Coa, an agave-focused drinking den in Hong Kong, took the top spot for the second consecutive year.
Jay Khan, the bartender-owner of Coa, which took top prize. (Photo courtesy of Coa)
The 2022 list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars has just been announced, counting up the votes from 250 bar industry experts across the continent to create a definitive wish list for Asia-based cocktail aficionados. Organized by William Reed Business Media, the annual awards celebrate the immense talent and innovation found in the regional cocktail landscape, with the seventh edition featuring 14 new entries and 16 different cities.
Hong Kong’s Coa was crowned The Best Bar in Asia for the second year running, and took the award for The Best Bar in Hong Kong. The Mexicana drinking den has made waves in the Asian cocktail world since launching in 2017. Its bartender-owner Jay Khan is an ambassador for all things agave, and the venue stocks an extensive collection of 200 varieties of tequila, mezcal, raicilla, and other Latin American spirits. Coa made its debut on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2019 at No. 12, before climbing to third place in 2020 and topping the rankings last year.
The cozy interior of Jigger & Pony. (Photo courtesy of Jigger & Pony)
Just as in 2021, Singapore’s Jigger & Pony came in second and retained its title of The Best Bar in Singapore. Third place was awarded to Argo in Hong Kong, the highest new entry on the list, while the fourth spot went to another newcomer: Goa’s Tesouro, The Best Bar in India. Bar Benfiddich in Tokyo rounded out the top five, moving up four places from last year and winning the award for The Best Bar in Japan.
Out of the top 10 bars, three are in Singapore: MO Bar, the highest climber with an impressive 37 position leap, came in at No. 8, and Manhattan was ranked ninth. Hong Kong took two spots in the highest echelon, while Tokyo, Taipei (Indulge Experimental Bistro, No. 6), Seoul (Charles H., No. 7), and Bangkok (BKK Social Club, No. 10) all claim one each. The cities with the most bars in the overall top 50 list are Singapore, with 11 in total, and Hong Kong with eight.
Left to right: A single-origin cacao Negroni at Argo; the same venue’s head bartender Yvonne Chan. (Photos courtesy of Argo)
Mark Sansom, Content Editor for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, said in a statement, “We could not be happier that Asia’s 50 Best Bars returns to a live event format this year and that the community can experience much-needed connection and conviviality once again. Asia’s bars have shown remarkable resilience and growth in spite of the challenges of the past two years, and we continue to be proud to celebrate the talent and creativity on display in bars all across Asia.”
The complete list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars for 2022 is as follows:
| Ranking | Name | Location |
| 1 | Coa | Hong Kong |
| 2 | Jigger & Pony | Singapore |
| 3 | Argo [New Entry] | Hong Kong |
| 4 | Tesouro [New Entry] | Colvá (Goa, India) |
| 5 | Bar Benfiddich | Tokyo |
| 6 | Indulge Experimental Bistro | Taipei |
| 7 | Charles H. | Seoul |
| 8 | MO Bar | Singapore |
| 9 | Manhattan | Singapore |
| 10 | BKK Social Club [New Entry] | Bangkok |
| 11 | Sober Company | Shanghai |
| 12 | Republic [New Entry] | Singapore |
| 13 | Darkside | Hong Kong |
| 14 | Sidecar | New Delhi |
| 15 | No Sleep Club | Singapore |
| 16 | Quinary | Hong Kong |
| 17 | Tropic City | Bangkok |
| 18 | Hope & Sesame | Guangzhou |
| 19 | Vesper | Bangkok |
| 20 | Lamp Bar [Re-Entry] | Nara |
| 21 | The SG Club | Tokyo |
| 22 | Penicillin | Hong Kong |
| 23 | Atlas | Singapore |
| 24 | Aha Saloon | Taipei |
| 25 | Bar Trench | Tokyo |
| 26 | Hoots’ [New Entry] | New Delhi |
| 27 | Tippling Club | Singapore |
| 28 | Bar Cham | Seoul |
| 29 | Bar Trigona | Kuala Lumpur |
| 30 | Home [New Entry] | New Delhi |
| 31 | Sago House | Singapore |
| 32 | The Cocktail Club [New Entry] | Jakarta |
| 33 | The Pontiac | Hong Kong |
| 34 | The Wise King | Hong Kong |
| 35 | Junglebird | Kuala Lumpur |
| 36 | Nutmeg & Clove [Re-Entry] | Singapore |
| 37 | Analogue [New Entry] | Singapore |
| 38 | The Aubrey [New Entry] | Hong Kong |
| 39 | Le Chamber | Seoul |
| 40 | Alice | Seoul |
| 41 | Memento Mori [New Entry] | Tokyo |
| 42 | Smoke and Bitters [New Entry] | Hiriketiya (Sri Lanka) |
| 43 | Asia Today [New Entry] | Bangkok |
| 44 | Copitas [New Entry] | Bengaluru |
| 45 | Union Trading Company | Shanghai |
| 46 | The Bamboo Bar | Bangkok |
| 47 | Bee’s Knees | Kyoto |
| 48 | Zest [New Entry] | Seoul |
| 49 | 28 HongKong Street | Singapore |
| 50 | Speak Low | Shanghai |
More information here.
