Asia’s premier bar stars will be honored in Hong Kong this July as the eighth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars takes place in the special administrative region.
Hosted in collaboration with destination partner Hong Kong Tourism Board, this is expected to be the first full-scale gathering of the bar community in Asia since the pandemic, with borders now fully open across the region.
The annual list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars is created from the votes of Asia’s 50 Best Bars Academy — an influential and anonymous group of 250 industry leaders that includes bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers and cocktail aficionados.
Each Academy member can nominate a total of seven bars, with no obligation to vote for bars outside of their home country if they have been unable to travel. What constitutes a “best bar experience” is completely up to the voters, and results are independently adjudicated by Deloitte.
Mark Sansom, Director of Content for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, says: “We are very excited to host the awards in Hong Kong this year. The city has one of the most dynamic and diverse bar scenes in Asia, and despite tight border controls in the last three years, it continues to lead with amazingly innovative bar experiences.
“By bringing the biggest event on Asia’s bar calendar to Hong Kong, we hope to shine the spotlight back on the city’s vibrant nightlife and contribute to driving travel and tourism.”
Highlights for the event programme in Hong Kong will include the Bartenders’ Feast, which takes place the night before the reveal of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023. It will be followed by a captivating awards ceremony itself on 18 July, which will feature red-carpet arrivals and interviews, a drinks reception and of course, the ceremony and countdown itself. In 2022, the annual Asia’s 50 Best Bars list named Coa in Hong Kong as The Best Bar in Asia.
At the live awards ceremony, which culminates with the announcement of The Best Bar in Asia, sponsored by Perrier, other special honours awarded will reflect the diversity of talents and bars in Asia and are selected through a rigorous process. The live countdown will also be preceded by a series of special awards announcements in the month leading up to the awards ceremony. These special awards include:
- Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award, an accolade given to the bar that has offered outstanding service to its guests in the past 18 months; this award is voted for all members of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars Academy
- Altos Bartenders’ Bartender, as voted for by the bartenders from the establishments on the 2023 list, who are asked to name one peer who has done more to further the craft of bartending than any other, across the course of the 18-month voting period
- The 51-100 list is revealed in advance of the actual awards ceremony, and is created from the overall Asia’s 50 Best Bars voting process
The eighth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars will be unveiled on 18 July 2023 at an in-person awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The live countdown will also be streamed on The World’s 50 Best Bars and 50 Best Bars TV YouTube Channel.