Yesterday was an exciting day, waiting for the yearly list of “worlds50bestbars” to be updated. And after several years with Artesian in London holding first place, there is now a new best bar;

The Dead Rabbit – New York

We visited this bar already in May 2016 and “only” had to wait 30 minutes to get in – this is a strict no reservation bar – but it was worth it! With a massive cocktail list deciding on where to start was a challenge on its own. But when drinks started to arrive (first one is on the house) we knew why this bar is so high on the list. Known for its Irish theme, the bar is almost perceived as a pub, but a slightly more nice and sophisticated one.

The updated worlds50bestbars list features several other surprises, there is even a Swedish bar on it now. We will for sure get back to many of the bars in our blog, but in the meantime, below is a picture from each of the bars we managed to visit from prior year’s list.

Aviary – Chicago

Probably one of our best cocktail experiences ever, at both our visits. It’s hard to find more innovative and fantastic looking cocktails. They sure are expensive, but so worth every dollar. The bar environment is very sophisticated and the staff are very attentive. The only thing we miss here is the sound of shakers, drinks are made far away from the guests.

Maison Premiere – New York

The first drink we ordered on our first visit here was decorated with a baby carrot. We loved the presentation and of course also the taste. Cocktails are served in generous pours, and they are accompanied by great food. The horse shoe shaped bar looks very sleek and it’s really interesting watching the bartenders do their magic close up.

Dandelyan – London

This is a rather new bar, already making a strong statement on London’s bar map. Some kind of plant or herbal extract is featured in every cocktail. It might sound like a gimmick, but actually works really well. They cocktail list is also long enough to make you wanna come back several times, at the same time being able to find personal favorites to reorder from it.

Artesian – London

The number one on last years last, now number 54 on the new list, did impress us a lot. Their surrealistic cocktail menu was very intriguing and when ordered drinks arrived they made your jaw drop. The below Dali inspired elephant held the actual cocktail inside it’s back, and you were supposed to drink by lifting the whole elephant. Apparently most of the celebrated staff have now left, forcing the bar out of the list. We’re glad we managed to visit it a year ago at its peak.

Le Lion – Hamburg

Inventor of Gin Basil Smash, Le Lion is a world famous bar in Hamburg. Of course we had to try the smash, and it truly is delicious. The green color makes the drink look very appetizing and of course the flavor is strongly influenced by the basil. However the smashed lemon mellows the taste and the gin brings even further herbal notes. A classic for good reasons.

Ruby – Copenhagen

Their Negroni variation Saint Negroni made such a strong impression on us we really tried to mimic it at home. With coffee notes, antica formula and high quality rum this is an amazing cocktail. Bar Ruby is cozy and service is very good. Well worth visiting whenever in Copenhagen.

Mace – New York

A new bar, with the coolest and nicest bartenders employed. They gave us free samples of cocktails from prior menus when they realized how much we loved their current menu. This is the only bar where we can proudly say we tried every drink on their spring/summer 2016 cocktail list!