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.
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.
“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,” says Mark Sansom, content director for The World’s 50 Best Bars.
“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 4 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.
In addition to celebrating the 1-50 List, the ceremony will also unveil the winner of the inaugural 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 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.