Latest news with #HandshakeSpeakeasy
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
North America's 50 Best Bars Reveals Its 2025 List; Crowns Industry Icon
The winners are revealed at a gala in Vancouver on Tuesday, April 29th, 2025 The 2025 list of North America's 50 Best Bars has just been revealed. And for the second year in a row the top spot belongs to Handshake Speakeasy, a sleek and moody parlor in the Colonia Juárez district of Mexico City. Number two on the list was also a repeat performance from last year: Superbueno--a playful Mexican-American cocktail lounge in New York's East Village. Though the Mexican capital again bested the Big Apple when it comes to holding the number one watering hole, New York can still claim the greatest number of top 50 bars of any city in North America, with 11 in total. That number includes notable newcomers such as Clemente Bar and Sip & Guzzle, craft darlings which are expected to climb higher towards the top of lists like these in the months and years to come. Over on the West Coast the biggest winner was Mírate. Number 12 on the list, it's the biggest climber this time around, jumping 34 spots from its premiere at the 2024 North America's 50 Best. The stylish restaurant and bar in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles boasts one of the country's broadest collections of agave spirits. And beverage director Maxwell Reis is shaping these stellar liquids into an inventive stable of cutting edge cocktails. 2025 Roku Industry Icon Julie Reiner Meanwhile, the highest honor for an individual bartender in 2025 went out to Julie Reiner. The founder of Clover Club and Milady's in New York was named the Roku Industry Icon. The award takes its name from the Japanese gin brand from Suntory that's been a hit with craft mixologists ever since debuting back in 2017. To chose the winner, 300 members of the 50 Best voting academy are asked to nominate someone who has made the most significant contribution in advancing the bar industry. Reiner garnered more votes than anyone else. "Receiving the Roku Industry Icon Award was an honor, but I was more honored to be there among my friends and family and peers to see how far we've all come," says Reiner, of receiving the recognition at a packed gala at the JW Marriott in Vancouver, Canada. 'It's a privilege to work in this industry. It's hard. It can be defeating. It can be backbreaking. But it can also be fun. And exciting. And enlightening. So to still be here kicking around with all the great new faces that are constantly discovering their love of bartending is something I certainly don't take for granted.' This mark's the fourth iteration of North America's 50 Best Bars. It was launched in 2022 by William Reed Ltd, the same organization responsible for World's 50 Best Restaurants and World's 50 Best Bars. The runaway success of those ongoing ventures has led the company to create more specific regional offshoots, including Asia's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and, most recently, the World's 50 Best Hotels. Previous winners for North America's 50 Best Bars--prior to Handshake Speakeasy--include Double Chicken Please (2023) and Attaboy (2022). For the complete 2025 rundown, from 1-50, click here. Julie Reiner and Lynette Marrero attend(s) CAMPARI's 150th Anniversary at Bowery Hotel on May 16th, ... More 2010 in New York City. (Photo by WILL RAGOZZINO/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Time Out
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Canada tops North America's 50 Best Bars List 2025
In its fourth edition, the list of North America's 50 Best Bars 2025 was announced at a live ceremony in Canada. The 2025 list of North America's 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, was revealed on April 29 at a live awards ceremony hosted at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver. Marking the first time the event was held in Canada, the celebration underscored the region's growing influence in the global cocktail scene. (Have you checked out these delicious cocktails named after Montreal's favourite neighbourhoods?) The annual ranking highlights standout bars from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. This year's list includes 26 U.S. bars, 14 from Mexico, 8 from Canada and 2 from the Caribbean. What is the best bar in North America? For the second consecutive year, Mexico City's Handshake Speakeasy claimed the top spot as the Best Bar in North America and the Best Bar in Mexico. Now located inside the NH Hotel in Colonia Juárez, the acclaimed bar continues to deliver a refined and unforgettable cocktail experience. Under the direction of head bartender Eric Van Beek, Handshake Speakeasy offers a minimalist menu packed with complex, boundary-pushing creations—including draft cocktails and multi-day preparations that elevate flavour and presentation. Since its 2023 debut, the bar has made a global impact, topping both the 2024 North America's 50 Best Bars and The World's 50 Best Bars lists. New York City's Superbueno took second place, once again earning the title of Best Bar in the Northeast USA. Coming in at No.3 is Mexico City's Tlecān. Where are the best bars in Canada? Bar Pompette (No.7) from Toronto was named The Best Bar in Canada. Other bars from Canada include Toronto's Civil Liberties (No.21), Botanist Bar (No.26) and The Keefer Bar (No.28) from Vancouver as well as Cloakroom and Atwater Cocktail Club from Montreal at No.31 and No.36, respectively. Toronto's Mother re-entered this year's list at No.44. Toronto's Civil Works has earned the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award for its innovative and imaginative use of water to elevate and highlight the flavours of featured spirits. Ranked No. 55 on this year's extended 51–100 list, the bar was selected by the global Academy Chairs for its standout creativity. Introduced in 2021, the award honours bars that push the boundaries of cocktail innovation, design, craftsmanship, and storytelling through their menus. What are North America's best 50 bars? For a complete list of all 50 bars, see below: How does the voting work for North America's Best Bars? The ranking for North America's 50 Best Bars reflects the best bar experiences as voted by members of the Academy—anonymous industry experts from across the USA, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The voting body is composed of over 300 members, evenly split between bartenders and bar owners (33%), drinks writers and educators (33%), and well-travelled cocktail enthusiasts (33%). A 50/50 gender balance is maintained among voters. This updated structure was introduced to ensure broader representation and to amplify diverse voices across the continent. In line with other 50 Best lists—for restaurants, bars, and hotels—at least 25% of Academy members are rotated each year to maintain fresh perspectives and reflect ongoing industry changes. Importantly, members of the 50 Best organisation do not vote and have no influence over the list's composition. Bars cannot apply for inclusion, and sponsors hold no sway over the outcome. The North American Academy is divided into seven regions: USA Northeast, USA Midwest, USA West, USA South, Canada East, Canada West, and Mexico & the Caribbean. Each region is overseen by an Academy Chair who assembles a panel of voters, ensuring a balanced and diverse group. Each Academy member casts up to seven votes: a maximum of five for bars within their home country (or state, in the case of the USA), and up to two for bars outside their home region, all based on experiences from the 18 months preceding the vote. The North America's 50 Best Bars and The World's 50 Best Bars rankings are determined through separate voting processes by two distinct Academies, covering different regions and timelines. As a result, each list is compiled independently and features unique rankings. Voting is conducted individually and securely via a confidential online system. All votes remain private until the official announcement of the list. Academy Chairs are not informed of the votes submitted by their region's members and do not act as representatives of the 50 Best brand. Ultimately, the North America's 50 Best Bars list is the result of a straightforward vote count from over 300 bar industry experts across the continent, each selecting the venues where they've had their best experiences over the past year and a half.
Time Out
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This Miami bar was just voted one of the best in North America
If you're craving a taste of Old Havana—minus the passport—you'll find it in the heart of Little Havana at Café La Trova, which just secured the number 13 spot on the prestigious North America's 50 Best Bars list for 2025. The ranking, unveiled at a live ceremony in Vancouver this week, celebrates the continent's top cocktail destinations, from Mexico City's reigning champ Handshake Speakeasy (number 1) to buzzy newcomers like New York's Clemente Bar (number 11). But Miami's lone representative on the list, Café La Trova, is no stranger to global accolades—and no ordinary watering hole. The brainchild of acclaimed cantinero Julio Cabrera and James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein, along with her husband, restaurateur David Martinez, La Trova is a blend of culinary craft and Cuban nostalgia. Expect your daiquiri shaken by white-jacketed bartenders who literally dance behind the bar while a rumba band plays on. Cabrera's menu is a love letter to Cuba's golden age, with drinks like the Presidente (Havana Club Añejo Clásico rum, blanc vermouth de Chambery, dry curaçao and grenadine) and the tropical Hotel Nacional (rum, apricot liqueur, pineapple and lime) capturing the spirit of pre-Revolutionary Havana. Bernstein complements the cocktails with elegant twists on Cuban classics, like Serrano ham Cubanos and steak empanadas that some say are the best in Miami. In a city brimming with beach clubs and rooftop lounges, Café La Trova stands out for its soul. And now, it's officially one of the best bars in North America. Salud to that. The 50 best bars in North America in 2025 according to 50 Best Bars: 1. Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City 2. Superbueno in New York 3. Tlecān in Mexico City 4. Jewel of the South in New Orleans 5. Sip & Guzzle in New York 6. Overstory in New York 7. Bar Pompette in Toronto 8. El Gallo Altanero in Guadalajara 9. Licorería Limantour in Mexico City 10. Kumiko in Chicago 11. Clemente Bar in New York 12. Mírate in Los Angeles 13. Café La Trova in Miami 14. Bar Mauro in Mexico City 15. Martiny's in New York 16. Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco 17. True Laurel in San Francisco 18. Employees Only in New York 19. Double Chicken Please in New York 20. Baltra Bar in Mexico City 21. Civil Liberties in Toronto 22. Aruba Day Drink in Tijuana 23. Service Bar in Washington DC 24. Thunderbolt in Los Angeles 25. Best Intentions in Chicago 26. Botanist Bar in Vancouver 27. Arca in Tulum 28. The Keefer Bar in Vancouver 29. Selva in Oaxaca 30. Library by the Sea in Grand Cayman 31. Cloakroom in Montreal 32. La Factoría in San Juan 33. Maison Premiere in New York 34. Bijou Drinkery Room in Mexico City 35. Hanky Panky in Mexico City 36. Atwater Cocktail Club in Montreal 37. Bar Mordecai in Toronto 38. Meadowlark in Chicago 39. Bisous in Chicago 40. Kaito del Valle in Mexico City 41. Yacht Club in Denver 42. Katana Kitten in New York 43. Angel's Share in New York 44. Mother in Toronto 45. Allegory in Washington DC 46. Dante in New York 47. Café de Nadie in Mexico City 48. Silver Lyan in Washington DC 49. Bekeb in San Miguel de Allende 50. Cure in New Orleans
Vancouver Sun
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
These two Vancouver bars just landed on the list of the 50 best in North America
Article content The best and brightest of the North American bar scene gathered in Vancouver Tuesday night for the North America's 50 Best Bar s awards ceremony. Article content Article content The event marked the first time the awards were held in Canada. Article content The live ceremony, held at the JW Marriott Parq, ranked the best bars across the continent. The number-one spot went, for the second year in a row, to the team from Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City. Article content Article content Two Vancouver bars notched spots on the top-50 list. Botanist Bar, located in the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel, took the number 26 spot on the list, while The Keefer Bar, at 135 Keefer St. in Chinatown, took the number 28 spot. Article content Article content The highest ranking on the list for a Canadian drinking establishment went to Toronto's Bar Pompette, which came in at number seven. Toronto's Civil Liberties (#21), Montreal's Cloakroom (#31) and Atwater Cocktail Club (#36), and Toronto-based bar Mother (#44) rounded out the Canadian representation in the top 50. Article content Article content The fourth edition of North America's 50 Best Bars also included a 51-100 best bar ranking, released earlier this month. Article content Article content That list included four more bars in B.C. Article content Prophecy in Vancouver, a speakeasy bar in the basement of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, came in at number 53. Laowai cocktail bar, hidden behind Blnd Tger Dumplings in Vancouver's Chinatown, came in at number 67. Humboldt Bar in downtown Victoria came in at number 69 and the cool cocktail bar Meo in Chinatown, ranked number 92. Article content
Time Out
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
These 4 Chicago bars were just ranked some of the best in North America
Raise your glass, Chicago: four local bars just landed on the 2025 North America 50 Best Bars list—and a fifth is already being hailed as the next big thing. The newly announced ranking celebrates cocktail excellence across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, with Chicago's Kumiko leading the city's showing at number 10 and earning the title of Best Bar in the Midwest USA, sponsored by Tia Maria. But Kumiko isn't just a bar—it's a meditative escape in the West Loop. Created by Julia Momosé and the team behind Oriole, it's a place where welcome tea replaces party shots. The bar's serene, wood-accented omakase counter boasts just eight seats, where diners taste a progression of Japanese-influenced bites like seaweed-slicked uni, wagyu glazed in black garlic molasses and milk toast crowned with fermented honey ice cream, paired with imaginative sake and shochu cocktails. If mindfulness could be distilled and served in a glass, it might taste like Kumiko. And then there's Lemon, which hasn't even cracked the top 50—yet. The cocktail spot was named the Campari One To Watch, an award given to a standout bar poised to make the list in the near future. At the top of this year's ranking? Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City, which held onto its number 1 spot for the second year in a row. The 50 best bars in North America in 2025, according to 50 Best Bars: 1. Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City 2. Superbueno in New York 3. Tlecān in Mexico City 4. Jewel of the South in New Orleans 5. Sip & Guzzle in New York 6. Overstory in New York 7. Bar Pompette in Toronto 8. El Gallo Altanero in Guadalajara 9. Licorería Limantour in Mexico City 10. Kumiko in Chicago 11. Clemente Bar in New York 12. Mírate in Los Angeles 13. Café La Trova in Miami 14. Bar Mauro in Mexico City 15. Martiny's in New York 16. Pacific Cocktail Haven in San Francisco 17. True Laurel in San Francisco 18. Employees Only in New York 19. Double Chicken Please in New York 20. Baltra Bar in Mexico City 21. Civil Liberties in Toronto 22. Aruba Day Drink in Tijuana 23. Service Bar in Washington DC 24. Thunderbolt in Los Angeles 25. Best Intentions in Chicago 26. Botanist Bar in Vancouver 27. Arca in Tulum 28. The Keefer Bar in Vancouver 29. Selva in Oaxaca 30. Library by the Sea in Grand Cayman 31. Cloakroom in Montreal 32. La Factoría in San Juan 33. Maison Premiere in New York 34. Bijou Drinkery Room in Mexico City 35. Hanky Panky in Mexico City 36. Atwater Cocktail Club in Montreal 37. Bar Mordecai in Toronto 38. Meadowlark in Chicago 39. Bisous in Chicago 40. Kaito del Valle in Mexico City 41. Yacht Club in Denver 42. Katana Kitten in New York 43. Angel's Share in New York 44. Mother in Toronto 45. Allegory in Washington DC 46. Dante in New York 47. Café de Nadie in Mexico City 48. Silver Lyan in Washington DC 49. Bekeb in San Miguel de Allende 50.
