Frequently Asked Questions

Why has The World's 50 Best Bars changed name to The 50 Best Bars? 

Launched on 9 September 2026, The 50 is the new unified master brand for 50 Best, bringing together its globally recognised rankings, awards, content and Discovery platform under one clear and distinctive identity. The 50 Best Bars name change reflects this evolution.

Formerly known as The World's 50 Best Bars, The 50 Best Bars remains focused on recognising excellence and celebrating the very best bars across the globe. The new naming convention creates greater consistency across The 50's global portfolio and better reflects the scale and breadth of what we do today. This is an evolution of the brand rather than a change to the ranking itself, and the ranking's credibility, independence and methodology remain unchanged.

What is The 50 Best Bars?

The 50 Best Bars is an annual list that celebrates the best of the international drinks industry. First published in 2009, The 50 Best Bars list provides an annual ranking of bars as voted for by more than 800 drinks experts from across the globe. The list represents the ultimate international guide to the world's top bars and drinking destinations and is revealed at the annual The 50 Best Bars awards event.

How are the awards voted for?

The 50 Best Bars list is compiled from the votes of The 50 Best Bars Academy, comprising more than 800 drinks experts, including renowned bartenders and consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists. Each voter casts 8 votes based on their best bar experiences of the previous 18 months. Find out more about the voting system here.

Who are the voters and how are they chosen?

The Academy is made up of drinks experts, including bartenders, bar managers, drinks consultants, brand ambassadors, drinks writers, historians and cocktail aficionados. To create the Academy, and give it a fair representation of the international bar landscape, we divide the world into 29 geographical regions.

Each region has a chairperson appointed for their knowledge of their part of the bar world. These chairs each select a voting panel, which is refreshed by minimum 25% of its members annually. The distribution of voters is designed to reflect the relative development and sophistication of the drinks sector, and the concentration of quality bars, in each region.

Voters are required to remain anonymous and voting is confidential, secure and independently adjudicated by Deloitte.

On what criteria are voters asked to make their decisions?

Voters are simply asked to name the eight bars in which they have enjoyed the best experience over the previous 18 months. There are no pre-determined criteria, though there are strict voting rules. Voters must have visited the bars they vote for during the voting period, and they cannot self-nominate or nominate a bar in which they have any financial interest. Guest bar shifts and pop-ups do not qualify for votes. The 50 reserves the right to remove bars from the list where there may be reputational issues that discredit The 50 organisation by way of these venues' inclusion.

What awards are given?

In addition to The 50 Best Bars list, the organisation also publishes the extended 51-100 list and a series of special awards to individuals and bars.

What does it mean to be included on The 50 Best Bars ranking?

It provides recognition of the dedication, passion and skill of the teams behind those bars. It also helps promote those bars internationally to well-travelled discerning drinkers, boosting the bars' profiles and business

Who owns The 50 Best Bars?

The 50 Best Bars is owned and organised by William Reed, the group behind The 50 Best Restaurants and its regional events. In 2017, William Reed took over from Drinks International, part of Agile Media, in the organisation of the awards, collating the votes and producing the list. Drinks International has taken the role of trade media partner for The 50 Best Bars.

How will The 50 continue to support bars around the world?

We have a number of different channels and platforms to support bars around the world:

- The 50 Bars Scholarship – the inaugural The 50 Best Bars Scholarship launched in 2022, open to any bartender from anywhere in the world aged 21 or over with fewer than five years' experience. The 2024 winner, Calliope Draper, was rewarded with three stages at world-leading bars across Japan and Australia.

- The 50 Discovery – our in-depth collection of city guides undergoes major yearly updates, with hundreds of new venues added.

- 51-100 list – we will continue to publish the annual list of bars which rank from 51-100, casting a wider spotlight on the industry as a whole.

- Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award – introduced in 2021, this award is open to any bar, anywhere in the world, whether they have featured in The 50 Best Bars list or not.

- Best Bar Design Award – introduced in 2023, this award celebrates and rewards bars for thoughtful design and is open to any establishments in the world with no prior affiliation to The 50 required.