The 2026 global bar ranking will be unveiled in early October in Milan.
It's official, the destination for the biggest bar ranking in the world has been confirmed as Milan.
The fashion capital of Italy is no stranger to the spotlight. It's home to many of the world's most influential haute couture houses and celebrated as the birthplace of Giorgio Armani and Mario Prada's eponymous brands. With a history of craftmanship and a reputation for exquisite taste in all things tailoring, colour and prints, it's perhaps unsurprising that this eye for aesthetic excellence was also applied to the city's developing cocktail culture.
The art of the aperitivo is woven into daily Milanese life, from bustling Brera to neighbourhood Navigli, where cafés and cocktail bars blur the lines between afternoon imbibing and nightlife, and where a reverence for traditional vermouths and Campari is manifested via americanos, spritzes and garibaldis.
The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 ranking will be revealed in Milan in early October
However, perhaps the city's most famous sip can be found at Bar Basso – the legendary bar where the negroni sbagliato (Italian for 'mistaken') was born in the 1970s when bartender Mirko Stocchetto accidentally grabbed a bottle of sparkling wine instead of gin while making a classic negroni.
From cocktails to haute couture, there's no denying this modern metropolis makes the perfect place to bring the shining stars of the global drinks world together in celebration of talent, passion and innovation.
This year's awards will take place at a soon-to-be announced location in the city, bookended by the now legendary Bartenders' Feast, where this year's ranked bar teams come together in celebration, and the Closing Party, each of which will feature a plethora of local and international cocktail and culinary talent across a multi-day event programme.
The World's 50 Best Bars list is compiled by votes from The World's 50 Best Bars Academy, which comprises more than 800 drinks experts, including renowned bartenders and consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists from around the world, with 50/50 gender balance. 
Bar Leone was revealed as The World's Best Bar 2025 at the awards ceremony in Hong Kong
Each voter casts eight votes based on their best bar experiences of the previous 18 months, with a maximum of five bars in their own country (SAR in Asia, province in Canada or state in the US). What constitutes 'best' is left to the judgment of these trusted and well-travelled experts.
In the build-up to the events in Milan, 50 Best will showcase a selection of other leading bars and talent through the announcement of two special accolades. These include the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award, bestowed upon the bar the anonymous Academy of voters deem offered the best service over the voting period, and the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award, the only peer-voted accolade celebrating an individual that ranked bars believe has had the most positive impact on the drinks industry.
The extended ranking of bars placed from 51st to 100th will also be revealed in the weeks prior to the events landing in Milan.
The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 will be revealed at an awards ceremony in early October in Milan.
