[Official] The annual list of The World’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, will be unveiled as part of a live awards ceremony on Tuesday, 4th October 2022, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The most-respected global bars ranking leaves London for the first time in its 13-year history.
Marking the first time the illustrious event has been held outside London since its 2009 inception, the ceremony will once again unite the global bar community in recognition of the best bars in the world. Following last year’s return to live events at the Roundhouse, The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022 will be an unbridled celebration of the bartenders, bar owners and brands at the forefront of the international cocktail scene.
Voted on by an esteemed Academy of over 650 anonymous industry experts, the 2022 ranking will be unveiled as part of a festival of events, held over one week in the Catalonian capital, which will form part of a celebration produced with 50 Best’s host partner, Escolà. The gender-balanced panel will vote confidentially with voting requirements once again adjusted to take into account the restrictions to travel over the past year. Details of the voting process can be found at the bottom of this press release.
Mark Sansom, Content Director for The World’s 50 Best Bars, says: “We are delighted to bring The World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony to Barcelona this year, celebrating the return of international travel and the dazzling performance of the global bars sector over the past year. London has been a fantastic home for us but, as we come out of the pandemic, we are excited to have the opportunity to shine a spotlight on other great cocktail cities, starting with Barcelona, which has three outstanding venues on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2021 list. Now, more than ever, we hope that our ranking inspires liquid-led wanderlust the world over.”
Ahead of the ceremony on Tuesday 4th October, 50 Best will reveal the winners of two individual 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 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, with reference to their work to support the ongoing recovery of the bar sector in the wake of the pandemic
- 51-100 list. One week before the awards ceremony, 50 Best will reveal those bars ranked between 51st and 100th on its website and social media channels
In addition to celebrating the 1-50 List, the ceremony will also unveil the winner of the inaugural 50 Best Bars The Blend Scholarship.
Building on 50 Best’s vital work supporting the hospitality ecosystem during the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw more than $1.29m raised under the 50 Best for Recovery banner, The World’s 50 Best Bars is turning its eyes to the future with the 50 Best Bars The Blend Scholarship.
Announced earlier this month, the Scholarship, which is open to any bartender from anywhere in the world aged 21 or over and with fewer than three years’ experience, will offer one aspiring mixologist the opportunity to complete two bar stages (internships) at two of the world’s best bars – The Connaught in London and Katana Kitten in New York City – as well as an experience of a lifetime in Madrid with The Blend by Beam Suntory. The winner will also receive £500 per week living expenses to enjoy the cities.
The launch of this unique scholarship represents a key moment in 50 Best and The Blend’s drive to prioritise development opportunities and experiences for aspiring bartenders across the globe, and aims to cultivate practices and attitudes that will have a positive impact for the planet, for guests and the hospitality community. The three finalists will be hosted at the 2022 awards ceremony, where the inaugural 50 Best Scholar will also be announced.
Jaume Collboni, First Deputy Mayor of Barcelona City Council, says: « This event helps to reinforce Barcelona as one of the greatest world capitals for gastronomy, as well as highlighting the excellent bars, hotels and restaurants that we have and are some of the best examples of the vitality and attractiveness of our city. The fact that an event as prestigious as The World’s 50 Best Bars has chosen Barcelona is an opportunity for us to continue to provide support for restaurants and bars, which suffered so much during the pandemic and who will continue to receive the support of the City Council.”
Francesc Escolà, CEO & Owner of Escolà, Vins i Destil.lats, says: “Comercial Escolà has been in the wine and spirits business for 50 years. With the ambition of developing the hospitality industry as a means to bring value to society, hosting The World’s 50 Best Bars awards ceremony in Barcelona is a great opportunity to showcase the bartending industry here and, above all, acknowledge the city’s position as one of the main gastronomic leisure capitals worldwide.”
