shane eaton 5/3/26 shane eaton 5/3/26

Barcelona Cocktail Festival

Giuseppe Gallo and Giacomo Giannotti of BCF

Formerly known as the Paradiso Sustainability Summit, Barcelona Cocktail Festival (BCF) marked its fifth anniversary with a rebrand that felt less like a name change and more like a genuine coming-of-age. Taking place on 18th and 19th April 2026 at Palo Alto in Poblenou, BCF was the brainchild of two people who, between them, seemed to have cornered the market on knowing what the bar world actually needed: Giacomo Giannotti, the Tuscan-born, Barcelona-based bartender behind Paradiso, currently ranked No.4 on The World's 50 Best Bars, and Giuseppe Gallo of ItalSpirits, whose fluency in brand building and hospitality marketing gave the whole enterprise its reach and polish.

Giacomo was, in many ways, the soul of BCF. He moved to Barcelona in 2012, cut his teeth at the Eclipse Bar at the W Hotel and the Ohla under Giuseppe Santamaria, and then in 2015 opened a speakeasy hidden behind a pastrami shop. That bar, Paradiso, went on to be named The World's Best Bar in 2022. Since then, he has opened Galileo, a cocktail bistro, and Monk, a hidden bar in Carrer Abaixadors, and taken the Paradiso name to Dubai and Ibiza. The festival, programmed by Giacomo in collaboration with The Sustainable Restaurant Association, carried the same restless, forward-looking energy as his bars.

The 2026 theme, "FutureProof: Reimagining the Industry for What Comes Next," shaped a genuinely thoughtful programme of talks ranging from the provocative to the practical. Saturday's panels were a particular highlight. The day opened with a conversation about Barcelona's bar scene, moderated by Giacomo himself, with panelists including Cesar Montillas of Dr Stravinsky and Theo Quinn of FOCO. A session on women shaping the industry brought together Antonella Nonino, Margarita Sader of Paradiso, Inés de Los Santos of CoChinChina and Julie Reiner of Milady's. Charlotte Voisey of Tales of the Cocktail then moderated a panel asking "Why the Bar Still Matters?", with Vijay Mudaliar of Native and Fabio Fanni of Locale Firenze among those making the case.

Beyond the panels, the SRA-shaped programme tackled questions rarely heard at drinks events: where cocktail emissions actually originated, what it meant to design with scarcity, whether AI could taste, and what drinking might look like in 2075. Whether or not guests left with answers, they left thinking.

The festival unfolded across the leafy creative hub of Palo Alto, a venue that suited it perfectly. Guests moved between tasting counters, brand showcases and masterclasses, with headline pop-ups from Himkok (Oslo), Native (Singapore), Alquimico (Cartagena), Roda Huset (Stockholm) and Angelita (Madrid), all with service curated by the Paradiso crew.

What Giacomo and Giuseppe built was something the bar world had been quietly asking for: an event that took sustainability and the future of hospitality seriously, opened its doors to consumers and locals without diluting industry value, and put Barcelona right at the centre of the conversation about what comes next.

Antonella Nonino, Inés de Los Santos, Margarita Sader, Julie Reiner

shane eaton 4/28/26 shane eaton 4/28/26

North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026

On 22 April 2026, the Vancouver Convention Centre hosted the live awards ceremony for North America's 50 Best Bars 2026, sponsored by Perrier. Decided by a voting academy of over 300 industry experts, the annual ranking highlights top drinking destinations across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Taking the top honor as The Best Bar in North America was New York City's Sip & Guzzle. This dual-concept venue from Shingo Gokan, Steve Schneider, and Ben Yabrow offers two distinct atmospheres: the refined, Japanese-influenced cocktail experience of "Sip," and the high-energy, casual highball and snack environment of "Guzzle". Overall, the 2026 list featured 28 bars from the U.S., 11 from Mexico, 8 from Canada, and 3 from the Caribbean, introducing 15 new entries.

Meet the Bartenders: The Science of Hospitality

Earlier in the day, the 50 Best team held a "Meet the Bartenders" media gathering at the Reflections Terrace of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. Centered on the theme of "the science of hospitality," journalists engaged in a speed-dating-style series of 12-minute conversations with five standout bar teams. Before discovering their final placements, the bartenders openly discussed the intricacies of invisible service, the psychology behind first impressions, and what elevates a bar from good to truly great.

Bar Snack, New York City — No. 3 and Disaronno Highest New Entry Earning the No. 3 spot and the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award, Bar Snack in New York City is an inviting, 1970s-inspired neighborhood hangout created by Iain Griffiths. Guided by the philosophy of serving "dressed-up classics for dressed-down people," it trades white-jacket formality for a warm atmosphere featuring burnt orange vinyl seating, wood paneling, and a neon-laced bar. The menu champions accessibility without sacrificing craft, offering everything from snaquiris to pitchers of seasonal house daiquiris to well poured Guinness. Bartender Rob Crowe balances bold drinks. Split Ends, a raspberry whiskey sour crowned with a slowly settling pour of Guinness, is both visually striking and surprisingly harmonious on the palate. Food is a major draw here; their legendary Spice Bag, a nod to an Irish late-night staple, arrives in a classic branded paper bag filled with crispy chicken tenders, fries, and sautéed peppers, served alongside curry sauce.

El Gallo Altanero, Guadalajara — No. 10 Located in Guadalajara, El Gallo Altanero is a true sanctuary for agave lovers. Reached by passing through a courtyard and climbing up to a 13-seat balcony bar, the space is decorated with rooster murals and a stunning stained-glass window of an agave plant. Co-founder Freddy Andreasson, who took home the 2026 Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award, and lead bartender Alejandra de Aguinaga have cultivated a warm, community-focused environment that honors Jaliscan heritage. Drawing on an encyclopedic knowledge of agave, the team serves rare bottles from independent producers alongside masterful daily creations like the Jalisco Old Fashioned, ensuring a guest experience where technical precision and local culture genuinely intersect.

Alejandra de Aguinaga and Freddy Andreasson of El Gallo Altanero

La Factoría, Old San Juan — No. 26 and Best Bar in the Caribbean Crowned The Best Bar in the Caribbean, Old San Juan's La Factoría remains a Boricua cultural landmark. Behind its disheveled-chic aesthetic lies an 8-room labyrinth of unique spaces, from the wine-focused Vino to the salsa-heavy Shing A'Ling, each boasting its own distinct theme. The overarching cocktail program, spearheaded by bar manager Carlos Irizarry, pairs tropical elements like the soursop-infused rum in their Guanabana Punch with classic cocktail foundations. Irizarry remains dedicated to ensuring the venue serves its local community just as much as its tourists, explaining: “Are the technologies we are using for cocktails cost effective? Should these sophisticated cocktails be on the menu if the locals can’t drink them? Those are the things we like to think about it to keep that authenticity with the local people of Puerto Rico because in the end, that’s who we are.”

Civil Works, Toronto — No. 29 (New Entry) Debuting at No. 29, Toronto's Civil Works brings grand hotel elegance and art deco grandeur to the mezzanine of the historic 1930s Waterworks building. Co-owner Nick Kennedy, director of operations Andree Moore, and bar manager Elise Hanson have crafted a striking space complete with blue velvet armchairs and a vibrant installation of illuminated globes. The bar's quietly extraordinary reverse-osmosis water program flawlessly recreates regional mineral profiles, like the chalky water of Bardstown or the soft water of Speyside, for highly calibrated spirit pairings. Ensuring approachability across a menu that ranges from cerebral to indulgent, Elise Hanson explains her drink list was designed to appeal to the widest audience possible: "We try to offer something for everyone, from low ABV to no ABV, to the more extravagant."

Press Club, Washington DC — No. 34 (New Entry) Landing at No. 34, Washington DC's Press Club is an elegant lounge whose cheeky name serves as a tribute to both journalism and vinyl culture. Founder Will Patton channels his fine-dining background into a space that marries the meticulous perfectionism of a Tokyo listening bar with the relaxed feel of jamming out in a friend's basement, complete with blond woods, typewriters, and turntables. Lead bartenders Ashtyn Harris and Franklin Sahlhoff present their technique-driven, highly seasonal cocktails on custom-designed record sleeves.