About Us

The World’s 50 Best Bars is an annual list that celebrates the best of the international drinks industry. First published in 2009, it provides an annual ranking of bars as voted for by 700 drinks experts from across the globe. The list represents the ultimate international guide to the world’s top bars and drinking destinations.

The World’s 50 Best Bars list is compiled from the votes of The World’s 50 Best Bars Academy, which includes renowned bartenders and consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists. Since 2017, the names of the voters on the panel are confidential to prevent lobbying. To further ensure fair representation across the board, the Academy is gender-balanced and has 28 Academy Chairs heading up its geographic regions. Read more about the voting process and the Academy, and consult our FAQs.

The first list was announced in 2009, with annual awards ceremonies held in London since the inaugural event in 2012 until 2022, when the glamorous occasion was held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. In 2023, the awards ceremony took place in Singapore, marking the first time the events programme travelled to Asia. In 2024, the event returned to Spain for a second time, this time for an awards ceremony and surrounding celebrations in Madrid.

The World’s 50 Best Bars awards ceremony is the drinks industry’s most anticipated night of the year and it is an evening of international celebration. It brings together the best bartending talent from around the globe, with a live countdown of the list, culminating in the announcement of The World’s Best Bar, sponsored by Perrier.

Incorporating grand hotel bars, secretive speakeasies, quirky salons and classic drinking dens, The World’s 50 Best Bars list is a celebration of the diversity and universality of drinks culture and a reflection of new bar scenes developing all over the world.

The 2024 edition of The World's 50 Best Bars was unveiled on 22 October at an awards ceremony at Madrid Arena, which was streamed globally. The programme will return in 2025.

The World's 50 Best Bars is part of the 50 Best brand, published by William Reed. Read more about 50 Best here.