The World's 50 Best Bars, by the Numbers

"Earlier this week, the 50 Best organization announced its list of the top bars around the world. If you're familiar with the 50 Best Industrial Complex (kidding, but also, it's a lot: one for each continent , for restaurants , for hotels...), by now, you know the deal. The organization taps 800 experts including bartenders, drinks writers and others in the cocktail industry to anonymously vote on their eight "best bar experiences of the previous 18 months.""

"Any organization that dares to make such a definitive list will have its detractors. While covering the restaurant counterpart, Alan Sytsma wrote in Grub Street : "In the beginning, the list was intended to be something of an antidote to Michelin's staid system of stars, but over its two decades of existence, it's begun to feel as predictable and exclusionary as the tire guide it was meant to replace." Others have criticized 50 Best for sexism and for treating the accolades like a " popularity contest .""

The 50 Best organization collects anonymous votes from 800 industry experts, including bartenders and drinks writers, who each select eight best bar experiences from the previous 18 months. Critics contend the list can feel predictable and exclusionary and has faced accusations of sexism and functioning as a popularity contest. Geographic analysis shows Europe is most represented with 23 bars; the U.S. and U.K. each have five bars. New entries this year included Albania, China, Slovakia, and Sweden. New York City leads cities with four bars; Paris and Tokyo have three each. The ceremony took place in Hong Kong, home to Bar Leone at No. 1.

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