North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024 were revealed at a live awards ceremony in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico on April 23. Here is the full list.
North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024 – Photo Supplied
Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy was crowned No.1 as The Best Bar in North America and The Best Bar in Mexico. New York City’s Superbueno ranked at No.2 and claimedthe title of Disaronno Highest New Entry as well as The Best Bar in Northeast USA 2024. New York City’s Overstory followed at No.3.
Toronto’s Civil Liberties, No.21, won the title of The Best Bar in Canada for the third year in a row alongside Puerto Rico’s La Factoría, at No.18, recognisd as The Best Bar in the Caribbean for the third year as well.
New York Continues to Account for the Most of North America’s Top Bars
Each year, New York continues to excel in delivering the world’s most amazing craft cocktails. In 2024, New York holds 12 of the 26 U.S. listees, including the continent’s highest achievers. The list includes Superbueno (No.2) which is the Disaronno Highest New Entry, Overstory (No.3), and Martiny’s, which jumped 25 spots to No.4 to earn the Nikka Highest Climber Award. Alongside these are additional notable bars including Double Chicken Please (No.7), Katana Kitten (No.12), Employees Only (No.15), Dante (No.20), Attaboy (No.31), The Dead Rabbit (No.33), Maison Premiere (No.41), new entry Angel’s Share (No.43), and Milady’s (No.44).
Cocktail hotspots across the U.S. such as New Orleans’ Jewel of the South (No.7) named The Best Bar in South USA, sponsored by Tia Maria, and Cure (No.47) have remained on the list in 2024. Top establishments across the U.S. in cities that have been consistently recognised for their cocktail culture include Los Angeles’ Thunderbolt (No.8), named The Best Bar in West USA, sponsored by Rémy Martin, Miami’s Café La Trova (No.13), Kumiko (No.19) from Chicago, which named The Best Bar in Midwest USA, sponsored by Torres Brandy, as well as Service Bar (No.22) and Allegory (No.23) from Washington DC. This year, Los Angeles’ Mírate (No.46) and Chicago’s Best Intentions (No.48) are new entries to the list.
San Francisco’s True Laurel (No.30), another new entry, wins the Kettle One Sustainable Bar Award, with new entry from Chicago Meadowlark (No.32) taking home the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award.
Mexico City Continues to Grow Its Global Cocktail Presence, Winning 9 of Mexico’s 15 Bars
Mexico City accounts for more than half of this year’s best bars in the country. Handshake Speakeasy (No.1) wins The Best Bar in Mexico, sponsored by Perrier for the third year in a row.
Handshake Speakeasy is joined by Mexico City’s Rayo (No.5), Licorería Limantour (No.9), new entry Tlecān (No.10), Café del Nadie (No.17), Baltra Bar (No.26), Kaito del Valle (No.28), Hanky Panky (No.42) and Brujas (No.45).
Mexico’s wider bar scene continues to grow, as can be seen in the list, which includes Playa del Carmen’s Zapote Bar (No.11), Guadalajara’s El Gallo Altanero (No.14), and Tijuana’s Aruba Day Drink (No.16), as well as the country’s newest entry, Bekeb (No.27) in San Miguel de Allende, plus Arca (No.37) in Tulum and Oaxaca’s Selva (No.34).
Canada Continues to Thrive in Cocktail Culture
Civil Liberties (No.21) in Toronto has been named The Best Bar in Canada, sponsored by Naked Malt for the third consecutive year, alongside Vancouver’s Botanist Bar (No.24), Toronto’s Bar Pompette (No.29), Montreal’s Cloakroom (No.39), and a re-entry for this year in Vancouver, The Keefer Bar (No.49).
The Caribbean: Grand Cayman Joins the List
La Factoría (No.18) continues to remain on the list as The Best Bar in the Caribbean, sponsored by Amaro Lucano. Grand Cayman has joined the locations of top bars in the Caribbean with Library by the Sea (No.35) as a new entry.
Special Awards North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024
Simpl Things in Toronto joins the stellar lineup as Campari One To Watch, an accolade given to a bar outside of the main list that the 50 Best team believes has the ability to be named on future editions of the ranking.
Meadowlark (No.32) in Chicago is named winner of the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award. The rotating menu celebrates the history of the region, featuring local spirits and liqueurs.
Claudia Cabrera of Mexico’s Kaito del Valle (No.28) receives the accolade of Roku Industry Icon. Cabrera is a vocal advocate for gender equality in the drinks industry and champions the need for more female representation behind the bar.
Grand Cayman’s Library by the Sea (No.35) earns the London Essence Best New Opening Award, as the bar enters the list for the first time. Library by the Sea presents a drinks program highlighting art, literature and local Caymanian and Caribbean culture, while balancing inventive names and flavors that are enriched with the history of the region. The bar brings each of its drinks concepts to life without limitations, using bespoke ingredients made with local botanicals such as a sea mineral-adjusted vermouth to bring the complexity and heritage of local island flavors to the fore.
True Laurel in San Francisco earns the title of Ketel One Sustainable Bar at No.30. The award is gifted to bars that demonstrate the strongest commitment to sustainability.
Additional special award winners, announced prior to the reveal of this year’s list, include New Orleans’ Jewel of the South (No.6) receiving the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award and Kate Boushel of the Barroco Group and Atwater Cocktail Club (No.50) in Canada, who is celebrated as the winner of Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award.
Overall, the U.S. leads the list with 26 bars followed by Mexico with 15 bars, seven from Canada and two on the list from the Caribbean. Here is the full list of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024.
North America’s 50 Best Bars 2024
1. Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
2. Superbueno, New York
3. Overstory, New York
4. Martiny’s, New York,
5. Rayo, Mexico City
6. Jewel of the South, New Orleans
7. Double Chicken Please, New York
8. Thunderbolt, Los Angeles
9. Licorería Limantour, Mexico City
10. Tlecān, Mexico City
11. Zapote Bar, Playa del Carmen
12. Katana Kitten, New York
13. Café La Trova, Miami
14. El Gallo Altanero, Guadalajara
15. Employees Only, New York
16. Aruba Day Drink, Tijuana
17. Café de Nadie, Mexico City
18. La Factoría, San Juan
19. Kumiko, Chicago
20. Dante, New York
21. Civil Liberties, Toronto
22. Service Bar, Washington DC
23. Allegory, Washington DC
24. Botanist Bar, Vancouver
25. Herbs & Rye, Las Vegas
26. Baltra Bar, Mexico City
27. Bekeb, San Miguel de Allende
28. Kaito del Valle, Mexico City
29. Bar Pompette, Toronto
30. True Laurel, San Francisco
31. Attaboy, New York
32. Meadowlark, Chicago
33. The Dead Rabbit, New York
34. Selva, Oaxaca
35. Library by the Sea, Grand Cayman
36. Century Grand, Phoenix
37. Arca, Tulum
38. Pacific Cocktail Heaven, San Francisco
39. Cloakroom, Montreal
40. Bar Mordecai, Toronto
41. Maison Premiere, New York
42. Hanky Panky, Mexico City
43. Angel’s Share, New York
44. Milady’s, New York
45. Brujas, Mexico City
46. Mírate, Los Angeles
47. Cure, New Orleans
48. Best Intentions, Chicago
49. The Keefer Bar, Vancouver
50. Atwater Cocktail Club, Montreal
You can view last year’s winners here.
