Asia's best bar is in Singapore.
Speakeasy 28 HongKong Street has clinched the top spot in the inaugural Asia's 50 Best Bars Awards announced on Thursday.
Eight other bars here also made it to the list. Along with Hong Kong, Singapore has the most number of bars on the list.
The list is published by London- based Drinks International magazine, which is behind the esteemed World's 50 Best Bars Awards that takes place annually in October.
Three other bars here made it to the top 10 - Regent Singapore's Manhattan Bar (No. 5); Operation Dagger at Ann Siang Hill (No. 7); and Jigger & Pony at Amoy Street (No. 8).
Other Singapore bars that made it to the top 50 are Tippling Club (No. 12) at Tanjong Pagar Road, D.Bespoke (No. 13) and Gibson Cocktail Bar (No. 22) at Bukit Pasoh Road, Anti:dote (No. 43) at the Fairmont Singapore and Sugarhall (No. 48) at Amoy Street.
The bars on the list come from 12 cities in 10 countries and include restaurant bars, speakeasies, hotel bars and tiki-themed venues. More than 150 industry experts from Asia cast their votes.
On 28 HongKong Street's win, Mr Hamish Smith, editor of Drinks International, said that drinks there are "renowned for their clean, fresh, flavour-focused approach".
The bar, which opened in 2011, is helmed by head bartender Logan Demmy, an American. Since 2012, it has consistently been on the World's 50 Best Bars list, and was named Best International Cocktail Bar at the New Orleans-based Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in 2014, considered the Oscars of the global cocktail scene .
The bar's creative director Joe Alessandroni, 36, tells The Straits Times it is surprised but honoured.
"Many of the original crew have moved on to other positions within the organisation and it is really great that the new generation has a chance to shine.
"As thankful as we are for awards such as this, we feel a great responsibility to live up to the reputation of being named best bar in Asia.
Eight bars from Japan also made the list, which aims to be the definitive list of the region's leading bars.
• For the full list, go to worlds50bestbars.com/asia
