The 2024 list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars was unveiled last evening at a glittering ceremony at The Rosewood Hotel in Hong Kong. The event brought together the region’s cocktail royalty and key players from the bar world, making it arguably the most significant night of the year for Asia’s thriving bar industry. Since its inception in 2016, the 50 Best Bars rankings have significantly influenced the continent’s bar scene and its offerings. 

Bar Leone from Hong Kong took the title of Asia’s Best Bar debuting directly at the top spot—a first for any bar in the history of the awards. Hong Kong solidified its status as Asia’s cocktail capital with nine bars on the list, including four in the Top 10. Singapore also showcased its prominence with eleven bars. Seoul followed with five entries, while Tokyo and Bangkok each had four bars, rounding out the top five cities.

ZLB23, the Kyoto-styled speakeasy at The Leela Palace Bengaluru which came in at No. 40, was adjudged the best bar from India as the only bar from the country to be featured in the top 50 list. Since its opening early last year, ZLB23 has become a popular cocktail destination for the city’s tipplers and has also been a favourite with visiting international bars for pop-ups and takeovers. Earlier this January, it was ranked at No. 6 in the 2023 ranking of 30BestBarsIndia, the country’s most prestigious bar ranking, and won the Best Designed Bar Award as well.

But the highlight for the Indian bar industry last evening came when cocktail maestro Yangdup Lama, the co-owner and founder of Sidecar New Delhi and Cocktails & Dreams Speakeasy Gurgaon, was awarded the prestigious Roku Industry Icon Award. Voted by a jury of peers, this award recognizes the work and contribution of the industry’s senior-most gurus who have helped shape the bar business of the continent and have left an indelible mark for posterity to follow in their footsteps.

Shining another spotlight on the subcontinent’s mixology scene were Smoke & Bitters from Hiriketiya at No. 29 judged the best bar in Sri Lanka, and Barc from Kathmandu at No. 39 judged the best bar in Nepal. Both these bars are a stunning testament to the focus and hard work that goes behind creating great drinks programming in the region.

Further down the line, the list of 51 – 100 ranked bars announced last week featured four Indian bars. Often considered as a ‘waiting room’ before breaking into the big league, these rankings have become an equally sought-after list to be on for bars. At No. 59 was The Bombay Canteen from Mumbai, a favourite of the city’s food and drink aficionados and a tribute to the city and the country’s regional cuisines. An influence that you can find in their drinks as well with popular drinks made using hyper-local ingredients like the Rising Star, Waiting List and Phool.

A new entrant to the list was Lair from New Delhi at No. 68. Often credited with having ignited the city’s love for the picante (and truffle popcorn!), it is ubiquitous in the city’s nightlife scene. And with their second bar about to open in Gurgaon shortly, they are surely extending the party to the millennial city. 

At No. 84 is New Delhi’s popular cocktail bar, Sidecar. A regular feature in many awards lists, Sidecar is perhaps the most visited bar by people visiting the city and of course by the city’s residents. Their current menu, Arq, draws inspiration from different scents that evoke a sense of nostalgia and has been a worthy successor to their previous smash hit menu, titled ‘Dear Delhi’.

The third bar from New Delhi that made a comeback to the list was Home at No. 96. Tucked away behind one of the city’s most upscale multiplexes, it was initially opened as a members-only space which now welcomes guests looking for an elevated drinks experience in a luxuriously appointed setting.

Click here for the entire list of the top 50 bars.

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Rohan Jelkie is an avid drinks geek with more than 15 years of experience in the drinks business and often finds himself exploring new bars across the world on his travels. He’s the Head of Advocacy at Suntory Global Spirits. You can follow him on @thirstytippler on Instagram.