… San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, on 4th May!
For its second outing, North America’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, is making the journey on 4th May to San Miguel de Allende, a UNESCO World Heritage City in the Guanajuato province. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s event programme
After a star-studded New York City launch that marked the first time the leading lights of the North American bar community congregated to celebrate the finest 50 bars in the continent, North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023, sponsored by Perrier, is heading south of the border.
With a view to shining the continent’s spotlight on Mexico’s world-leading bar scene, the events will take place in San Miguel de Allende, a UNESCO World Heritage City with a fine pedigree for dining, drinking and celebrating.
Watch the ceremony here. Get a reminder to watch the livestream of the event on The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook page and 50 Best Bars TV YouTube Channel.
The event programme has grown significantly for year two and will run over three consecutive days:
Bartenders’ Feast – Wednesday 3rd May.jpg)
Bartenders convene and connect over bespoke cocktails created for the welcome feast
This event gives the continent’s leading bar teams (who are yet to find out their ranking) the opportunity to let their hair down the night before the main awards event. With guest bartenders flown in from around the world to conjure up cocktails using 50 Best’s partner brands, it’s an event that is becoming an informal highlight of the North America’s 50 Best Bars week. Follow @50BestBars socials for live coverage of the party.
North America’s 50 Best Bars Awards – Thursday 4th May .jpg)
Perrier's PJ Gheysen presents the Attaboy team – Sam Ross, Haley Traub and Rory McIlroy – with The Best Bar in North America 2022 trophy
The marquee event of the week will see hundreds of bartenders from the US, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean convene in San Miguel de Allende for a ceremony that will be almost double the size of the inaugural party in New York City. The awards will again be presented by the legendary ms. franky marshall, who will reveal the countdown from No.50 to No.1 with her inimitable flair and style at Hacienda Los Picachos. Bar teams and cocktail lovers all over the world are invited to watch the livestream on The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook page and 50 Best Bars TV channel on YouTube.
Post-Ceremony Brunch – Friday 5th May
New for this year will be a follow-up brunch the day after the awards. Taking place at one of San Miguel de Allende’s most picturesque locations, awards attendees will gather to share stories of success, community and reconnection over restorative cocktails from some of the world’s finest bartenders along with traditional Mexican food. Highlights will be available via the @50BestBars social channels.
Following the North America’s 50 Best Bars celebrations in San Miguel de Allende will be Barra México, a bar show and cocktail week which celebrates the very best in Latin American talent. Bartenders and cocktail aficionados from all over the world will be heading to the city to celebrate both seminal events.
Building the anticipation
Ahead of the ceremony on 4th May, 50 Best will reveal the winners of two special awards designed to celebrate the exceptional achievements of one bar and one individual bartender over the past year:
Michter’s Art of Hospitality – Monday 3rd April
The award is voted for by all 250 members of the North America’s 50 Best Bars Academy, who are each asked to name the bar where they received the best hospitality experience during the voting period.
Altos Bartenders’ Bartender – Thursday 20th April
This individual accolade is voted for by the bartenders behind those bars on this year’s list, who are asked to name one peer who has done most to further the craft of bartending, with reference to their work to support the ongoing recovery of the bar sector in the wake of the pandemic.
How the list is created.jpg)
The North America's 50 Best Bars list provides an annual snapshot of the opinions and experiences of the region's industry experts
The 2023 ranking will reflect the best bar experiences collated by a gender-balanced group of 250 anonymous voters, made up of cocktail experts, educators, authors, journalists, bartenders and bar owners from across North America. For this vote, the continent is divided into seven regions: Canada East; Canada West; USA Northeast; USA Midwest; USA West; USA South; Mexico and the Caribbean.
Each region has its own panel of members including a chairperson, called the Academy Chair, whom you can read about here. The Chairs each select a voting panel, ensuring a balanced selection of voters from across the cocktail sphere. The only named voters are the Academy Chairs and their panels are completely anonymous. For more information on the voting process and FAQs about the awards, see here.
Miss last year’s action? Catch up on the highlights from North America’s 50 Best Bars 2022:
North America’s 50 Best Bars will be revealed at an event in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico on 4th May. The ceremony will be livestreamed on 50 Best Bars TV YouTube channel and 50 Best Bars Facebook page. Follow now to be the first to know the details of the event and receive a reminder of its screening.
