Who doesn't love a list in this era of the internet? The 2019 ceremony for Asia's 50 Best Bars took place in Singapore last night, ranking the region's cocktail hotshots from one to 50. While Hong Kong's The Old Man took the crown as Asia's Best Bar at the top of the list, as in years past, Shanghai's bars made the biggest splash for the Mainland (though shout out to Guangzhou's Hope & Sesame at number 35).
The fourth edition of the annual list gave Shanghai bar star Shingo Gokan a small mountain of honours. Gokan's most well-known spot
Speak Low came in number seven this year, a small drop from its rank at number three in 2018. The Fuxing Zhong Lu speakeasy is currently the only Shanghai bar represented on the World's 50 Best Bars list. Previously ranked 14th, his multi-concept space
Sober Company on Yandang Lu clocked in at number 16. Gokan himself nabbed the distinction of being named the 2019 Bartender's Bartender, a peer-voted award, and his Tokyo bar The SG Club, which opened only this past summer, also made an appearance on the list at number 13 – just one below the winner of the highest new entry recognition (Hong Kong's Coa). You go, Gokan.
Shanghai was also repped by
Union Trading Company. The top-shelf neighbourhood spot from Yao Lu has consistently appeared on the list (last year at number 28) and was named number 30 for 2019.
