The best bar in the world is in Mexico City and it’s called Handshake Speakeasy. This is what the annual ranking has ruled The World’s 50 Best Barswhich announced this Tuesday the name of the 50 best establishments in this category, at a gala held for the first time in Madrid. Second place went to the cocktail bar Bar Leone, in Hong Kong, while Sips, in Barcelonahas slipped into third place on the list, also winning the special mention for the best cocktail bar in Europe.
The gala, held at the Madrid Arena, began after half past eight in the afternoon, but it was not until just after ten at night when the name of the winner of this 16th edition was revealed. The team of Handshake Speakeasy then burst onto the stage to collect the award that accredits them as the best drinking establishment in the world, thanks in part to the advanced culinary techniques used in the preparation of the preparations. “Each drink is more complex than it seems, it often takes 48 hours to make from start to finish and, generally, has unexpected textures,” highlights the renowned ranking, about the work of bartender Eric Van Beek.
The Mexican establishment has thus ousted Sips, in Barcelona, which took first place last year, just two years after its opening. On this occasion, there were a few minutes left to meet the winner of the night, when the cocktail team led by Simone Caporale and Marc Álvarez collected the distinction for the third best bar in the world and the best in Europe. Among its virtues, the guide highlights Esencia, the space where Caporale – whose former Artesian bar in London won the title four times – and Álvarez – who worked at elBarri with Albert Adrià – serve a cocktail tasting menu. The Eixample location is also characterized by having dispensed with the central bar characteristic of any bar, as well as the refined techniques used in the preparation of the proposals and the quality of the products used. Two examples of this are drinks like Krypta, made with gin, brandy, kiwi and lime, served in a custom-made olfactory chamber, or Primordial, with whiskey, port and pear and presented in two metal hands.
It has also entered the top 10 positions the Catalan Paradisowhich has dropped six positions compared to the 2023 edition. The cocktail bar, located in Barcelona and run by Margarita Sader and her husband, Giacomo Giannotti, broke the mold in 2022 when it was number one on the list, being the first bar not New Yorker or Londoner to win the title in 14 years. It is accessed through the supposed refrigerator door of a pastrami shop, which leads to a majestic space where cocktails with multiple ingredients are dispensed in spectacular containers. “Most of what is served here comes from the Paradiso Lab, where the team’s limitless creativity and curiosity are channeled into the libations that led to Paradiso being named The Best Bar in the World in 2022,” the guide adds.
In this way, Barcelona, with two locations on the list, continues to be, according to The World’s 50 Bestthe city with the best cocktails in Spain, although its presence is still much lower than that of cities like New York or London. The two historical powers in the art of making signature drinks are now fighting for hegemony in the world of cocktails with other cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore, which in recent years have climbed positions, placing their bars among the most prestigious. of the world. The push of Mexico City in this regard also stands out, which has four locations in the ranking.
In total, three Spanish establishments have managed to sneak into the 50 favorites, the sum of the Spanish representation being much lower, for example, than that of the aforementioned cities. Sips and Paradiso are followed, although from a distance, by Salmon Guru, ranked 23rd. The Madrid cocktail bar led by Diego Cabrera It loses seven positions compared to the previous year, when it was completely renewed both in appearance and in proposal. So, for example, a version of the Paloma with Mijenta tequila and a homemade strawberry and basil cordial (14 euros) or the Sublime cocktail, made of Pisco 1615, a touch of absinthe, a melon cordial and finished with a ball of this fruit pickled in chicha morada (13 euros).
The annual list of The World’s 50 Best Bars decided by a voting panel of over 700 renowned independent beverage experts bartenders and professors, along with award-winning beverage journalists and cocktail specialists. The guide also clarifies that voters remain anonymous and that voting is confidential, secure and independently audited by Deloitte.
At the beginning of October, the ranking also announced online the establishments belonging to the extended list, that is, those classified between positions 51 and 100. Among them, at number 65, is, for example, the Angelita cocktail bar, in Madridled by brothers Mario and David Villalón and the only Spanish representative in said section.
The names of all the distinguished premises can be consulted here.
