Two Vancouver Bars Remain in the Top 50 at the North America’s 50 Best Bars List

North America’s 50 Best Bars were announced right here in Vancouver at the JW Marriott last night—the fourth edition of the list intended to highlight the very best cocktail spots in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

While we would argue that Vancouver has dozens of world-class bars ready to whip you up an inventive, boozy drink (or a creative mocktail, if that’s your jam), the judges for the list named just two Vancouver spots to 2025’s top 50 list.

The Keefer Bar rolled in at #28, while Botanist ranked slightly higher at #26. Both are returning names to the list, which also featured plenty of spots from Toronto, Montreal, New York and Mexico City (but weirdly, not Flin Flon, Manitoba).

A few Vancouver bars were also named as runners’ up, noted on the list of the 51 to 100 Best Bars in North America which was released a few days prior to the Top 50 awards: Prophecy is #53 this year, Laowai is #67 and Meo snuck in at #92.

The awards were a lively affair, with plenty of cocktails flowing (shocker). The bartending community is likely little hungover today: though the bars were closed during the actual awards presentation itself, our intrepid reporters in the crowd spotted some guests holding their own shakers or passing around a bottle of tequila. (Bartenders gotta bartend, we get it.)

Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy took home this year’s #1 spot on this list, but the globally renowned room should watch its back. There’s no doubt our home mixology community is going to be gunning for more representation in 2026. We’ll be here to volunteer to taste test along the way.

If you’re hankering for some more food-and-drink industry accolades, good news: Monday is the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards and we’ve got a handful of tickets left. Come rub elbows with the very best in the Vancouver restaurant scene (and if you bring your own tequila bottle, please don’t tell us).