Calendar: Vancouver x 50 Best Bars
Vancouver is about to go full tilt behind the bar. North America’s 50 Best Barsreturns to the city from April 21 to 23, 2026, with the live awards ceremony set for Wednesday, April 22 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. This is the week where the continent’s best bartenders, bar owners, brand ambassadors, and drinks obsessives (that’s us) all land in our city at once, which means the official ceremony is only part of the story.
What follows is a hectic and brilliant week of non-stop action that we are itching to build our calendar around. Guest features and collabs from some of the hottest bars in Mexico City, NYC, Montreal, Toronto and hospitality hotspots across the country will be further elevating our already Here is the list, for your gourmand convenience.
Participating Bars
AMA BAR
Bagheera
Botanist
Chickadee Room
Chupito
COMO TAPERIA
ELLIPSIS
L’Abattoir
Lobby Lounge (Fairmont Pac RIm)
Keefer Bar
GOOD THIEF
Laowai
MEO
MOtt 32
NOMO NOMO
Reflections
Sunday, April 19
Chickadee Room: Meadowlark x Monkey Thief
The week starts the right way at The Chickadee Room, where Meadowlark from Chicago and Monkey Thief from New York take over to kick things off. This feels like a proper opening statement: two bars with very different personalities, both known for thoughtful cocktails, both landing in Chinatown on the same night. Reservations are live, which tells you everything you need to know about demand.
Chupito: Casa México opens (Handshake speakeasy, ahorita)
Chupito’s Casa México takeover begins on April 19 and runs through April 22, and this is one of the week’s essential anchors. The lineup is enormous: Handshake Bar , Licorería Limantour, Bar Mauro, Bijou Drinkery, Ahorita Cantina, Despacho, FORM+MATTER, Less is More, plus Slice of Life from Toronto and Bar Supernova from Vancouver, all folded into seminars, aperitivo hours, and nightly guest shifts. On opening day, expect a Handshake Speakeasy seminar, $10 martinis and oysters during aperitivo, then a nighttime shift with Chupito x Handshake x Ahorita.
AMA Bar: The Nightcap by the Canadylans
From 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., AMA hosts “The Nightcap by the Canadylans,” with three Canadian Dylans all behind the bar at once. It sounds exactly like the sort of slightly chaotic, very bartending-community-coded late-night sendoff that 50 Best week deserves, and the kind of event where the fun is as much about who is in the room as what is in the glass.
Good Thief: Le Mal Nécessaire guest shift
Also on April 19, Good Thief launches its West by North West series with Le Mal Nécessaire from Montreal from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. The bar has built a national reputation for sultry energy and transportive cocktails, which makes it a very good fit for a Main Street room that already knows how to host with swagger.
Reflections / Hotel Georgia: Zapote Bar x The Manor Bar begins
From April 18 to 21, the Rosewood Hotel Georgia is running an exclusive collaboration series featuring Zapote Bar from Rosewood Mayakoba and The Manor Bar from Rosewood Miramar Beach, split between The Georgia Bar and Reflections. It is a polished, hotel-luxury take on 50 Best week programming, but with enough pedigree behind the guest bars to make it more than just a pretty backdrop.
Monday, April 20
Chupito: Casa México Day Two (SLICE OF LIFE,
Monday keeps the momentum going with a Tequila Arette seminar, an aperitivo hour from Slice of Life with food by Antylia, and a night shift featuring Chupito x Licorería Limantour x Despacho. There is a very real chance this ends up being one of the sleeper-best nights of the week, especially for anyone who likes the idea of world-class tequila and one of Mexico City’s most influential bars showing up with something to prove.
Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions: 50 Best Signature Sessions
From 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., MPV hosts 50 Best Signature Sessions, a one-off guest shift featuring Service Bar, Kaito del Valle, and Bon Vivants. It is presented by 50 Best itself, which already makes it feel official, but the bigger draw is the mix of bars: Washington, Mexico City, and Nassau all in one room, all likely bringing very different ideas about hospitality and flavour.
MEO / Bao Bei / Pizza Coming Soon: Multi-venue St-Germain takeover
At 9 p.m. on April 20, guest bartenders from some of North America’s most recognized bars take over MEO, Bao Bei, and Pizza Coming Soon for a one-night, industry-only cross-venue crawl. Entry comes via a pre-event social contest tied to ordering a Hugo Spritz at one of the three venues, which gives this one the feel of a bit of a scavenger hunt before the actual party starts.
Chickadee Room: Shelter guest shift
Also on Monday, Chickadee welcomes SHELTER from Calgary for a guest shift as part of the 50 Best week buildup. SHELTER has built a strong reputation for cocktails shaped around scent pairings and aromatic detail, so this one feels especially well matched to a room like Chickadee, where atmosphere matters almost as much as what is in the glass.
Good Thief: Paper Lantern guest shift
Night two of Good Thief’s West by North West series welcomes Calgary’s Paper Lantern on April 20 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. The promise here is Vietnamese tiki energy, bold flavours, and one of those menus that feels like it could only make sense during a week when half the country’s bar talent is in one city at once.
Ellipsis x Thunderbolt (LA)
On Monday, April 20 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Ellipsis hosts Tom Liu of Thunderbolt LA, the bar ranked No. 24 in North America’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and recognized as Most Sustainable Bar in North America. Thunderbolt is known for exacting, tech-forward cocktails, so the promise of a Pan-Pacific inspired menu in Ellipsis’ restrained, design-led space feels especially compelling.
Como Taperia x Sora 45
Also on April 20, Como Taperia welcomes Montreal’s Sora 45 for an extended Happy Hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with both teams designing special cocktails together. Add in free tapas at the bar, 35% off all bottles, vermut and fino on tap, and this starts to look like one of the smartest early-evening plays of the week.
L’Abattoir: Fords Negroni Session
From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 20, L’Abattoir hands the room over for a high-energy Fords Negroni Session featuring a serious cast of global talent, including names from Panda & Sons, Atwater Cocktail Club, Allegory, Slice of Life, Bar Hacienda, and Pearl Bar, alongside Alexa Gervais and the home team. This one is industry by invitation, which feels fitting for a night built around one of the most bartending-community-coded drinks in the world.
Tuesday, April 21
Laowai: Archive, Myth, and Winglei Bar Kickoff
At 1 p.m., Laowai hosts Jack Sotti of Archive and Myth alongside Mark Macau of Winglei Bar for an afternoon kickoff built around Suntory Global Spirits products. The event is open to industry, media, and the general public, which makes it one of the more accessible ways to step into the week without needing an insider wristband.
Bagheera: Ruby x Ceiba x Stone and Soil
Before the late-night action begins, Bagheera gets the week rolling on Tuesday, April 21 starting at 3 p.m. with an afternoon guest shift featuring Ruby (Copenhagen), Ceiba (Orlando), and Stone and Soil (New York), in partnership with Altamura Distilleries. Unlike some of the week’s more locked-down industry events, this one is open to everyone, which makes it a rare chance for both hospitality folks and regular guests to step into 50 Best week energy without needing a special wristband or invite.
Bagheera: Tokyo Confidential x Shinji’s x Bulgari Bar Dubai
Later that night, Bagheera hosts one of the week’s sharpest late-night cards: Holly Graham of Tokyo Confidential, Jon Serves Drinks of Shinji’s, Leo Zanza of Bulgari Bar Dubai, and Vancouver’s own Felix Cartal. This one is for hospitality industry and media only, with verification required at the door, and that exclusivity only adds to the charge around it. Wristband holders enter at 10 p.m., with general doors at 10:30 p.m. for those who qualify.
Chupito: Casa México Day Three
Tuesday at Chupito features a FORM+MATTER seminar, another round of $10 martinis and oysters, and then a bigger collaborative night with FORM+MATTER x Less is More x Bijou Drinkery x Chupito. If the opening nights are about star power, this one feels more like a proper meeting of ideas, which usually makes for the most memorable drinks.
AMA Bar: East Coast Comes West
AMA goes bigger on April 21 from 8 p.m. to late, with Cloakroom, Sora 45, and Angel’s Share taking over the room on the eve of the ceremony. It is a great mix of bars with very different sensibilities, and the timing could not be better: exactly the sort of event where the city starts to feel like it has genuinely filled up with visiting talent.
Good Thief: Bar Banane guest shift
Night three of West by North West brings in Toronto’s Bar Banane on April 21 from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Ranked No. 23 on Canada’s 100 Best Bars 2025, Bar Banane is the sort of room that balances polish and ease beautifully, which makes it a smart match for Good Thief’s own energy.
Lobby Lounge & RawBar: Library Bar x Mother
At the Lobby Lounge & RawBar inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim, April 21 belongs to Toronto’s Library Bar and Mother, with the room framing the evening as a celebration of Canada’s dynamic cocktail scene. It is an elegant pairing in a room that already thrives on music, glamour, and people lingering longer than they planned.
Botanist Bar: Zest Seoul
Also on April 21 from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., Botanist Bar hosts Zest Seoul, currently ranked No. 2 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars and No. 16 on World’s 50 Best Bars. Botanist’s polished, nature-leaning aesthetic and Zest’s “sustainable fine drinking” ethos feel like a natural meeting point, especially with exclusive bar bites from Chef Hector Laguna in play.
L’Abattoir: Clemente Bar
On April 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., L’Abattoir welcomes Jay Reingold and Wilmer Reyes from Clemente Bar, the art-driven cocktail destination above Eleven Madison Park. It is walk-ins only, which means this one will almost certainly reward the punctual.
Mount Pleasant Vintage: Discover Canada
On April 21 from 10 p.m. until late, Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions is throwing one of the week’s strongest all-Canadian showcases with Discover Canada, a cross-country cocktail night featuring Bar Bello (Montreal), Humboldt Bar (Victoria), The Raven Room (Whistler), Proof (Calgary), Suite 115 (Toronto), Hux Bar & Bistro (Halifax), alongside the Mount Pleasant Vintage team. Presented by Bearface Whisky, the night reads like a coast-to-coast bar crawl compressed into one room, with seven homegrown bars bringing their own styles, city energy, and hospitality under one roof.
Wednesday, April 22
🏆 North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026 Awards Ceremony
This is the big one. The live reveal of North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026 takes place at the Vancouver Convention Centre on Wednesday, April 22, with the continent’s rankings unveiled in front of the industry in real time. If last year proved Vancouver could host this thing with style, this year feels like the moment the city gets to do it with a little swagger too.
Botanist Bar: Clemente Bar pre-awards opening pour
From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Botanist hosts Clemente Bar for a pre-awards warm-up branded as The Opening Pour. It is a very smart bit of scheduling: polished New York cocktails, early enough to make the ceremony, and walk-ins welcome.
Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions: Morning Disco Brunch
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., MPV offers one of the smartest resets of the week: a daytime brunch-and-dance situation with Hanky Panky, COTE Miami, and Morning Disco. The promise here is exactly what people need in the middle of awards week: disco, dancing, brunch features, and a way back to life before the next late night begins.
Chickadee Room: Long Story Short x Taco Tasting Room
Chickadee’s reunion with Long Story Short from Mexico City looks like one of the warmest events of the week. This time the team is joined by Taco Tasting Room, with Chef Pepe creating a special food menu for both brunch and evening service, while Ramón, Poncho, Ximena, and Javier handle the drinks. That combination of one of Mexico City’s best bars and a food menu built specifically for the day gives this one real all-day appeal.
Chupito: Casa México Finale + After Party (BAR MAURO, HANDSHAKE SPEAKEASY, LIMANTOUR, DESPACHO, FORM+MATTER)
Wednesday is Chupito’s closing sprint: a Supernova seminar, an aperitivo hour with Bar Mauro x Chupito, and then the official Casa México After Party. The after party starts at 8 p.m. at Supernova, then from 11 p.m. onward rotates through Handshake, Limantour, Despacho, FORM+MATTER, Bar Mauro, and Chupito. For sheer density of bar talent in one night, this is about as serious as it gets.
Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions: Sweet Liberty Takeover
From 10 p.m. until late, MPV pivots hard into one of the week’s most exuberant closers with Sweet Liberty and a live performance by Les Greene and The Swayzees. This one reads less like a guest shift and more like a full-on party, which is exactly what the post-ceremony crowd is going to want.
NOMO x UH Bar Vol. 2
On April 22, NOMO NOMO runs it back with UH BAR for round two of their collaboration, this time on the West Coast. The promise is cocktails, snacks, j-rap and city pop, and a room that probably gets louder and looser as the night goes on; OpenTable also lists it as a prepaid experience at CA$88 per person, including two welcome cocktails and curated bites.
Laowai: Freni e Frizioni x Drink Kong
Also on April 22, Laowai hosts its final guest shift of the week, with Riccardo Smith of Freni e Frizioni and Patrick Pistolesi of Drink Kong behind the bar. Positioned as an afterparty-level event and restricted to hospitality industry and media only, it brings a very Roman kind of cool to the final stretch of awards night.
Laowai: Freni e Frizioni x Drink Kong
Also on April 22, Laowai hosts its final guest shift of the week, with Riccardo Smith of Freni e Frizioni and Patrick Pistolesi of Drink Kong behind the bar. Positioned as an afterparty-level event and restricted to hospitality industry and media only, it brings a very Roman kind of cool to the final stretch of awards night.
Bagheera: Podio Milano unofficial afterparty
Bagheera’s post-ceremony move is Podio Milano, billed as “the most unofficial afterparty of the year,” bringing together Moebius Milano, 1930 Cocktail Bar, and Piano35 Torino. The pitch is pure Northern Italian hospitality, competition, and celebration — which sounds exactly right for the hour when the official stuff has ended and the real stories start.
Lobby Lounge & RawBar: The Caribbean Cocktail Tour
On April 22, the Pacific Rim’s Lobby Lounge & RawBar pivots from Canada to the Caribbean, with guest bartenders from Library by the Sea, Bon Vivants, and La Factoria. If the previous night is about national pride, this one is a sunnier, more transportive counterpoint.
L’Abattoir: Bar Madonna aperitivo
From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Bar Madonna takes over L’Abattoir for an Italian-American aperitivo in collaboration with Amaro Lucano and partner brands. It is a strong pre-ceremony option, especially for anyone wanting something stylish and lower-stakes before the real madness kicks in.
Thursday, April 23
Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions: Closing Party with Bar Fandango, Julep, and Bisou
From 9 p.m. until late, MPV closes the week with a high-energy finale featuring Bar Fandango, Julep, and Bisou, plus food and a live DJ. It feels like the right way to land the plane: not quietly, not politely, but with one more night of drinks, music, and people squeezing the last bit of life out of one of the city’s best hospitality weeks of the year.
