This Vancouver bar was just named among the top 20 in North America

Cheers to one of Vancouver's best places for a cocktail (or two!), joining this year's prestigious ranks of North America's 50 Best Bars.

Announced at a ceremony in Mexico on Thursday night (May 4), among the seven Canadian bars ranked in the awards' second annual installation is Botanist, landing among the top 20 at a respectable 19.

Presented by The World’s 50 Best Bars, "the list recognizes bar excellence across the North American continent and is one of the most coveted in the industry," explain organizers via email. The judging is done by industry experts, who visit bars around the continent anonymously. The judging panels are split into regions and must adhere to strict parameters to cast their confidential votes. 

What makes Botanist a stand-out bar?

When it comes to Vancouver's place on the list, Botanist Bar - the acclaimed cocktail destination at the Fairmont Pacific Rim - is spearheaded by Creative Beverage Director Grant Sceney and Head Bartender Jeff Savage.

Having developed a reputation for celebrating the biodiversity of the Pacific Northwest using a technique-forward approach, the bar is no stranger to accolades. Botanist Bar’s Cocktail Lab pushes the envelope with bartending technology such as a rotary evaporator, centrifuge, and a band saw for size-specific ice sculpting.

The creativity and innovation are apparent on their menu both in flavour and presentation (for instance a cocktail that actually levitates) and Botanist has landed several Best Bar lists since it opened and won the Michelin Exceptional Cocktails award last year.

Last month, Botanist Bar received the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award, given to the bar where the North America's 50 Best Bars judging panel received the single-best hospitality experience across the continent. 

In 2022, Botanist Bar was not among the top 50; the only Vancouver bar on last year's list was The Keefer Bar, which did not appear this year. 

North America's 50 Best Bars of 2023 

Here's a look at how the entire awards list shakes out for this year.

Toronto’s Civil Liberties (No.12) wins the title of The Best Bar in Canada for the second year in a row, while Puerto Rico’s La Factoría, at No.24, retains its title of The Best Bar in the Caribbean. Overall, the USA leads the list with 28 bars, with Mexico fielding 14, Canada boasting seven and the Caribbean celebrating one top bar.  

Other Canadian bars on the esteemed list include: Bar Pompette (No.15), Mother (No.37), and Bar Mordecai (No.43) in Toronto; and Atwater Cocktail Club (No.32), and Cloakroom (No.35) in Montreal. 

Take a look at the full list and play your next cocktail adventure across the continent:

With a file from Allie Turner