Singapore has all the clinks as one of the vibrant cocktail capitals of the world and there are no signs of slowdown in this thirsty town, according to Mark Sansom, Director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Bars.
A total of eight bars made it to The World’s 50 Best Bars 2022’s long list. The prestigious award ranks bars across the world from the 51th to 100th position. They are Sago House (No. 51), 28 HongKong Street (55), MO Bar (57), Analogue (65). Furthermore, Atlas (67), No Sleep Club (69), Nutmeg & Clove (74) and Republic Bar (90). The long list was announced on 27 September — one week before the main list of the top 50 bars around the world is revealed. The live ceremony will be held in Barcelona, marking the first time that the annual awards are held outside London.
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Sansom says: “Despite the uncertainties of the pandemic, Singapore has seen a strong showing of new openings with thoughtful concepts and immaculate craft to match. One example is Analogue by Vijay Mudaliar, which made its debut on the list at No. 65. The bar carries through the ethos of Mudaliar’s first bar, Native, that place sustainability and accessibility at the forefront from design to operations.” He also gave Republic Bar, which debuted on the list at No. 90, a shout-out for “manifesting influential hallmarks of the 60s into liquid history”.
On the World’s 50 Best Bars longlist results, he says: “We are delighted to see so many new cities appear on the extended list for the first time. Being able to recognise 32 different global cities out of the available 50 positions is particularly pleasing. All the bars announced have continued, with outstanding resilience, to overcome the challenges that still face the industry.”
The World’s 50 Best Bars, which was launched in 2009, is run by UK-based media company William Reed. They run events and media brands that span the food and beverage, hospitality, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. The media company also runs The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. Ahead of the ceremony in Barcelona, we catch up with Sansom on what’s buzzing in the effervescent bar industry in Asia.
It has been a challenging year for the bar industry, how has the World’s 50 Best Bars continue to support the industry, which faces a new set of challenges in a post-pandemic world?
In December last year, 50 Best introduced ‘Hope for Hospitality’ 2022, a new year resolution to acknowledge recent challenges, take onboard the lessons we have learnt, and to build on the work 50 Best and its partners have been doing to support and benefit the wider hospitality community.
While the global industry is currently facing critical issues such as inflation and manpower shortages, we acknowledge that one key area of support that 50 Best can (continue to) provide, is to introduce initiatives that inspire new talents to join the labour-crunched sector. This year, The World’s Best 50 Bars partnered with The Blend by Beam Suntory, to launch 50 Best Bars The Blend Scholarship.
Themed ‘#FuturePositive’, this initiative aims to support the future of the bar industry, by offering scholarships to aspiring bartenders, in the process cultivating practices and attitudes that will have a positive impact for the planet, for guests, and the hospitality community. Seeing how the bar industry is constantly facing manpower shortages, the scholarship hopes to cultivate the view that mixology is not just a job, but a viable and coveted career choice as well.
This year’s event marks the first time that The World’s 50 Best Bars is held outside London since the first ceremony in 2012, why the decision to hold this year’s ceremony in Barcelona?
For months, we scoured the world for the next host destination and finally agreed that Barcelona, with its warm and welcoming hospitality, vibrant food and drink culture, topped with its accessibility, makes the perfect location for the annual gathering of the best in the cocktail industry
What are three trends in the bar industry in Asia that you are excited about?
In Singapore, there seems to be an emergence of next-gen bar owners and bartenders, who have “graduated” from institutions on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars and The World’s 50 Best Bars lists. These next-gen bar owners and bartenders – think likes of No Sleep Club (No. 69) – are bringing a strong sense of individualism to the bar scene, with unique concepts and exemplary cocktails to match. I personally see this as an exciting beginning of a cocktail culture that Singapore can truly call its own!
A second, is more of an observation that I am super excited about. There is a spotting of new cocktail cities, which reflects the continued growth of the cocktail culture in Asia. Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka, broke into Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ 1-50 list with Smoke & Bitters for the first time this year; and Colva, a seaside village in the South Goa district, had Tesouro at No. 4 at Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022. This is extremely heartening, because the 50 Best spirit is all about inspiring the growth of the hospitality industry, as well as promoting the discovery of new and notable food and drink cultures and experiences around the world.
Thirdly, it is the rise of quality food programmes in bars. Bar operators are becoming more aware that in order to keep a guest interested over the course of the night, they need to offer a food menu that stands up to the cocktails. All across Asia, bars seem to be recognising this. The likes of Manhattan Bar in Regent Singapore has been running an awesome bar menu for a long time and bars all across the city state seem to be picking up the mantle and coming up with seriously innovative concepts.
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Which cocktail do you turn to cure a serious bout of writer’s block?
It would be a Negroni, every time. One, because it’s one of the few cocktails I can actually make successfully and two, because it contains three ingredients I always have in my drinks cabinet.
What’s your favourite cocktail to have on a holiday?
I’ll say it quietly, but it’s a Piña Colada. There is something about rum and coconut milk just screams relaxation to me.
Which is the most important element for you in a cocktail bar?
It would have to be the hospitality afforded by the bar team. You get a feel for whether you are going to enjoy a bar experience in the first 30 seconds and this is purely down to how welcome you’re made to feel by the staff.
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