The World's 50 Best Bars 2021
© @_David_Holbrook
December 2021 saw the presentation of ‘The World’s 50 Best Bar’ Awards. Who has won and what do such rankings mean in the bar community? A commentary by Peter Eichhorn.
Hooray, there is reason to celebrate! After all, cheerfully raising a glass is definitely part of the general ethos within our bar community.
And this is why corks were also popping in December 21 when the renowned ‘The World’s 50 Best Bar’ Awards were presented. The celebrations in London meant a moment of liberation for numerous protagonists within the bar industry when – after a long time – the first personal encounter became possible again in London to meet old acquaintances and the Covid-mask mandate was forgotten for a few hours.
Winners of the evening: London’s Connaught Bar
And needless to say, the international bar community rejoiced with the Connaught Bar in London winning the coveted first place with consummate ease. Nobody would dare to object to this prize winner. Ago Perrone and his team have been a shining example of continuity and innovation for two years now. As early as ten years ago the bar already came second (behind the then spectacular PDT in New York City) and even then the recognition was justified.
Covid Champions?
These recent awards did not make sense to each and everyone – considering the hospitality sector worldwide was impacted extremely and excessively by restrictions and closures. In addition to this, travel restrictions also made it nearly impossible or at least complicated for jury members to arrive at an international verdict.
Nick Strangeway has been a part of, and left his mark on, the world of bars and spirits for over 20 years now. In an article for the magazine ‘Drinks International’ he describes the simultaneous joy and unease felt due to the strange circumstances of award ceremonies held during these times: “Seeing our industry unite in London for The World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony in December was warming. After such a long period of hiatus it was lovely to catch up with old friends, past colleagues and the great and the good of the industry without wearing masks or worrying about social distancing.”
In December 2021, "The World's 50 Best Bar" awards were presented in London. The winner is London's Connaught Bar.
© The World’s 50 Best Bars
“Your flight has been cancelled”
With flights cancelled, even the “flight” at the bar counter was unreachable at times. Commenting on the awards Strangeway thoughtfully adds: “However, when people were able to travel, they had to be more selective. The days of regular plane journeys across continents remain suspended and therefore bar owners and journalists have been planning which bars to visit, which they do through their phones. This means the ones shouting the most over social media were more likely to get the international attention from incomers.”
He phrases this in a very polite and reserved way. But the question does arise: What are international rankings actually worth if travelling, visits to bars, exchange and encounters are generally restricted and at times even impossible?
Empty glasses, empty plates
What applies to the bar sector, is causing even greater unease in the restaurant world. When the new Guide Michelin France was presented a year ago, numerous observers wondered how during these times 54 new stars could be awarded even though a majority of restaurants remained closed over extended periods in the year under review. Ironic quos suggested the testers probably had to eat very fast. ‘Food & Sens’ read: “For collectors of the Guide Michelin the 2021 edition is good news,” because now they are not missing an issue and the series remains without gaps. While author Sandra Dubonnet said in ‘Biss – Kulinarisches Magazin’: “Michelin France seems to be living in a parallel universe where there is neither a pandemic nor dismissals of kitchen and service staff. Maybe eating so fast was not good for the inspectors after all.”
As Woody Allen once said, hitting the nail on the head here: “I received this award undeservedly. But that doesn't matter. I got diabetes just as undeservedly.”
© @_David_Holbrook
Award ceremonies in times of Covid
The Mixology Magazin demonstrated the most elegant and at the same time logical way to present awards during Covid times. In 2021 their Mixology Bar Awards were for the second consecutive year not presented in its proven categories of ‘Best Bar’ through to ‘Host of the Year’ but the awards were adjusted to current conditions. So the awards in categories such as Sustainability & Education, Lookout, Navigator and Lifeboat were given to bar community protagonists who had also demonstrated commitment and made an impact during these trying times – to the extent possible considering the restricted options available at present: from the Bar Symposium Köln and Bottled Cocktail concepts to the great “Ghost Bar” programme by Jochen Hirschfeld (see our coverage).
The ‘50 Best Organisations’ – comprising not only the ‘The World’s 50 Best Bars’ within the William Reed Business Media Ltd Group but also the ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ and other ranking concepts – showed some commitment in the crisis by organising continuous education programmes and fundraising activities such as the ‘Recovery Programme’.
Criticism and controversies caused by rankings
Whether it is the famous top ‘50’, other bar awards or restaurant rankings – we love to hate them. When it comes to the 50 Best Bars the German-speaking region likes to grumble about being underrepresented. And everyone regularly taking to a bar counter can confirm this. For instance, Buck & Breck in Berlin is the only bar from the German-speaking region in the ranking, coming in at No. 83 while proving at the same time that 50 actually means 100.
Rankings generally trigger criticism and controversies. And for bars, many industry insiders behind closed doors complain that personal connections and social media exposure are more important for nominations than the true quality of a bar. A ‘Best Friends Club’ of the most influential bars? “You vote for me, I’ll vote for you?”
Let the Champagne flow
In any case, the list still remains relevant and as a rule the listed bars only prove disappointments if the proven bartenders turn into aloof star-tenders. So let’s get back to the fun. Now more than ever we need occasions for partying and having fun – and open bars and cocktails offered around the globe again at last.
On that note: let the awards and accolades flow. May they be taken with a wink of the eye and not too seriously. And then we should definitely adopt the approach of director Bong Joon-ho during his acceptance speech at the 2020 Oscars after receiving not one but several trophies for his movie ‘Parasite’: “Thank you, I will be drinking until tomorrow morning.”
For the rankings of "The World's 50 Best Bars 2021" click here.
