North America’s Best Bar Has a Funny Name, but Serves Seriously Good Cocktails
The best bar in North America doesn’t even sound like it would be a bar.
New York City’s Double Chicken Please was just bestowed that honor by the 50 Best organization on Thursday evening. Led by GN Chan and Faye Chen, the Lower East Side cocktail spot serves up libations inspired by culinary delights, like Cold Pizza (Don Fulano Blanco, Parmigiano Reggiano, burnt toast, tomato, basil, honey, egg white) and Waldorf Salad (Dewar’s 15-year, Laphroaig 10-year, apple, celery, ginger ale, walnut bitters). Last year, Double Chicken Please came in at No. 17 on the North American list, and at No. 6 on the list of best bars in the world.
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“We commend Double Chicken Please and its visionary founders, GN Chan and Faye Chen, for reaching the peak of cocktail excellence on the North American continent,” Mark Sansom, the director of content for 50 Best, said in a statement. “Double Chicken Please is truly pushing the boundaries of flavor in cocktails and doing so with staggering creativity and precision, not to mention a wonderful sense of humor, humility, and always flawless hospitality.”
In total, the United States saw 28 bars make the grade, with 12 of those being in New York City. Mexico had 14 bars appear on the list, with Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy (No. 2) nabbing the country’s highest ranking. Canada has seven of the 50 best bars, with Toronto’s Civil Liberties topping out at No. 12, and the Caribbean has just one bar on the list: Puerto Rico’s La Factoría.
Last year’s No. 1 winner, N.Y.C.’s Attaboy, fell to the thirteenth spot in the ranking, making room for other bars to move up the list. Notably, Overstory climbed the highest, moving from No. 27 last year to No. 7 this year. The U.S. also saw a number of first-timers break into the top 50: New York’s Martiny’s (No. 29) and Milady’s (No. 50), Chicago’s Milk Room (No. 38), San Francisco’s Pacific Cocktail Haven (No. 28), Phoenix’s Platform 18 (No. 48), San Diego’s Youngblood (No. 49), Washington, D.C.’s Allegory (No. 45), and Denver’s Yacht Club (No. 42).
Thankfully, all of the winners know exactly where to celebrate over a delicious cocktail.
The full list of North America’s 50 Best Bars is below.
Double Chicken Please, New York City
Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
Katana Kitten, New York City
Licorería Limantour, Mexico City
Jewel of the South, New Orleans
Dante, New York City
Overstory, New York City
Kumiko, Chicago
Café La Trova, Miami
Thunderbolt, Los Angeles
Zapote Bar, Playa del Carmen
Civil Liberties, Toronto
Attaboy, New York City
Employees Only, New York City
Bar Pompette, Toronto
Baltra Bar, Mexico City
Rayo, Mexico City
Mace, New York City
Botanist Bar, Vancouver
Hanky Panky, Mexico City
El Gallo Altanero, Guadalajara
Sabina Sabe, Oaxaca
Arca, Tulum
La Factoría, San Juan
Café de Nadie, Mexico City
Kaito del Valle, Mexico City
Herbs & Rye, Las Vegas
Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco
Martiny’s, New York City
Death & Co (Los Angeles), Los Angeles
Selva, Oaxaca
Atwater Cocktail Club, Montreal
Service Bar, Washington, D.C.
Sweet Liberty, Miami
Cloakroom, Montreal
Cure, New Orleans
Mother, Toronto
Milk Room, Chicago
Maison Premiere, New York City
Aruba Day Drink, Tijuana
Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu
Yacht Club, Denver
Bar Mordecai, Toronto
The Dead Rabbit, New York City
Allegory, Washington, D.C.
Clover Club, New York City
Brujas, Mexico City
Platform 18, Phoenix
Youngblood, San Diego
Milady’s, New York City
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