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Each year, hospitality professionals, spirits nerds and hotspot devotees cheer and jeer news of The World's 50 Best Bars. The holding company William Reed, which also has a brilliant SEO hold on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, taps hundreds of experts to select the top libation destinations from over the globe. Last year, Katana Kitten came in at number 10 globally, and now its owner, Masahiro Urushido, has earned yet another accolade in advance of The World’s 50 Best’s first focus on North America later this spring.
The introductory list of North America’s 50 Best Bars will be revealed in a ceremony in New York City on June 7, but the consortium will announce select honorees in the weeks leading up to the event. Urushido has been bestowed with the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award. Urushido was chosen by head bartenders from venues recognized in the forthcoming edition. The award aims to identify a bartender “who pushes the boundaries” of greatness in the field, a press release says.
“Masahiro has built a stellar reputation on two continents, both in his native Japan and his adopted home in the USA,” 50 Best content director Mark Sansom is quoted as saying in the statement. “His mixological virtuosity, boundless hospitality and megawatt smile have made him beloved by bartenders and guests around the globe.”
“At Katana Kitten, Masahiro and his team created something truly original and exciting by melding the meticulous precision of Ginza bars with the relaxed conviviality of izakaya seen through the lens of a New York neighborhood bar. With legions of fans globally, Masahiro still takes time to make each guest feel celebrated, whether they are regulars, drinks industry stars or just everyday folks. He truly exemplifies what being an Altos Bartenders’ Bartender really means.”
“I was surprised, grateful and very honored to be recognized by my peers,” Urushido, who opened Katana Kitten as its director of deliciousness in 2018, said in a statement. “I love my job and feel lucky to be a part of this global community. I want to thank my Katana Kitten team, mentors and my family for all the support to get here.”
Katana Kitten in the West Village is also on Time Out New York’s best bars list. The North America’s 50 Best Bars ceremony will be livestreamed on the organization’s YouTube channel and Facebook page on June 7, 2022.