Plans are in place to host a live awards ceremony and fringe events in Bangkok, Thailand, restrictions permitting, giving the bar community a chance to come together for the announcement for the first time since 2019.
The countdown will be preceded by a series of special award announcements in the month leading up to the ceremony, including the unveiling of bars ranked from 51-100.
As countries approach reopening after the extraordinary challenges of the past two years, 50 Best reinforces its role in championing great bars and bringing the community closer through a new edition of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list.
The awards ceremony will be streamed live on The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook and 50 Best Bars TV YouTube Channel for those unable to make it to Thailand.
Mark Sansom, content editor for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, said: “For the past seven years, Asia’s 50 Best Bars has promoted the region’s cocktail scene, and we are honoured to have played a part in its steady growth and recognition across the globe.
“We are huge admirers of the world-class talent the region boasts, and we hope to explore a live event format that restores the awards’ pre-pandemic conviviality and shared celebrations in a safe manner while continuing to showcase the passion and creativity at play in bars across Asia.”
Special awards and the 51-100 list
As part of Asia’s 50 Best Bars programme, a series of special awards will be announced during the month prior to the official ceremony. While the list is the main focus of the awards, there is also a rigorous selection process for individual bars and bartenders to receive special awards. These special prizes reflect the diversity of talent rewarded by Asia’s 50 Best Bars. The 2022 special awards include:
- Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award, an accolade given to the bar that has offered outstanding service to its guests in the past 18 months – To be announced on 6 April
- Altos Bartenders’ Bartender, as voted for by the bartenders from the establishments on the 2022 list – To be announced on 12 April
- The 51-100 List is announced a week before the actual awards ceremony. 50 Best will digitally reveal those bars ranked from 51st to 100th – To be announced on 21 April
- On the night itself, other special awards will include the Roku Industry Icon, Ketel One Sustainable Bar, Disaronno Highest New Entry, London Essence Best New Opening, Nikka Highest Climber, Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu, Campari One To Watch and Rémy Martin Legend of the List
Voting Structure
The annual list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars is created from the votes of Asia’s 50 Best Bars Academy — an influential group of 220 industry leaders that include bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers and cocktail aficionados. Voting for Asia’s 50 Best Bars is based on the same model as The World’s 50 Best Bars, but in this case, all voters are based in Asia.
Prior to 2021, each Academy member voted for six bars, with at least two of these from outside their home country/SAR. Since the global pandemic has restricted international travel, the voting rules have been revised to reflect this situation. In 2022 voters could nominate a total of seven bars, including up to five from their home country, but with no obligation to vote for bars outside of their home country/SAR if they have been unable to travel.
The organisation works with professional services consultancy Deloitte as its official independent adjudication partner to help protect the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars.
