tl;dr – A few newcomers to the list and several mainstays.
The World’s 50 Best just released its North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026 list, which you can view here. It seems there’s no end to the number of lists and categories this organization will make. 😉 The list contains a lot of familiar/storied cocktail outposts – Cure (New Orleans), Employees Only (NYC), Handshake Speakeasy (CDMX) – though there are several new entries. Predictably, the list is very (as it always seems to be) big-city heavy.
Here’s a look at this year’s top ten:
- No.10 El Gallo Altanero – Guadalajara
- No.9 Superbueno – New York
- No.8 Bar Pompette – Toronto
- No.7 The Keefer Bar – Vancouver
- No.6 Jewel of the South – New Orleans
- No.5 Tlecān – Mexico City
- No.4 Schmuck – NEW ENTRY – New York
- No.3 Bar Snack – NEW ENTRY – New York
- No.2 Bar Mauro – Mexico City
- No.1 Sip & Guzzle – New York
The only two newcomers to the list in this year’s top ten are both in NYC – Schmuck and Bar Snack. I’m a longtime fan of Jewel of the South, home of prominent NOLA bartender Chris Hannah.
If you’re a fan of craft-cocktails, some of these spots are worth a pitstop. Some of the entries in less-populated cities like Guadalajara, Vancouver, San Miguel de Allende seem particularly appealing!
