The World’s 50 Best Bars returns with a physical event to celebrate the best in global cocktail craft
“We are thrilled that The World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony is returning to London this year for an in-person event, allowing the bar community to reunite once again after being starved of vital international face-to-face interaction,” says Mark Sansom, content editor for The World’s 50 Best Bars. “Championing great bars is more important than ever before and we hope this event and list inspire people around the world to return to their beloved bars, discover new favorites, and seek out fresh adventures.”
Slated on Dec. 7, 2021, the live awards program, which will represent a key milestone in the ongoing revival of the global bar sector, will be preceded by three special award announcements in the weeks running up to the ceremony.
The annual list of The World’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, will be unveiled as part of a live awards ceremony in December this year at London’s iconic Roundhouse.
Returning to a physical event after a virtual awards in 2020, during which 50 Best devoted its resources to its 50 Best for Recovery fundraising project, The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021 program will give bartenders, bar owners, brand partners, and cocktail aficionados the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the resilience and achievements of the sector in the last year and a half, and provide motivation and positive storytelling in this crucial next stage of recovery.
The 2021 ranking will be unveiled in a ceremony that will form part of a two-day event program, and the list will be based on members of The World’s 50 Best Bars Academy’s bar experiences across a voting period between March 2020 to September 2021. In 2020, 50 Best made several changes to its academy, which now is 50/50 gender balanced and includes more than 540 anonymous industry experts. There are 23 academy chairs across 23 geographic regions, and the voting process and results are independently adjudicated by Deloitte to ensure authenticity. The 2021 voting requirements have been amended to reflect the travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
‘Championing great bars is more important than ever before and we hope this event and list inspire people around the world to return to their beloved bars, discover new favorites, and seek out fresh adventures.’
On Nov. 18, 2021, all members of The World’s 50 Best Bars Academy will grant the Michter’s Art of Hospitality, an award to be given to the bar where they received the single best hospitality experience during the voting period.
On Nov. 25, 2021, the bartenders behind the bars on this year’s list will name their Altos Bartenders’ Bartender, the one peer who has done more to further the craft of bartending than any other, with reference to their work throughout the pandemic.
On Dec. 2, 2021, just five days before the virtual awards ceremony, 50 Best will reveal on its website and social media channels the extended 51-100 list, those bars ranked between 51st and 100th in the world.
There is also an exciting new award for 2021: the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu, which is designed to reward innovation, design, drinks craft, and idea communication. Open to all bars across the globe, the award will involve the submission of a current menu and supporting materials. Details on how to enter will be announced on The World’s 50 Best Bars website and social channels in the coming weeks.
The countdown of the list of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021 and the awards program will also be broadcast to a global audience who are not able to attend in person. This “hybrid” format will ensure that no one misses out on the highly anticipated events of the evening. 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.