 50 Best team believes has what it takes to break into future editions of the list.

Joining the list for the first time at No.2, Hong Kong’s Bar Leone is awarded the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award. Founder Lorenzo Antinori’s Central bar is guided by its philosophy of cocktail popolari – ‘cocktails for the people’ – combining speed, consistency and simplicity into a drinks programme that has taken the world by storm.

Zest in Seoul has won the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award, based on independent adjudication by the Sustainable Restaurant Association. Founders Demie Kim, Sean Woo, Jisu Park and Noah Kwon are paving the way to a more sustainable future behind the bar with a zero-waste approach that celebrates the finest local flavours alongside house-made innovations.