HANDSHAKE SPEAKEASY IN MEXICO CITY NAMED THE WORLD’S BEST BAR :: NoGarlicNoOnions: Restaurant, Food, and Travel Stories/Reviews

HANDSHAKE SPEAKEASY IN MEXICO CITY NAMED THE WORLD’S BEST BAR, SPONSORED BY PERRIER, AS THE LIST OF THE WORLD’S 50 BEST BARS 2024 IS REVEALED

• Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City, ranks No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024, the first bar from Mexico to take the top spot

• The 2024 list features bars from 28 cities with 16 new entries spread across Bangkok, Bogotá, Guadalajara, Hong Kong, Lima, Melbourne, Mexico City, Milan, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo

• Monica Berg of London’s Tayēr + Elementary has been awarded the Roku Industry Icon Award

• Singapore’s Cat Bite Club receives the Campari One To Watch Award

• The Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award is bestowed upon Zest, Seoul

• Hong Kong’s Bar Leone takes the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award, entering the list for the first time at No.2

• The Cambridge Public House in Paris secures the Nikka Highest Climber Award, having moved up 19 places to No.19

• Buenos Aires’ Florería Atlántico claims the title of Rémy Martin Legend of the List

• Superbueno, in New York, is named London Essence Best New Opening

• Calliope Draper of Partake, Edmonton is the recipient of the 50 Best Bars Roku Scholarship

• Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award is awarded to Lyaness in London

• The winner of the Bareksten Best Bar Design Award is Himkok in Oslo

The annual list of The World’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, has been unveiled this evening as part of a live awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain. Now in its 16th 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 an astonishing 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 animpressive 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.

Emma Sleight, Head of Content for The World’s 50 Best Bars, says: “It is with immense pride that we announce Handshake Speakeasy as The World’s Best Bar 2024, sponsored by Perrier. To be the first ever No.1 from Mexico is an outstanding achievement, of which Eric van Beek and his team are hugely deserving. The bar’s impressive rise through the list of The World’s 50 Best Bars over the years is a testament to their unique combination of flawless hospitality, innovative technique and truly excellent cocktails. We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to each and every bar on this year’s list, which once again highlights the incredible diversity of the global bar sector. We hope that this year’s list continues to operate as a beacon for cocktail lovers the world over.”

The Region of Madrid and Madrid City Council, say: “Huge congratulations to the teams whose bars have been named on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list. It has been a great honour to host so many talented bar owners and bartenders from all around the world, here in Madrid. Madrid has established itself as a key gastronomic and drinks destination worldwide, thanks to the diverse talent of internationally renowned chefs and bartenders who have chosen the city as the location for their restaurants and bars. The recognition of hosting The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 reinforces Madrid’s appeal for those looking for high quality cocktail experiences.”

London is the cocktail capital of Europe, but Barcelona leads the top 10

London retains its crown as the cocktail capital of Europe with four bars out of 19 for the continent, including No.4 Tayēr + Elementary with co-founder Monica Berg also being named the Roku Industry Icon. At No.13 is Connaught Bar joined by Satan’s Whiskers at No.29 and Scarfes Bar at No.37. Elsewhere in the UK, Panda & Sons in Edinburgh rises nine places to No.30 as founder Iain McPherson is awarded the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award.The Best Bar in Europe title once again goes to Barcelona’s Sips at No.3, with Paradiso (Barcelona) at No.10 and host city Madrid’s Salmon Guru at No.23. In Italy, Rome’s Drink Kong (No.33) and Florence’s Locale Firenze (No.36) are joined by new entry Moebius Milano (No.38) and 1930 (No.50), both in Milan.

Rising an astonishing 19 places and winner of this year’s Nikka Highest Climber Award is Paris’ The Cambridge Public House at No.19, joined by two new entries for the city: Bar Nouveau at No.39 and Danico at No.49. Line and Baba au Rum in Athens have both improved on their positions in 2023, at No.6 and No.17, respectively, while Oslo’s Himkok is at No.11 and wins this year’s Bareksten Best Bar Design Award. In Stockholm, Röda Huset is No.45.

New York leads the Americas with four bars, but Mexico City takes the top spot With four bars, New York City continues its dominance in North America, with Double Chicken Please (No.14) and Overstory (No.15) joined by new entries Martiny’s (No.24) and Superbueno (No.27), this year’s recipient of the London Essence Best New Opening Award. New Orleans’ Jewel of the South is No.34.

Rising two places to take the title of The World’s Best Bar and The Best Bar in North America is Handshake Speakeasy at No.1, cementing Mexico City’s place as one of the world’s greatest cocktail capitals. It is joined by new entry Tlecān at No.20 and Licorería Limantour at No.32 as well as Guadalajara’s El Gallo Altanero, a new entry at No.48.

Tres Monos in Buenos Aires becomes the new The Best Bar in South America at No.7, joined by fellow Porteños CoChinChina (No.22) and Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award winner Florería Atlántico (No.46). Colombia’s Alquímico in Cartagena continues its rise to the top at No.8, with new entry for Bogotá, La Sala de Laura joining at No.44. Last year’s Campari One To Watch Award winner, Lima’s Lady Bee, joins the list at an impressive No.16 while Sao Paolo’s Tan Tan is another new entry at No.31.

Singapore’s 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 HongKong, 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.

Bars in Melbourne take the crown in Australia, while the UAE remains consistent

For the first time in five years, there is a new The Best Bar in Australasia, with Melbourne’s Caretaker’s Cottage rising two places to No.21 and taking home the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award. It is joined by Sydney’s Maybe Sammy at No.26 and new entry Byrdi, also in Melbourne, at No.35. Dubai’s Mimi Kakushi holds its position at No.40 and is named The Best Bar in the Middle East & Africa.

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.

This year’s winner of the Bareksten Best Bar Design Award is Himkok in Oslo. Opened in 2015 by Erk Potur, Himkok is a world-leading cocktail bar, known for establishing Scandinavia’s cocktail culture.

The Himkok building is considered part of Oslo's architectural heritage, a unique, multi-storey space that embodies the principles of functionality, sustainability and cultural heritage. The design creates a unique and immersive experience for guests, inviting them to be part of the Himkok story and engaging them in a journey that goes beyond the surface of a typical bar. Judged by an esteemed panel of hospitality design experts, bars from anywhere in the world were invited to submit their venues for consideration.

Lyaness in London is awarded the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award for its 3.0 Cookbook menu. Offering guests a stripped back approach to mixology, blending storytelling and flavour creation for a multi-layered drinking experience, the menu pulls stories from across the world that centre on flavour with eighteen one-of-a-kind ingredients at its core. The Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award is open to any bar in the world and is judged by the 28 Academy Chairs.Monica Berg has been named Roku Industry Icon. A London-based multi-award-winning bartender and entrepreneur, her bar Tayēr + Elementary has been a firm fixture of The World’s 50 Best Bars top ten since 2020, among many other achievements. Her sincere passion for education, advocacy and empowerment within the wider hospitality community is world renowned, having co-founded P(OUR), an industry non-profit and charity which works to expand drinks knowledge across the bar community and support communities protecting regional biodiversity, as well as online resource BackOfHouse.

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.

Superbueno in New York is named London Essence Best New Opening as the bar that enters the list in the highest position of any that have opened during the voting period, joining the list at No.27. A vibrant ode to Mexican-American culture, Superbueno is an elevated cantina on the Lower East Side of Manhattan from industry veterans Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Jimenez and Greg Boehm. The cocktail programme blends the bold flavours of Mexico with signature New York flare from late afternoon through to the early morning.

Paris’ The Cambridge Public House wins the Nikka Highest Climber Award, rising 19 places within the 1-50 list to No.19. Inspired by a classic British pub blended seamlessly with elements of a chic Parisian cocktail bar, The Cambridge Public House delivers world class drinks with the down-to-earth and warming environment of everyone's favourite local. The world’s first B-Corp bar, sustainability is at the heart of everything they do, and their ‘Community Plan’ initiative aims to build a more sustainable future by helping local communities around the world implement meaningful change.

The honour of the Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award has been bestowed upon Florería Atlántico, an award given to a bar that has performed most consistently in the list since its inception.

With Florería Atlántico, founder Renato 'Tato' Giovannoni has created a passionate celebration of Argentinian produce, heritage and culture and has been named The Best Bar in South America an incredible eight times.

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 Kwonare 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.

Other special award winners, announced in the run-up to the awards on 22 October, include Iain McPherson, winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award, and Caretaker’s Cottage, Melbourne, named the winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award.

The 50 Best Bars Roku Scholarship winner is Calliope Draper. Created to recognise emerging future-gazing talent and professionalise the craft of bartending, the scholarship winner will now complete three bar stages (internships) at Maybe Sammy in Sydney as well as Virtù and High Five in Tokyo.

Calliope impressed the judges with her commitment to creating a better, safer and more inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community. It was feeling accepted and welcomed in bars as a person who identifies as non-binary and transgender that proved the catalyst for Calliope to enter the industry, and her desire to educate more people in front of and behind the bar is one that earned the respect and admiration of this year’s esteemed judging panel.

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EDITOR’S NOTES

1 Handshake Speakeasy Mexico City

2 Bar Leone Hong Kong

3 Sips Barcelona

4 Tayēr + Elementary London

5 Jigger & Pony Singapore

6 Line Athens

7 Tres Monos Buenos Aires

8 Alquímico Cartagena

9 Zest Seoul

10 Paradiso Barcelona