(NEXSTAR) – They’re really raising the bar.
Fifty of North America’s best pubs, speakeasies and cocktail lounges were honored in New York City last week during an beverage-industry event presented by William Reed Ltd., a U.K.-based multimedia firm specializing in the food and drink sector.
North America’s 50 Best Bars 2022 — organized by William Reed’s “50 Best” brand — held its inaugural award ceremony on Tuesday. The night’s top honor went to Attaboy, an unmarked bar in Manhattan’s Lower East Side with no real cocktail menu to speak of.
“Rather, each drink is custom tailored for the guest after a brief conversation,” 50 Best writes of the bar, whose patrons can often be found waiting in line on the street for a table.
Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy, as well as its Licorería Limantour, took second and third on the 50 Best ranking. Katana Kitten, again in New York, and Kumiko, in Chicago, rounded out the top five.
Coming in at number 24, New Orleans’ own Jewel of the South. “Located in a renovated 1830 ‘Creole Cottage’, Jewel’s courtyard and wood-framed parlour rooms provide a true oasis within the bustling French Quarter. Throughout the cosy rooms, one finds nods to NOLA’s storied history, like vintage musical fliers and portraits of Louisiana luminaries.”
Overall, more than half of North America’s “best” bars were found in the United States, with New York and California representing the lion’s share of the country’s contributions. Other honorees included cocktail spots in Washington, D.C., Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, Portland and Puerto Rico.
The “best” bar winners at Tuesday’s event were chosen by a voting body of 220 “expert panelists,” the night’s emcee announced at the top of the ceremony. The awards are the first in what’s intended to be an annual celebration of the industry’s “superb bar talent in specific regions, showcasing the subtlety and complexity of bar craft from around the world,” according to 50 Best.
50 Best has also released annual rankings of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and the World’s 50 Best Bars. The latter’s 2021 edition recognized Attaboy at its No. 34 spot. The 2022 list will be unveiled in October.
The complete list of North America’s 50 Best Bars can be found at the 50 Best website.