Topping the list this year are Hong Kong's Coa at No. 1 and Singapore's Jigger & Pony at No. 2
For the fifth year in a row, The Curator Coffee and Cocktail made it to the list of Asia's 50 Best Bars. The bar located in Makati City ranked No. 38 this 2021, four spots higher than its No. 42 placement last year. Topping the list this year is Coa in Hong Kong followed by Jigger & Pony in Singapore.
"Third-wave coffee by day and kick-ass cocktails by night is a winning combination, judging by the popularity of this vibey bar," Asia's 50 Best Bar says. "Staff treat ingredients with the utmost respect, whether it’s coffee beans or small-batch spirits, attracting a young, up-for-it crowd of cocktail lovers and caffeine fiends."
With the help of its academy members, the sixth edition of the annual awards aims to recognize the immense talent, dedication, and resilience evident across Asia’s cocktail scene. The past year has been a terrible loss and a challenge among bar owners and restaurateurs. Locally, this has been prolonged by the implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) this year, limiting dine-in options and foot traffic among bars and food establishments.
Given the devastating landscape, 50 Best aims to inspire everyone, through its lists and surrounding content programs, that better days are coming and the joy of dining out will soon be experienced again.
"We'll say a giant thank you to the people who voted for us, who still root for our survival. It's a responsibility that we will never take for granted," The Curator posted. "Last year, we said that we'll throw the biggest party we can once this is all over—we'll still abide by that, of course."
The Curator also extended its congratulations to the other local bars that earned rankings in the 51st to 100th Best Bar list, led by The Back Room at No. 51, Oto at No. 61, and Buccaneers Rum & Cocktails at No. 100.
"We hope that the announcement of the 2021 ranking—as well as the publication, for the first time, of those ranked from 51 to 100—will provide optimism and encouragement to all bars as travel routes gradually open up and guests begin to plan their next fine-drinking experiences," Mark Sansom, content editor for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, says.
For 2022, 50 Best is delighted to announce that it has confirmed its partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board to bring the Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards ceremony back to Singapore.
“We look forward to holding a physical awards ceremony not only to celebrate and recognize the best in the business when the situation improves, but to bring together bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers and cocktail aficionados from around the world," Mark says. "We are hopeful that the ongoing vaccine roll-out will allow the bar community to take this opportunity to reunite in Singapore next year."
Check out the full list here.