The best bar in the world is called Handshake Speakeasy and it is in Mexico City

The best bar in the world is in Mexico City and is called Handshake Speakeasy. This is what the annual ranking The World’s 50 Best Bars has decided. It announced the names of the 50 best establishments in this category on Tuesday, at a gala held for the first time in Madrid. Second place went to the cocktail bar Bar Leone, in Hong Kong, while Sips, in Barcelona, has slipped into third place on the list, also earning a special mention for the best cocktail bar in Europe.

The gala began at half past eight in the evening, but it was not until just after ten at night that the name of the winner of this 16th edition was revealed. The Handshake Speakeasy team then burst onto the stage to collect the award that certifies them as the best drinking establishment in the world, thanks in part to the advanced culinary techniques used in the preparation of the creations. “Each drink is more complex than it seems, often taking 48 hours to make from start to finish and usually featuring unexpected textures,” the renowned ranking highlights about the work of bartender Eric Van Beek. The Mexican establishment has dethroned Sips in Barcelona, which took first place last year, just two years after its opening.

The annual list of The World’s 50 Best Bars is decided by a voting panel of over 700 independent drinks experts, renowned bartenders and lecturers, alongside award-winning drinks journalists and cocktail specialists. The guide also clarifies that voters remain anonymous and that voting is confidential, secure and independently audited by Deloitte.

Here are the names of all the distinguished venues. You can learn more about these places and see the rest of the winners in the official website.

1. Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City
2. Bar Leone in Hong Kong
3. Sips in Barcelona
4. Tayer + Elementary in London
5. Jigger & Pony in Singapore
6. Line in Athens
7. Tres Monos in Buenos Aires
8. Alquímico in Cartagena
9. Zest in Seoul
10. Paradiso in Barcelona
11. Himkok in Oslo
12. BKK Social Club in Bangkok
13. Connaught Bar in London
14. Double Chicken Please in New York
15. Overstory in New York
16. Lady Bee in Lima
17. Baba au Rum in Athens
18. Coa in Hong Kong
19. The Cambridge Public House in Paris
20. Tlecán in Mexico City
21. Caretaker’s Cottage in Melbourne
22. CoChinChina in Buenos Aires
23. Salmon Guru in Madrid
24. Martiny’s in New York
25. Bar Benfiddich in Tokyo
26. Maybe Sammy in Sydney
27. Superbueno in New York
28. Nutmeg & Clove in Singapore
29. Satan’s Whiskers in London
30. Panda & Sons in Edinburgh
31. Tan Tan in Sao Paulo
32. Licorería Limantour in Mexico City
33. Drink Kong in Rome
34. Jewel of the South in New Orleans
35. Byrdi in Melbourne
36. Locale Firenze in Florence
37. Scarfes Bar in London
38. Moebius Milano in Milan
39. Bar Noveau in Paris
40. Mimi Kakushi in Dubai
41. Bar Us in Bangkok
42. Virtú in Tokyo
43. Atlas in Singapore
44. La Sala de Laura in Bogotá
45. Röda Huset in Stockholm
46. Florería Atlántico in Buenos Aires
47. Analogue Initiative in Singapore
48. El Gallo Altanero in Guadalajara
49. Danico in Paris
50. 1930 in Milan