The best bars in the land have been named in 2022 and it’s fair to say the U.S. did quite well. Eight American watering holes made it on the prestigious World’s 50 Best Bars list.
The list is a little like the Michelin Star rating system for restaurants, gauging overall quality and innovation. Getting noticed in this regard can lead to massive upticks in business as these days, sipping drinks has become a big part of international tourism.
Top honors went to Paradiso in Barcelona. It marks the first time in the history of the awards that the number one spot was not reserved for a London bar. In fact, the Catalan city put three bars in the top ten alone, flexing its bar muscles for all to see. What U.S. bars made the cut? We’ll break it down for you.
Double Chicken Please
The highest-ranking domestic bar came in at the number six spot. Double Chicken Please is located in NYC and does everything from a legendary chicken sandwich to cocktails on tap. Drinks of note include #4 (lemongrass shochu, gentian, plum, green tea) and the meal-like #6 (mezcal, Corona, Absinthe, tomato, mango, jalapeno). They really go for a dinner-in-the-glass theme, with cocktails modeled after things like Waldorf salad, cold pizza, and Key Lime pie.
Katana Kitten
Katana Kitten, also located in NYC, fared very well, making it into the top 10 at number nine. The Japanese bar known for its inventive cocktails and outstanding Highballs placed ninth overall and is one of the best-looking bars, on top of just turning out great food and beverages. The bar already turned out one of the best cocktail books on the market and continues to wow locals and visitors with its amazing creations. Here, you can get a boilermaker or meguroni #2, made with shochu, genever, aged umeshu, caffo red bitter, and kinome.
Café la Trova
This Miami bar is inspired by Cuba, like so many great things in south Florida. There are plenty of theatrics, with skilled bartenders bouncing about, tossing equipment, and dancing to the music. As you may have guessed, this is where you want to be if you appreciate rum. There are classics like the Daiquiri, along with new options that will knock your socks off.
Attaboy
Another NYC outpost, Attaboy has really made a name for itself lately, with a new satellite location in Nashville. It’s not the easiest spot to get into, partially because of its speakeasy-esque and intimate nature, but it’s worth the trouble. Here, you’ll find some of the best riffs on the classics around, including what might be the best Manhattan on earth.
Others on the list included Kumiko in Chicago and Overstory, Dante, and Employees Only, all based in New York. The list actually includes 100 total bars across the globe. There were a few themes of note in the 51-100 section this year. Five cities made it on the list for the first time this year, including the likes of Manchester, Playa Del Carmen, and Bogota. Singapore put an impressive eight on the list, solidifying its bar prowess. And a few American bars made the bottom half (51-100), including NYC’s The Dead Rabbit and Sweet Liberty in Miami.
You might be traveling already for things like wine tasting but it’s high time you do the same for the cocktail sector. Clearly, there are some mind-blowing options all over the globe.
