The SG Club is once again king of Japan¡¯s cocktail empire.

Announced at an Oct. 17 ceremony in Singapore, the list named Shingo Gokan¡¯s retro American-inspired bar not just Japan¡¯s best but also No. 36 in the entire world. While Gokan has been busy in recent years with other projects, such as the waste-free cafe Ash, the ranking is further proof that Gokan is one of the leading names in Japanese cocktail culture.

While it¡¯s no shock that Gokan is back in the driver¡¯s seat of Tokyo¡¯s elite bartending scene, it¡¯s a minor surprise which bar The SG Club managed to edge out by only one spot on the 50 Best list: Ben Fiddich. At No. 37, Hiroyasu Kayama¡¯s alchemical gem has been a usual sight at the top of any ranking through the last several years. In fact, The SG Club had not topped Ben Fiddich in the World¡¯s 50 Best rankings since 2021.

While the top accolade of the evening went to Barcelona¡¯s Sips, Japan¡¯s influence was felt throughout the ceremony held at Singapore¡¯s Pasir Panjang Power Station venue. Outside of the top 50, the SG Club-backed Shibuya bar The Bellwood snagged No. 53 on this year¡¯s list. At No. 79, Ginza¡¯s ice shaving master Hidestugu Ueno and his bar, High Five, rounded out the Japan-based awardees for 2023. Also, while it didn¡¯t manage to snag a coveted spot in the top 100, the Toranomon district¡¯s Gold Bar was one of just three finalists for a best menu award that ultimately went to the Edinburgh area¡¯s The American Bar Gleneagles.

Far from Tokyo, the impact of Japanese cocktail culture was still visible throughout the evening, for example, in New York¡¯s Katana Kitten grabbing the No. 27 spot.

Last year, only Ben Fiddich managed to crack the top 50, a somewhat lackluster performance for Japan¡¯s mixology world that led some to wonder whether the country¡¯s pandemic-induced border closure (lifted almost exactly a year ago) deterred not only tourists but 50 Best reviewers as well. It¡¯s an interpretation supported by Japan¡¯s surge back up the rankings in 2023, both in these global rankings and the Asia-specific list of the year¡¯s top watering holes announced in July.