Speakeasy 28 HongKong Street has clinched the top spot in the inaugural Asia’s 50 Best Bars Awards announced on Mar 31.

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.

(Related: Singapore, cocktail capital)

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.

(Related: Classic aperitifs cool again in cocktail mixology revival)

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.

Here are the bars which made the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list:

1. 28 HongKong Street (Singapore)

2. Speak Low (China)

3. High Five (Japan)

4. Lobster Bar & Grill (Hong Kong)

5. Manhattan Bar (Singapore)

6. Quinary (Hong Kong)

7. Operation Dagger (Singapore)

8. Jigger & Pony (Singapore)

9. The Union Trading Co (China)

10. Omakase + Appreciate (Malaysia)

11. Alice (South Korea)

12. Tippling Club (Singapore)

13. D.Bespoke (Singapore)

14. ABV Manila (Philippines)

15. Alchemy Bar (Taiwan)

16. The Curator (Philippines)

17. Vesper Bar (Thailand)

18. Janes & Hooch (China)

19. The Pontiac (Hong Kong)

20. WooTaipei (Taiwan)

21. Benfiddich (Japan)

22. Gibson Cocktail Bar (Singapore)

23. TCRC (Taiwan)

24. Charles H (South Korea)

25. Le Chamber (South Korea)

26. Q&A (Thailand)

27. Teens of Thailand (Thailand)

28. Royal Bar, Palace Hotel (Japan)

29. Honi Honi (Hong Kong)

30. Trench (Japan)

31. Stockton (Hong Kong)

32. Loewy (Indonesia)

33. Star Bar (Japan)

34. Bamboo Bar (Thailand)

35. Union Brasserie, Bakery & Bar (Indonesia)

36. The Bar code name Mixology (Japan)

37. Bar Orchard (Japan)

38. Mixology Laboratory (Japan)

39. Zuma (Hong Kong)

40. Ounce (Taiwan)

41. Maggie Choo’s (Thailand)

42. Constellation 1 (China)

43. Antidote (Singapore)

44. Origin (Hong Kong)

45. The Envoy (Hong Kong)

46. R&D Cocktail Lab (Taiwan)

47. Mahalo Tiki Lounge (Hong Kong)

48. Sugar Hall (Singapore)

49. D.still (South Korea)

50. Hyde & Seek (Thailand)

Adapted from The Straits Times.