The fifth edition of North America's most anticipated bar ranking heads back to the Pacific Northwest for its grand reveal on 22 April 2026.
After a roaring debut in British Columbia in 2025, North America's 50 Best Bars is travelling back to Vancouver from 21-23 April 2026 for the reveal of its 2026 ranking. Renowned for its natural beauty and buzzing cocktail scene, the vibrant city will once again serve as the meeting place for the drink titans of North America.
In partnership with Destination Vancouver, 50 Best's festivities will assemble and celebrate the leading lights of the North American bar community across a series of events, culminating in a live awards ceremony on Wednesday 22 April at Vancouver Convention Centre, where the new 2026 edition will be unveiled. 
Handshake Speakeasy took the No.1 spot for a second consecutive year in 2025
Shortly after the reveal of the No.1 spot, the team behind the newly crowned bar will take part in an exclusive live interview streamed on the 50 Best Bars Instagram account.
In addition to the live awards ceremony, a host of other events will see the best and brightest reunite, collaborate and imbibe at some of the city's most exciting hospitality spots. These include the Bartenders' Feast, gathering the teams behind the bars included in the upcoming ranking the night before the ceremony, and the Closing Party on the day following the reveal. 
Eli Martínez Bello was named the 2025 winner of the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award
In the build-up to the live event series, a host of notable bars and individuals will also be celebrated through a series of special accolades. These include the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award, recognising a bar with remarkable service, and the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award, a peer-voted accolade bestowed upon an individual deemed to have had the most positive impact on the cocktail community over the past year.
This special recognition of notable cocktail spots and individuals will continue through to the awards night itself with a further host of awards, including the Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award, Roku Industry Icon Award, Three Cents Best New Opening Award and Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award, among others.
The regional winners of the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award and Best Bar Design Award will also be revealed at the awards ceremony. Both of these special accolades are currently open to submissions for the upcoming year to bars of any style across the world, with no entry fee and no prior connection or affiliation with 50 Best required.
In addition to the special awards, 2026 will see the return of the 51-100 extended ranking following its debut in the last edition. The extended list will continue to shine a spotlight on an even wider pool of brilliant bars from across the region, and will be revealed in the weeks prior to the event. Stay tuned into 50 Best's social channels to keep posted on these exciting announcements.
The list of North America's 50 Best Bars 2026 will be revealed in Vancouver on Wednesday 22 April 2026. Follow 50 Best on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop with all upcoming announcements.
