Hong Kong’s Oaxacan-inspired bar, Coa, once again claimed the top spot at the seventh edition of Asia's 50 Best Bars during a live ceremony in Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok on April 28. This is the first time since the 2019 awards in Singapore that the ceremony was held in person and was attended by mixologists, bar industry ambassadors, and cocktail enthusiasts.
Hong Kong continues to be well represented on the annual list even with pandemic imposed closures and borders being closed for two years. The 2022 list sees Four Seasons Hotel's innovative bar Argo – the latest project from Four Season's beverage manager and Time Out's 2020 Bartender of the Year, Lorenzo Antinori – climb to number 3 from its previous 72nd ranking last year. Other bars from Hong Kong that landed on the 2022 list include The Aubrey (number 38, new entry), The Wise King (number 34), The Pontiac (number 33), Penicillin (number 22), Quinary (number 16), and DarkSide (number 13). And though Honky Tonks Tavern didn't make the list, the Central bar took home the Campari One to Watch award.
"Bars in Hong Kong do an excellent job in translating and exploring storytelling through cocktails," says Mark Sansom, director of content for Asia's 50 Best Bars. "Home to many industry pioneers and acclaimed, world-renowned bars, Hong Kong has increasingly discerning drinkers who are supportive of the bar scene. It also hosts bartenders and bar owners who are always hungry to prove themselves, bringing intriguing fresh concepts to the table," he adds.
Special awards for this year recognises Bar Mood Taipei as the winner of Ketel One Sustainable Bar Awards, Nutmeg & Clove's Colin Chia as the recipient of Roku Industry Icon Award, and Charles H’s Keith Motsi as the recipient of Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award.
The 2022 list of Asia's 50 Best Bars was created by an academy of over 220 leaders in the region made up of drink writers, educators, journalists, bartenders, bar owners and regional cocktail aficionados. According to Sansom, this year’s ranking took into account the recent and ongoing pandemic restrictions. "The 2022 list is created from bar experiences across the voting period between June 2020 and January 2022 inclusive, even if those bars that the voters have experienced are all located in their home city and country," he explains.
In Hong Kong, we've continue to see bars make their mark on the prestigious list. Sansom says there are myriad of explanations as to why bars might move on, off, or within the list. "We do not focus on how many places bars fall on the list, just as we do not comment on bars that are not on the list," he says. "Our main focus is celebrating the achievements of those bars on the list regardless of which number they have placed at. To be on the list no matter the number is a huge accomplishment and a testament to the talent and hard work of the bar teams," he adds.
Sansom says that Asia continues to prove itself as a region for impressive craft cocktails. Asian countries with an emerging craft cocktail scene to watch out for include hotspots such as Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Nepal. As cities emerge from the pandemic, Sansom states that the bar awards hope to inspire people who are looking for amazing bar experiences in their own countries and around the continent. "It is also our hope that the awards event will also act as a show of strength and much-needed optimism for the bar community," he adds.
Extending the spotlight to more bars in the region, 50 Best also releases the 51-100 honorary list, which includes bars spanning 24 different cities across Asia. Other establishments that are not on the list but still deserve to be discovered are usually covered in 50 Best Discovery, 50 Best's in-depth collection of city guides for restaurants and bars, which features over 2,000 venues in 81 countries across the world.
Here’s the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022:
50) Speak Low, Shanghai, China
49) 28 Hong Kong Street, Singapore
48) Zest, Seoul, Korea (New Entry)
47) Bees Knees, Kyoto, Japan
46) Bamboo Bar, Bangkok, Thailand
45) Union Trading Company, Shanghai, China
44) Copitas, Bengaluru, India
43) Asia Today, Bangkok, Thailand (New Entry)
42) Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka (Best Bar in Sri Lanka)
41) Memento Mori, Tokyo, Japan (New Entry)
40) Alice, Seoul, Korea
39) Le Chamber, Seoul, Korea
38) The Aubrey, Hong Kong (New Entry)
37) Analog, Singapore (New Entry)
36) Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
35) Junglebird, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
34) The Wise King, Hong Kong
33) The Pontiac, Hong Kong
32) The Cocktail Club, Jakarta, Indonesia (Best Bar in Indonesia)
31) Sago House, Singapore
30) Home, New Delhi, India (New Entry)
29) Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu and Best Bar in Malaysia)
28) Bar Cham, Seoul, Korea
27) Tippling Club, Singapore
26) Hoots’ New Delhi, India (New Entry)
25) Bar Trench, Tokyo, Japan
24) Aha Saloon, Taipei, Taiwan
23) Atlas, Singapore
22) Penicillin, Hong Kong
21) The SG Club, Tokyo, Japan
20) Lamp Bar, Nara, Japan
19) Vesper, Bangkok Thailand
18) Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou, China
17) Tropic City in Bangkok
16) Quinary, Hong Kong
15) No Sleep Club, Singapore
14) Sidecar, New Delhi, India
13) Darkside, Hong Kong
12) Republic, Singapore
11) China (The Best Bar in Mainland China)
10) BKK Social Club, Bangkok, Thailand (Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award and Best Bar in Thailand)
9) Manhattan, Singapore
8) MO Bar, Singapore (Nikka Highest Climber Award)
7) Charles H, Seoul (The Best Bar in Korea)
6) Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei, Taiwan (The Best Bar in Taiwan)
5) Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo, Japan (Rémy Martin Legend of the List and The Best Bar in Japan)
4) Tesouro, Colvá, India (London Essence Best New Opening and Best Bar in India)
3) Argo, Hong Kong (Disaronno Highest New Entry)
2) Jigger & Pony, Singapore (The Best Bar in Singapore)
1) Coa, Hong Kong (The Best Bar in Hong Kong)
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