North America's 50 Best Bars 2026

The best North American bars under one roof in Vancouver

New York's Sip & Guzzle was crowned The Best Bar in North America and The Best Bar in Northeast USA in tonight's North America's 50 Best Bars awards ceremony held in Vancouver.

The bar is actually split into different sections, one for sips and one for guzzles; sips are refined, creative cocktails, while guzzles are favourite comfort drinks. 

NYC's Sip & Guzzle took top spot

The No. 2 bar was Mexico City's Bar Mauro, and making its first entry on the list at a stunning No. 3 was New York's Bar Snack, and following close behind was Schmuck at No. 4, another new bar on the list.

How is this possible, two New York bars that were not on the list last year suddenly in the top four?

Meanwhile The Keefer Bar located in Vancouver's Chinatown jumped 21 spots to No. 7, quite remarkable considering owners Keenan Hood and Amber Bruce said later that they were just continuing to do what they have been doing for the past 16 years.

The bar is best known for using ingredients from Chinese herbalist stores in Chinatown and working them into a narrative of an apothecary featuring drinks with intriguing flavours and stories.

Other Vancouver bars on the list were The Keefer Bar's sister June on Cambie at No. 17 -- another new entry, Prophecy in the Hotel Georgia at No. 32, and Botanist Bar at No. 38.

Toronto's Library Bar was another new entry at No. 19, serving drinks inspired by author Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of The Lion, which describes how "Hog Town" became modern.

On the list there were 28 bars from the United States, 11 from Mexico, eight from Canada, and three from the Caribbean. There were a whopping 15 new entries on the list. 

The Keefer Bar impressed at No. 7

Right after the event, owners of The Keefer Bar and Sip & Guzzle were invited to speak to the media; the hosts asked what their strategy was going forward now that they were No. 7 and No. 1 respectively. 

Bruce of The Keefer Bar explained that the news was still sinking in, while Schneider of Sip & Guzzle said they would just continue to give the best drinks to their customers. What more can they say?  

It was awkward having the hosts asking all the questions instead of just leaving it to the media to ask... 

Nevertheless, it was a pretty decent awards ceremony with a lot of energy in the room. The event gives the bars an opportunity to gather, celebrate each other and the industry, which for them is their calling, or passion that they enjoy doing, whether it be concocting new drinks, or executing them with finesse, or sating guests' appetites for drinks to imbibe.