When author Pedro Reyes first started covering drinks stories in Mexico City, there were only a handful of bars capable of crafting culture-changing cocktails in a city that was unaware it wanted them. ‘Mexicans aren’t that interested in design cocktails, we are all about drinking in cantinas or long “sobremesas”… drinking inside a cocktail bar is not our kind of drinking. This has changed in the past five to seven years.’
He’s not wrong: the reigning best bar in the world, as named by World’s 50 Best Bars, is Handshake Speakeasy, a dual-concept speakeasy-style bar in CDMX’s Colonia Juárez. ‘From that day everything exploded,’ explains team member Ody Cruz of the win. ‘Emails; social media; people coming straight to the bar early to make reservations; interviews etc. We are working hard to continue taking care, more than ever, of every detail.’
Alongside the likes of Hanky Panky and Licoreria Limantour, bars on lists like this have put Mexico City cocktails on the international map in recent years. And now, alumni of these bars and bartenders from further afield are wanting a slice of the pie.
One man whose name is synonymous with the city’s growing mixology prowess is Walter Meyenberg. With eight ventures to his name (and counting), including two with London’s husband-and-wife hospitality powerhouses Alex and Maura Lawrence Milia, who set up shop with Outline in 2024, he’s watched the evolution from the front line. ‘It was more than 20 years ago when we opened the first mezcal bar in the city,’ he explains. ‘The bar scene was nothing compared to nowadays; even the Roma neighbourhood was only coffee shops and a couple of places.’
So, why the gear change? Reyes puts it down to several factors: Mexico hype (cinema, restaurants like Pujol and Quintonil, and the post-pandemic influx to Mexico). He also attributes it to Mexico’s style of hospitality: ‘It’s top notch. It’s always been like that.’ Meyenberg agrees: ‘The moment everyone realised our produce, quality and hospitality, people went crazy.’ Meyenberg has also been a huge champion of putting more women behind the bar – it was notable how many of the bars I frequented on my visits were majority staffed by women.
Handshake Speakeasy’s win encapsulates all of these factors, especially that of their exceptional hospitality (which I’ve been lucky to experience firsthand). Cruz describes it as ‘a fancy-but-fun bar that breaks the silence and pretension with the staff having fun.’ The fun is rooted in the staff’s versatility. ‘We are 30 bartenders who know how to play every position at the bar,’ she explains. ‘Everyone could be barback, everyone could be behind the bar, everyone could be host… This way we all play as a unit and not as individuals.’
A slew of first-time new openings from some of the local industry’s first generation will undoubtedly only swell the wave that Mexico City seems to be riding right now. From Form + Matter (Foma) run by ex-Handshake’s David Rocha and Jose Olivas, to Bar Mauro helmed by Licoreria alumni Ricardo Nava and Eduardo Nava Mendoza, the city continues to establish itself as one of the most exciting places to be for cocktail lovers.
Eight of the best cocktail bars in Mexico City
Tlecan
The most surprising and transcendent bar I’ve visited for some time, Tlecan – in the artistic district of Roma Norte – is a mezcaleria that truly celebrates the drinks making history of Mexico. Eschewing a back bar, its talented team serves artisanal mezcals and other agave spirits, as well as traditional drinks transformed into classic cocktail formats (like the Pulque Colada and Tascalate Sour). Its Aztec tomb-like interiors will also make you feel a world (and a good few centuries) away from daily life.
Handshake Speakeasy
Officially purveyor of the best Mexico City cocktails, Handshake Speakeasy was recently named 2024’s best bar in the world by World’s 50 Best Bars. Having experienced both its upstairs speakeasy-style and buzzy basement bars, I can see why. Upstairs, cocktails are prepared and served with fine-dining precision, often in unison, with exquisite garnishes and ingredients that have often undergone hours of prep behind the scenes. Downstairs, there is a sense of fun, with a lively brigade of bartenders bringing the energy (and sometimes games) to their guests. The Mexi-Thai takes Tom Yum soup as its inspiration and is a must-order.
Outline
When two of London’s brightest cocktails stars – husband-and-wife team Alex and Maura Lawrence Milia – joined forces with Walter Meyenberg in 2024 to form bar group MWA, their first opening was always going to be ambitious. Enter Outline, a two-story behemoth of a bar where you’ll find 30 cocktails on tap and a rooftop with an open kitchen. Cocktails span the boozy scale and fuse Mexican produce with more international flavours. The Banana and Cocoa is a showcase of what its two hero ingredients should really taste like.
Licoreria Limantour
One of CDMX’s pioneering bars, Licoria Limantour has been quenching the thirst of Roma Norte’s cocktail crowd since 2011. Head bartender Jose Luis Leon and his team don’t shy away from unusual ingredients (green chorizo and cheese spring to mind) but can also turn out the classics with fantastic aplomb. The Mr Pink is a popular choice – a rosemary and gin twist on a Paloma – as is the Margarita Pastor with taco mix. My favourite seat is on the end of the bar at the front of the venue. From here, you have unrivalled views of the bartenders at work (and the baying crowd), who only get more animated as the evening goes on.
View this post on Instagram
Brujas
Step down into Brujas and you feel like you’re entering a sacred realm. Meaning ‘House of Witches’, this bar, run solely by women, is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to storytelling – its ever-changing menus often depicting the tales of women throughout history. It is said that a local shaman by the name of Pachita once lived in the house – but now its talented bartenders use local herbs and ingredients from the city’s markets to charm their guests. Expect theatrics and daring garnishes: flames, insects and more.
View this post on Instagram
Hanky Panky
Hidden behind a taco store, Hanky Panky has become one of Mexico City’s brightest lights when it comes to slick but cheeky vibes in neon and red leather hues. With the brilliant Gina Barbachano at the helm behind the long and usually fully occupied bar, the cocktails are a celebration of global flavours and take inspiration from countries and places that are home to its international bartending family. From Turkey to Peru, expect to be taken on a flavour journey around the world alongside a side serving of fun, top-tier Mexican hospitality.
View this post on Instagram
Fifty Mils
Chesterfield sofas might not scream ‘Mexico’ but this bar inside the Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City is the perfect spot to watch pedigree bartenders showcase some of the country’s most-loved flavours and ingredients. The Mexican Roots section of the menu features agave spirits like bacanora, Mexican spice bitters and pulque; while classics and forgotten cocktails from Martinis to Paper Planes are done with five-star calibre. A hotel bar that lives up to expectations.
View this post on Instagram
Rayo
The garnish game at Rayo alone is worth a visit. Blue yuzu air, fake esquite, candy and mole, beef rind – every single one of their 10 ‘Mexico through the senses’ cocktails comes with a seriously considered but fun flourish. In fact, most of the cocktails on Rayo’s extensive menu come with an element of surprise, be in an ingredient, format or twist on a classic. Sit at the small but perfectly formed bar to chat to the team or enjoy the weather in the outside space. The bar sits at the top of a beautiful building – the lift ride alone is a step back in time.
