For its 15th annual edition, the drinks industry’s leading ranking will once again hit the road, moving to Asia for the first time to continue its mission to spotlight the world’s great cocktail cities. The global bar community will come together in the Asian city state to recognise the achievements of the past year, celebrate global talent and, ultimately, honour the best bars in the world.
The list of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 will be anonymously voted for by a gender balanced Academy of more than 650 bartenders, consultants, writers and cocktail specialists from around the world, with the results independently adjudicated by Deloitte.
Mark Sansom, content director for The World’s 50 Best Bars, said: “We are thrilled to bring The World’s 50 Best Bars community to Singapore, our first foray outside Europe and an opportunity to celebrate a magnificent year for bars and bartenders in one of the world’s finest cocktail cities. We look forward to honouring the accomplishments of those who breathe life into the bar scene and to inspire cocktail lovers to use our list and discover the greatest bars in the world.”
Highlights for the event programme in Singapore will include the Bartenders’ Feast, which takes place the night before the reveal of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023. It will be followed by the glamorous awards ceremony itself on 17 October, which will feature red-carpet arrivals and interviews, a drinks reception and of course, the countdown from No.50, down to No.1.
New for 2023 will be a series of five 50 Best Signature Sessions. These live events – which will also be open to the public - will take place in Singapore’s top bars, where local bar afficionados will be able to savour drinks from the world’s best talent.
Ahead of the awards ceremony, 50 Best will reveal the winners of two special awards designed to celebrate the exceptional achievements of one bar and one bartender over the past year, as well as those venues ranked in the extended 51-100 list:
● Michter’s Art of Hospitality. This award is voted for by all members of The World’s 50 Best Bars Academy, who are asked to name the bar where they received the single best hospitality experience during the voting period
● Altos Bartenders’ Bartender. This award is voted for by the bartenders behind those bars on this year’s list, who are asked to name one peer who has done more to further the craft of bartending than any other across the course of the 18-month voting period
● 51-100 list. 50 Best will reveal those bars ranked between 51st and 100th on its website and social media channels
Guo Teyi, director, retail & dining, Singapore Tourism Board, added: “We are honoured that Singapore is the first host city outside Europe for The World’s 50 Best Bars. This affirms Singapore’s position as a world-class F&B destination. We hope the event will also open doors for our local talents, give them global exposure on a renowned platform and facilitate knowledge exchange within the global bar community.”
The countdown of the list of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023, sponsored by Perrier, will also be broadcast live to a global audience who are not able to attend in person. Bars and cocktail lovers are invited to join through The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook page and 50 Best Bars TV channel on YouTube.