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This year’s best bars list proves great cocktails are everywhere

Some of the more intriguing establishments on the coveted list

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Bartender making cocktails
Stanislav Ivanitskiy / Unsplash

One of the most talked-about annual lists just dropped, showcasing of the best bars in America and beyond. The Best 50 Bars were unveiled earlier this month, a cast of standout establishments located throughout North America. And some on this year’s list are quite compelling.

As you might imagine, major cities like New York City, San Francisco, and Toronto tend to do quite well. But the 50 spots extend to other areas to, from the Cayman Islands to oft-overlooked Mexican cities. For the record, the number one spot went to Handshake Speakeasy, a buzzing Mexico City bar.

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Some cities showed up, as you might expect, like NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington D.C. Vacation destinations remain a location theme too, with spots like Tulum on the list. And sometimes, you just have to give an award to a classic spot, like Miami’s Cafe La Trova, which placed in the top 20 and serves up rum-centric cocktails in Cuban fashion. The place is literally across the street from a Dollar Tree and a Taco Bell but is know for its legendary drinks and service.

Here are some of the highlights from The Best 50 Bars in North America 2025 list:

Handshake Speakeasy

This bar earned a number one spot on the list for the second year in a row. In fact, it went on to place at number one of the World’s Best list too. Based in Mexico City, Handshake Speakeasy is a reservation-only spot that’s known to wow with unexpected flavor combinations and some molecular gastronomy injected into its mixology. They dream up a lot of their concoctions in a house lab, where they experiment constantly. Outside, in the bar, the feel is very Gatsby-era and art deco. In the glass, you’ll enjoy something meticulously crafted.

Aruba Day Drink

Not many Tijuana bars tend to make the list but Aruba Day Drink is shaking things up. This airy bar is a breach bum paradise and well away from the hoards of tourists one fan find along this border town. It’s a down-to-earth setting with drink that are way more complex than you might expect from the atmosphere. Often, the bars that end up on this lest are just ahead of trends. Order the Fruity Palooza and you’ll see just what we mean, as it combines cereal milk (an emerging trend) from Fruit Loops with black tea, spices, tropical fruit, coconut rum, cachaca, and sotol (a key fixture in any legitimate agave spirit guide).

Jewel of the South

A cocktail from Jewel of the South in NOLA.
Jewel of the South

A classic NOLA restaurant, Jewel of the South came in at fourth place and deservedly so. It’s set in a Creole cottage nearly two centuries old and the charm is through the roof. Best, the cocktail that pay homage to a city that knows its drinks. The menu honors the past while moving it forward in creative ways. To stand out as a bar in New Orleans is feat of its own and Jewel of the South does that and more. Go with a classic Brandy Crusta or try a seasonal cocktail like the Harlequin, a mashup of cachaca, rhum Louisiane, rhubarb guajillo cordial, guava, and lime.

Kumiko

Omakases continue to be the rage and this one in Chicago is among the best in the states. Kumiko does a pairing menu that’s of bucket list quality, especially if you splurge for the cocktail pairings. While the cocktails are great on their own, it’s the match-ups with food here that really take the place to special heights. The place goes way beyond just great sakes and highballs for cocktails that will expand your mind.

Library by the Sea

Located in the Cayman Islands, Library by the Sea is exactly that. And while the great resort bar does deal in classic literature, the place also specializes in exquisite cocktails. Many of the beverages are inspired by authors or the settings of iconic stories and it does not hurt that you get treated to dazzling ocean views. It’s a great example of a perfectly-situated bar putting some extra thought into its cocktails by giving each one a real narrative.

The Keefer Bar

The Keefer Bar.
Keefer Bar

Vancouver, B.C. tends to show up on lists like these. The Keefer Bar is going the city’s excellent cocktail scene proud, apothecary in theme and landing in the 28th spot on this year’s list. What makes it special? Stellar happy hour. A serious seasonality to the drinks. And an amazing bar wall stocked with outstanding bottles bearing the title “medical center.” Check out the Flying Circus, made with fig root genever, rum, Disaronno, banana, matcha, lemon, and clarified milk, or the Square One, a mix of jasmine tea vermouth, fino sherry, and sour strawberry cordial.

What do you think? Did your favorite bar make the list? Honestly, we’re a little surprised outstanding NYC bar Attaboy didn’t make the grade. And while the west coast had a pretty good showing, it’s a little surprising that neither Portland or Seattle made the cut. Who knows, perhaps your town will shop up on next year’s coveted list.

Mark Stock
Mark Stock
Contributor
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
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