The world's best bars for 2024 have been announced CNN

A two-level speakeasy in Mexico City's hip Colonia Juarez neighborhood has been declared the best bar in the world. Handshake Speakeasy grabbed headlines last night in Madrid, where a splash awards ceremony was held by the World's 50 Best Association.

That's a huge achievement for a bar that only opened its doors (below) in 2023. Handshake Speakeasy was third on the list last year

Another newcomer came second. Hong Kong's Italian-style bar Leon, which aims to promote the concept of “cocktail popular” or “cocktails for the people”, has been crowned the best bar in Asia.

In third place was last year's number one Barcelona Sips. The 33-seat cocktail spot may be relatively new – it opened in 2021 and won the World's Best title two years later – but it benefits from star power behind the scenes. One of its owners worked for years at the acclaimed Spanish restaurant El Bulli, while another built his resume at the award-winning London bar Artesian.

The rest of the list brought mixologists and bar owners to the party from points as far away as Athens, Tokyo, Sydney and Lima.

The World's 50 Best voters are a mix of industry professionals, including bartenders and food and beverage writers.

The organization describes its annual list as “a snapshot of the opinions and experiences of 700 bar industry experts worldwide” and says there are no specific criteria that judges are asked to consider beyond their personal opinions.

While new names have landed some of the top spots, there are also established bars showing that they still have power.

Singapore's Jigger & Pony has consistently made the top 50 list since opening in 2012. Crowned number 1 in Asia in 2020, the cocktail spot managed to survive the pandemic. Meanwhile, at Tokyo's Bar Benfiditch, drinkers have been lining up to order drinks since 2013 at this small, local-favorite establishment in fashionable Shinjuku. It landed at number 25 this year.

Good news for travelers: Some of this year's standout cocktail spots are located in hotels, making them even easier to visit. Two of London's most acclaimed bars are located in hotels: the Scarface Bar is on the ground floor of the glamorous Rosewood Hotel, while the Connaught Bar is inside the elegant Mayfair Hotel from which it takes its name.

Mimi Kakushi, the only representative on the list from Dubai, is at the luxurious Four Seasons on Jumeirah Road. Named after a classic Japanese hairstyle, it has been ranked among the best bars in the Middle East and Africa this year. Meanwhile, Singapore's Jigger & Pony is located at the Low Key Amar Hotel in the city.

Travelers who want to cross as many award-winning bars off their list as possible may want to head to London or New York City, which each have four bars in the top 50. There are three bars each in Buenos Aires and Mexico City.

The “Bartender's Bartender” award, presented annually to a mixologist by their peers, went to Ian McPherson of Panda & Sons, 30th in Edinburgh.

McPherson, a native of Scotland who makes a type of boozy ice cream called Senor Scoops, was praised by his fellow bartenders as innovative and humorous in his approach.

“Thank you to everyone who voted and rated me for this position. Thank you to all the amazing teams I get to work with, who provide my vision, better than I can,” he wrote in a statement on Instagram.

“Congratulations to everyone else on the list. I also know that it's impossible for everyone mentioned on this list to deserve a spot, so keep up the great work you're doing!”