The best cocktail bars from around the world will be announced this Tuesday from Barcelona, chosen to host the prestigious The World's 50 Best Bars ceremony. It is the first time that this gala travels outside of London, where it has been held since its first edition in 2009. The Catalan capital inaugurates a new itinerant stage of the event, created by the same company that annually compiles the ranking of the 50 best restaurants in the world.
The Cúpula de las Arenas will be the stage from where the names of the best international bartenders will be revealed starting at 8:15 PM this Tuesday. Among them, Giacomo Giannotti, owner of Paradiso, starts with a good position. This cocktail bar in El Born took third place in last year's ranking, only behind London's Connaught Bar and Tayēr + Elementary.
Paradiso was not the only local cocktail bar that managed to be among the top 50 in the world. Two Schmucks, led by Moe Aljaff, AJ White, and James Bligh, entered directly into The World's 50 Best Bars ranking with a not inconsiderable position. The cocktail bar on Joaquim Costa street scraped into the Top Ten from its eleventh position. Below it was Sips, by Marc Álvarez, on Muntaner street, taking the 37th spot.
This annual ranking of premium cocktail bars or bars is compiled from the votes cast by a gender-balanced panel of 650 anonymous judges who travel the world, including bartenders and bar owners, journalists, and enthusiasts. Each of them can cast seven votes, allocating a maximum of five to establishments located in their country of origin. For now, the members of the ranking between positions 51 to 100 have already been announced, among which there are no establishments from Barcelona.
The gala this Tuesday is expected to have more than 1,000 attendees, "the largest of all time," according to the organizers. The city of Barcelona intends to bid to host the ceremony again in 2024, with the aim of continuing to strengthen its position as a venue for international events. Starting this year, The World's 50 Best Bars plans to rotate through different capitals of the world. For next year, Singapore is emerging as a candidate, a city that has placed many of its cocktail bars in a good position in the ranking.
The ceremony at the Cúpula de las Arenas has not been the only professional event brought by the choice of Barcelona as the venue for The World's 50 Best Bars. On Monday, the Bartender's Feast was organized at Casa Bonay, attended by the 50 selected to be the best cocktail bar, without yet knowing their position. In addition, to recover from Tuesday's party, a brunch for the winners will be organized for the first time the day after the gala. This year, it will be held on the terrace of The Hoxton hotel.
All of this has been complemented by the first edition of the Barcelona Cocktail Experience, organized by Magatzem Escolà, a Barcelona-based wine and spirits distribution and import company that has acted as a local partner for the organizers. The event was conceived to showcase the talent found in Barcelona's many cocktail bars and, above all, to savor it. From Friday, September 30, to Sunday, October 9, more than 90 bars and 50 hotels have opened their doors, organizing activities and offering their best creations for tasting. To participate, interested parties must pay a 20-euro ticket that gives them access to the different events and offers them a reduced price on the signature cocktails that the establishments have designed for this week.