The list of North America's 50 Best Bars 2023 was announced at a live awards ceremony in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
- Double Chicken Please, New York City, is crowned No.1 at the second annual North America's 50 Best Bars
- This year's list features 28 U.S. bars, 14 from Mexico, 7 hailing from Canada and 1 based in the Caribbean
- Handshake Speakeasy, at No.2, wins The Best Bar in Mexico
- Civil Liberties, Toronto, at No.12, earns The Best Bar in Canada
- La Factoría,Puerto Rico, at No.24, is named The Best Bar in the Caribbean
- Cuban drinks legend Julio Cabrera from Miami wins the Roku Industry Icon
- Manhatta, New York City, is awarded Campari One To Watch
- Rayo, Mexico City, earns the London Essence Best New Opening
- Yacht Club, Denver, wins the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award
- Allegory,Washington, D.C., wins the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu
- Overstory, New York City, is the Nikka Highest Climber
- Bar Pompette, Toronto, wins Disaronno Highest New Entry
SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Mexico, May 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The list of North America's 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, was announced at a live awards ceremony on May 4, 2023 at Hacienda Los Picachos in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This represents the first time the awards ceremony was staged in Mexico and salutes its presence on the global cocktail scene. The annual ranking features bars from across the North American continent, including the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. New York City'sDouble Chicken Please is crowned No.1 as The Best Bar in North Americaand The Best Bar in Northeast USA, sponsored by Perrier, with Mexico City'sHandshake Speakeasy ranking No.2 and claiming the title of The Best Bar in Mexico, followed by New York City'sKatana Kittenat No.3.
Toronto'sCivil Liberties (No.12) wins the title of The Best Bar in Canadafor the second year in a row, while Puerto Rico'sLa Factoría, at No.24, retains its title of The Best Bar in the Caribbean. Overall, the USA leads the list with 28 bars, with Mexico fielding 14, Canada boasting seven and the Caribbean celebrating one top bar.
The full list of North America's 50 Best Bars 2023 is at the bottom of this press release.
The brainchild of GN Chan and Faye Chen, Double Chicken Please is a groundbreaking New York City bar with an ingenious cocktail program based on the concept of "hacking design." Here, cocktails are deconstructed then reassembled in new, playful and creative ways. At Double Chicken Please, drinks are inspired by food and food is inspired by drinks, creating surprising, delightful and unexpected sensory experiences. Their mind-boggling cocktails, like the Key Lime Pie and Cold Pizza, leave their guests delighted and utterly perplexed as to how these unique flavors are so accurately transmogrified into liquid works of art. Last year, the bar burst on the global stage at The World's 50 Best Bars, coming in at No.6 and earning the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award, as well as placing at No.17 on the inaugural list of North America's 50 Best Bars.
Mark Sansom, Content Director for 50 Best, says: "We commend Double Chicken Please and its visionary founders, GN Chan and Faye Chen, for reaching the peak of cocktail excellence on the North American continent. Double Chicken Please is truly pushing the boundaries of flavor in cocktails and doing so with staggering creativity and precision, not to mention a wonderful sense of humor, humility and always flawless hospitality. This remarkable achievement did not come overnight. The duo persevered through the very challenging days of the pandemic, never once compromising their original vision for cocktails inspired by food dishes, even though their dream bar's very viability was at risk. They not only survived but thrived, sending joyful shockwaves through the New York City drinks community that have reverberated across North America and globally. We congratulate GN, Faye and the team at Double Chicken Please for this deserved accolade, as well as all the other fantastic bars on this year's list."
Elisa Gregori, Perrier Global Business Unit Director, says: "Since its presence on the tables of the best bars and hotels in the 1800's, Perrier has always had deep historic roots with the North American continent. Today, Perrier is proud to be the leading partner of North America's 50 Best Bars and excited to be able to return for a second edition in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. It's our honor to recognize the hard work, creativity and innovation of the talented bartenders, mixologists and professionals who continue to elevate the international bar scene daily. Having our roots in the French café society, we're proud to commemorate and shine a spotlight on the exceptional talents behind the awarded North America's 50 Best Bars. The entire Perrier team is grateful to the bar community for the hard work and dedication that goes into creating unforgettable experiences for all who enter your doors. We raise our glass to you, congratulations!"
USA: The Big Apple Accounts for a Lion's Share of Top U.S. Bars
A stalwart of the craft cocktail movement, New York City continues to field a lion's share, 12 of the 28 U.S. drinks listees, including the continent's highest achievers. They include Double Chicken Please (No.1), Katana Kitten (No.3), Dante (No.6) and Overstory, winner of the Nikka Highest Climber that jumped 27 spots to No.7. These notable watering holes are joined by last year's No.1 winner, Attaboy, now at No.13, Employees Only (No.14), Mace (No.18), new to the list Martiny's (No.29) and Maison Premiere (No.39), The Dead Rabbit (No.44), Clover Club (No.46) and new listee Milady's (No.50).
Other mixological hotbeds across the U.S. include New Orleans'Jewel of the South, which bounced up 24 spots from last year to rank No.5 and earn The Best Bar in South USA, with Cure ranking No.36. In the Windy City, Chicago'sKumiko (No.8) was named The Best Bar in Midwest USA, with new entry Milk Room ensconced at No.38.
Los Angeles' Thunderbolt lands at No.10 and again wins the title of The Best Bar in West USA. Also representing the West are Las Vegas'Herbs & Rye at No.27, San Francisco's new listee Pacific Cocktail Haven at No.28, Los Angeles'Death & Co at No.30, Phoenix's new-to-the-list Platform 18 at No.48 and San Diego's new entry, Youngblood, at No.49.
In Washington, D.C., Service Bar (No.33) is joined by Allegory (No.45), a new entry that garnered the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu title. Other U.S. bars on the list include Miami'sSweet Liberty (No.34), Honolulu'sBar Leather Apron (No.41), as well as Denver'sYacht Club (No.42), a new listee that also earned the Ketel One Sustainable BarAward.
Mexico: Mexico City Continues Its Leadership, Fielding 8 Bars of Mexico's 14
Now firmly established as a global cocktail destination, Mexico City accounted for more than half of the best bars in Mexico. Handshake Speakeasy (No.2) retains its position and is again named The Best Bar in Mexico, with Licorería Limantour at No.4. They are joined by Baltra Bar (No.16), list newcomer Rayo (No.17), Hanky Panky (No.20), Café de Nadie (No.25), Kaito del Valle (No.26) and new listee Brujas (No.47).
That being said, cocktail excellence is rippling through the bar scene across the formidable Latin American nation. Playa del Carmen's Zapote Bar places No.11, Guadalajara'sEl Gallo Altanero comes in at No.21, Oaxaca'sSabina Sabe secures No.22, Tulum'sArca finishes at No.23, Oaxaca'sSelva ranks No.31 and Tijuana's new listee, Aruba Day Drink, arrives at No.40.
Canada: The Most Northerly Nation on the Continent Boasts 7 Bars, Including 3 Newcomers
Toronto'sCivil Liberties (No.12) earns The Best Bar in Canada for the second year in a row. It is followed by list newcomers Bar Pompette (No.15), also in Toronto, Botanist Bar (No.19) in Vancouver, B.C. and Atwater Cocktail Club (No.32) in Montreal. These bars surged ahead of list veterans Cloakroom (No.35) in Montreal, as well as Toronto'sMother (No.37) and Bar Mordecai (No.43).
The Caribbean: All Eyes on Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico'sLa Factoría (No.24) is once again crowned The Best Bar in the Caribbean as the sprawling complex of six drinking dens celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Special Awards
Among the glamorous evening's highlights, New York City'sManhatta was presented the Campari One To Watch, an accolade given to a bar outside the main list that the 50 Best team believes has the ability to break into the ranking in future editions.
Allegory (No.45) in Washington, D.C., earns the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award. The pioneering menu allegorically tells the story of Civil Rights Activist Ruby Bridges as seen through the lens of Alice in Wonderland. Any bar on the North American continent was eligible to enter this award, which is graded by a panel of Academy Chairs. The Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award was introduced in 2021 and rewards innovation, design, drinks craft and idea communication.
Julio Cabrera of Miami's Café La Trova (No.9) receives the laurels as Roku Industry Icon. For this award, all 260 members of the voting Academy are asked to name the person who has done more for the progress of the bar industry than any other individual. The Cuban-born bartending legend is credited with transplanting the island nation's proud cantinero-style to the U.S., where it has taken root and flourishes at Café La Trova in a high energy, modern guise.
Mexico City'sRayo earns the London Essence Best New Opening title at No.17, as the bar that enters the list in the highest position of any that have opened during the voting period. Rayo celebrates Mexican and global spirits in cocktails that tell stories. Its name is inspired by the legend of the goddess Mayahuel, who took the form of an agave plant. When struck by a lightning bolt (rayo), it released a liquid that, when fermented, became pulque.
Denver'sYacht Club, owned by Mary Allison Wright and McLain Hedges, nabs the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award, which is bestowed on a bar that demonstrates the strongest commitment to sustainability. The Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award is independently adjudicated by 50 Best's audit partner, the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
Additional special award winners announced in the run-up to the May 4 event included Vancouver'sBotanist Bar, which was feted with the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award and Christine Wisemanof Bar Lab Hospitality in New York, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles, was celebrated as the winner of the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award.
EDITOR'S NOTES:
1-50 LIST
Position | Bar | Town |
1 | Double Chicken Please | New York City |
2 | Handshake Speakeasy | Mexico City |
3 | Katana Kitten | New York City |
4 | Licorería Limantour | Mexico City |
5 | Jewel of the South | New Orleans |
6 | Dante | New York City |
7 | Overstory | New York City |
8 | Kumiko | Chicago |
9 | Café La Trova | Miami |
10 | Thunderbolt | Los Angeles |
11 | Zapote Bar | Playa del Carmen |
12 | Civil Liberties | Toronto |
13 | Attaboy | New York City |
14 | Employees Only | New York City |
15 | Bar Pompette | Toronto |
16 | Baltra Bar | Mexico City |
17 | Rayo | Mexico City |
18 | Mace | New York City |
19 | Botanist Bar | Vancouver |
20 | Hanky Panky | Mexico City |
21 | El Gallo Altanero | Guadalajara |
22 | Sabina Sabe | Oaxaca |
23 | Arca | Tulum |
24 | La Factori´a | San Juan |
25 | Café de Nadie | Mexico City |
26 | Kaito del Valle | Mexico City |
27 | Herbs & Rye | Las Vegas |
28 | Pacific Cocktail Haven | San Francisco |
29 | Martiny's | New York City |
30 | Death & Co (Los Angeles) | Los Angeles |
31 | Selva | Oaxaca |
32 | Atwater Cocktail Club | Montreal |
33 | Service Bar | Washington, D.C. |
34 | Sweet Liberty | Miami |
35 | Cloakroom | Montreal |
36 | Cure | New Orleans |
37 | Mother | Toronto |
38 | Milk Room | Chicago |
39 | Maison Premiere | New York City |
40 | Aruba Day Drink | Tijuana |
41 | Bar Leather Apron | Honolulu |
42 | Yacht Club | Denver |
43 | Bar Mordecai | Toronto |
44 | The Dead Rabbit | New York City |
45 | Allegory | Washington, D.C. |
46 | Clover Club | New York City |
47 | Brujas | Mexico City |
48 | Platform 18 | Phoenix |
49 | Youngblood | San Diego |
50 | Milady's | New York City |
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About North America's 50 Best Bars
Following the success of The World's 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, and the establishment of Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2016, 50 Best launched North America's 50 Best Bars, with the first edition of the awards held in New York, N.Y. on June 7, 2022. It shines a much-deserved spotlight on the region as a world-class drinks' destination and acts as a mouthpiece for the outstanding talent coming through. The inaugural North America's 50 Best Bars awards ceremony and unveiling of the list provided a unique opportunity to unite bartenders, bar owners, cocktail aficionados and drinks media from all over the region at a captivating celebration of drinks, hospitality, passion and talent. North America's 50 Best Bars includes voting for bars from Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean. William Reed, which owns the 50 Best brand, is entirely responsible for the organization of the awards, the voting system and the respective lists.
How the Voting Works
The ranking for North America's 50 Best Bars reflects the best bar experiences based on the votes of the Academy members, who comprise anonymous North American bar industry experts (including bartenders, bar owners, drinks media and well-traveled cocktail connoisseurs) from the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. In 2023, the Academy was expanded to 260 members. This change was implemented to obtain a wider snapshot and ensure a greater number of diverse voices voting for the awards. Moreover, as per all 50 Best lists for restaurants, bars and hotels, 25% of Academy members are refreshed annually to keep the perspectives dynamic and relevant. Members of the 50 Best organization do not vote and do not control the composition of the list; that is the collective role of the voting Academy. This means that bars cannot apply to be on the list and no sponsors have any influence on the list.
The Academy is divided into 8 regions: USA Northeast; USA Midwest; USA West; USA South; Canada East; Canada West; Mexico; and the Caribbean. Each region has its own panel of members including a chairperson, called the Academy Chair. The Chairs each then select a voting panel, ensuring a balanced selection. Each North America Academy member will vote for 7 bars, with a maximum of 5 in the home country (or state in the U.S.) where they are based. Voters also have the option to vote for a further 2 (or more) bars located outside of their home country (or U.S. state) up to a maximum of 7.
Voting is carried out individually and strictly confidentially on a secure site and remains confidential before the list announcement. Academy Chairs are not privy to, and have no knowledge of, the votes cast by the voters in their respective regions. They are neither spokespeople for the 50 Best brand.
The list is the result of a poll of more than 260 experts (all within the North American continent), who each cast votes for the bars where they have had their 'best experience' during the last 18 months before the voting deadline. The list is a simple computation of votes by North American voters for bars in North America. Further information on the Academy Chairs and how the voting works is available on the FAQs page here.
About the main sponsor: Perrier
For more than a century, Perrier® has collaborated with some of the world's most influential major artists, including Andy Warhol, Salvador Dalí, Bernard Villemot, and Jean-Gabriel Domergue, each of whom in their own way have demonstrated a certain artistic irreverence. With a history that began in 1863 in Vergèze, in the Gard region of France, the Perrier® brand is now recognized worldwide thanks to its iconic green bottle. Appreciated in more than 140 countries, the brand is acclaimed for its natural mineral water combined with the power of its bubbles.
Our Partners:
- San Miguel de Allende - Official Host Destination Partner
- Perrier - Official Water Partner; sponsor of The Best Bar in North America
- Michter's - Official American Whiskey Partner; sponsor of Michter's Art of Hospitality
- Nikka Whisky - Official Whisky of the World Partner; sponsor of Nikka Highest Climber
- Ketel One - Official Vodka Partner; sponsor of Ketel One Sustainable Bar
- Siete Misterios - Official Mezcal Partner; sponsor of Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu
- The London Essence Co. - Official Mixers Partner; sponsor of London Essence Best New Opening
- Disaronno - Official Italian Liqueur Partner; sponsor of Disaronno Highest New Entry
- Roku Gin - Official Gin Partner; sponsor of Roku Industry Icon
- Altos Tequila - Official Tequila Partner; sponsor of Altos Bartenders' Bartender
- Matusalem - Official Rum Partner; sponsor of ceremonial scarves
- Naked Malt - Official Scotch Whisky Partner; sponsor of Best in Destination Award
- Rémy Martin - Official Cognac Partner; sponsor of Best in Destination Award
- Campari - Official Bitters Partner; sponsor of Campari One To Watch
- Tia Maria - Official Coffee Liqueur Partner; sponsor of Best in Destination Award
- Torres Brandy - Official Brandy Partner; sponsor of Best in Destination Award
- Scrappy's Bitters - Official Cocktail Bitters Partner; sponsor of Best in Destination Award
- Bareksten - Official Aquavit Partner; sponsor of Best in Destination Award
- Live Aqua - Official Hotel Partner
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2070384/50BBars_Winner_Highres.jpg
Pdf: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2069387/NA_50_Best_Bars_2023.pdf
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2069400/4019203/NA_50_Best_Bars_2023_Logo.jpg
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