The 50 finest bars across the globe in 2016

London's cocktail scene faces a setback this Friday as the city loses its title as the world’s cocktail capital.

After four years of reign by London's Artesian, New York’s Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog emerged as the world’s top bar during a prestigious awards event in London.

“It’s like training for an Olympic gold and then claiming it,” says Sean Muldoon, co-owner of Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog.

“We take every detail seriously, striving for excellence… we’ve tried many times before, but it’s great to finally win.”

For years, the Manhattan bar has closely followed Artesian, securing second place in 2014 and 2015.

This year, Artesian didn't even make it into the top 50, as ranked by Drinks International magazine, allowing Dead Rabbit to claim the top spot.

What led to Artesian’s decline?

“Last year, two of the head bartenders who had been key to the success of Artesian — creating the concept, the menu, the ethos — quit immediately after winning for the fourth time. They were followed by another nine bartenders, leaving the world’s best bar without a team,” explains Hamish Smith, editor of World’s 50 Best Bars.

“In this industry, it’s all about the people, not just the space. To make it to the world’s 50 best bars, you need to run a tight operation and maintain absolute control over everything.”

London and New York have long competed fiercely for the title of cocktail bar capital, often dominating the top five spots year after year.

The 2016 top 50 bars span 27 cities across 20 countries, with selections made by 450 industry leaders from the global drinks scene.

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European bars continue to hold strong influence.

While London may no longer hold the crown as cocktail capital, it still boasts nine bars in the top 50, more than any other city. This includes the Connaught Bar, Dandelyan, and Happiness Forgets, all featured in the top 10.

Europe maintains its stronghold on the esteemed list, with 11 countries from the continent making up nearly half of the top 50 winners.

This year, drinking establishments from the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, Cyprus, Sweden, Italy, and Spain received well-deserved recognition.

The Gibson, a London-based bar, takes the title of world’s best new bar, debuting at sixth place on the list.

The United States boasts strong representation with 14 bars spread across Miami, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

New world champion Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog leads a group of seven other New York City bars that made the list, including top 10 entries Attaboy, Employees Only, and NoMad Bar.

Asia's bar scene continues to gain momentum with seven winners this year, an increase from last year’s five.

Singapore’s Manhattan Bar and 28 Hong Kong Street earned top spots for the region, securing 11th and 14th place, respectively. Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, which has two winners, also made appearances.

Australia is represented by three bars, all located in Melbourne and Sydney.

Buenos Aires' Floreria Atlantico stands as the sole South American representative, securing the 49th spot on the global ranking of best bars.

Here’s the complete list of the 2016 world’s 50 best bars. For more insights into the top 20, be sure to check out the gallery above.

The world’s 50 best bars

1. The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog, New York

2. American Bar, London

3. Dandelyan, London

4. Connaught Bar, London

5. Attaboy, New York

6. The Gibson, London

7. Employees Only, New York

8. NoMad Bar, New York

9. The Clumsies, Athens

10. Happiness Forgets, London

11. Manhattan, Singapore

12. The Baxter Inn, Sydney

13. Licoreria Limantour, Mexico City

14. 28 Hongkong Street, Singapore

15. Speak Low, Shanghai

16. The Broken Shaker, Miami

17. Candelaria, Paris

18. Tales & Spirits, Amsterdam

19. Nightjar, London

20. Maison Premiere, New York

21. Operation Dagger, Singapore

22. Black Pearl, Melbourne

23. High Five, Tokyo

24. Little Red Door, Paris

25. Linje Tio, Stockholm

26. Central Station, Beirut

27. Lobster Bar, Hong Kong

28. Mace, New York

29. Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco

30. Bar Termini, London

31. La Factoria, Old San Juan

32. Oriole, London

33. The Jerry Thomas Project, Rome

34. Dante, New York

35. Trick Dog, San Francisco

36. ABV, San Francisco

37. The Walker Inn, Los Angeles

38. Nottingham Forest, Milan

39. Aviary, Chicago

40. Baba au Rum, Athens

41. Quinary, Hong Kong

42. Himkok, Oslo

43. Lost & Found, Nicosia

44. Ruby, Copenhagen

45. PDT, New York

46. Bulletin Place, Sydney

47. Bramble, Edinburgh

48. Callooh Callay, London

49. Floreria Atlantico, Buenos Aires

50. Buck & Breck, Berlin