SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Mexico – The list of North America’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier, was announced at the live awards ceremony on April 23, 2024 at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This was the second year that the awards ceremony was held in Mexico and continues to platform the country’s place as a leader of the global cocktail scene. The annual ranking features bars from across North America, including the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy is crowned No.1 as The Best Bar in North America and The Best Bar in Mexico, sponsored by Perrier. New York City’s Superbueno is ranked at No.2 and claims the title of Disaronno Highest New Entry as well as The Best Bar in Northeast USA 2024, sponsored by Disaronno. New York City’s Overstory follows at No.3.
Toronto’s Civil Liberties, No.21, wins the title of The Best Bar in Canada, sponsored by Naked Malt for the third year in a row alongside Puerto Rico’s La Factoría, at No.18, recognized as The Best Bar in the Caribbean, sponsored by Amaro Lucano for the third year as well. Overall, the U.S. leads the list with 26 bars followed by Mexico with 15 bars, seven from Canada and two on the list from the Caribbean.
Handshake Speakeasy makes history as the first bar in Mexico to be named No.1 on a North America’s 50 Best Bars list. The hidden bar is difficult to find, but those who discover the Mexico City lounge are rewarded with an unforgettable, high-end cocktail experience.
While the design and ambiance, with a long marble bar and copper arches, recall the glamour and allure of the Prohibition era, the cocktail menu looks to the future. Bar Director Eric van Beek uses molecular mixology to create unexpected cocktails that may appear traditional but reveal complex layered flavors on the palate.
On the menu, guests can find cocktails featuring clarified juices, fat-washed spirits and unusual, home-made syrups and infused cordials. Handshake Speakeasy also features batch cocktails on draft and a laboratory hidden within the bar where the team concocts its next liquid revelations.
Handshake Speakeasy has featured prominently on the global stage since opening, ranking as No.3 on The World’s Best Bars 2023 list and No.2 on North America’s 50 Best Bars 2023 list.
Emma Sleight, Head of Content for North America’s 50 Best Bars, says: “What a momentous occasion for the Mexico cocktail scene! We give our biggest ¡Felicidades! to Handshake Speakeasy and head bartender Eric van Beek for the team’s incredible work in delivering excellence.
Handshake Speakeasy continues to push the boundaries of the art of cocktail creation as well as always putting service first, so we are pleased to see them crowned the first bar in Mexico City named No.1 on North America’s 50 Best Bars list. We also extend our congratulations to all the other incredible bars on this year’s list that are testament to how exciting, innovative and dynamic the North American bar scene truly is.”
Elisa Gregori, Perrier Global Business Unit Director, says: “It is an honor once again to join in celebrating the hard work, ingenuity, and innovation of the great bartenders, mixologists, and professionals who continue to push the bar scene to new heights. North America is the melting pot of the world, where cultures, flavors, ingredients, and techniques combine.
This is on display like nowhere else in the bar community that leads the way in terms of innovation and creativity, where hospitality is more of a way of life than just a job. I would like to express my gratitude for always raising the bar on what is possible in the cocktail culture. And, likewise, the entire Perrier team would like to express their gratitude to the bar community. Your extraordinary efforts and unwavering commitment, with which you have created unique shared experiences for everyone who has passed through your doors in the past and in the future, are an inspiration.”
