Jean Trinh, the French owner of Alquímico in Cartagena, Colombia, has been named the most influential figure in the global bar industry, topping Drinks International‘s Bar World 100 2026. The annual list, sponsored by Perrier, was revealed on June 29, 2026, marking the first time a bar figure based outside the United Kingdom has claimed the number-one spot.
A Historic First for Latin America
Trinh rose from fourth to first in the annual ranking, the result of a poll of more than 120 industry commentators selected from 72 bar scenes around the world. The Frenchman’s ascent breaks a UK-centric pattern that has defined the list since its launch in 2019 – previous number ones include Iain McPherson (2025), Monica Berg (2020-2024) and Ryan Chetiyawardana (2019).
Alquímico, Trinh’s Cartagena flagship and a perennial fixture on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, is as much a community engine as it is a cocktail destination. The bar funds projects supporting local farmers and operates a hospitality school for at-risk youth, a model that has reshaped expectations of what a leading global bar can do beyond its menu.
The Top 10
- Jean Trinh – Alquímico, Cartagena, Colombia
- Iain McPherson – Panda & Sons, Edinburgh, UK
- Monica Berg – Tayēr + Elementary, London, UK
- Anna Sebastian – luxury hospitality consultant, founder of Celebrate Her, London, UK
- Danil Nevsky – “The Indie Bartender”, Barcelona, Spain
- Lorenzo Antinori – Bar Leone, Hong Kong
- Simone Caporale – Sips, Barcelona, Spain
- Vijay Mudaliar – Native, Singapore
- Shingo Gokan – founder of SG Group, Tokyo, Japan
- Alex Kratena – co-owner, Tayēr + Elementary, London, UK
McPherson, Berg and Sebastian Lead the Chasers
Iain McPherson, owner of Panda & Sons in Edinburgh and last year’s number one, takes second. His work around sub-zero cocktail-making techniques continues to influence bartenders globally, complemented by his latest innovation, Densing, and his co-launch of The Edinburgh Bar Show and the Panda Highland Games.
Monica Berg of Tayēr + Elementary in London – a five-time number one between 2020 and 2024 – takes third. Long considered a leader in cutting-edge, forward-thinking bartending, Berg has built her reputation on sustainability across both people and resources.
In fourth, climbing six places this year, is another London-based force: Anna Sebastian, the luxury hospitality consultant and founder of Celebrate Her. Sebastian operates at the elite end of hospitality while maintaining a clear social conscience through her work elevating women in the industry.
Rounding out the top five is Danil Nevsky, the self-styled “Indie Bartender” whose daily analysis of the industry on social media has made him the de facto spokesperson for bartending in 2026.
Notable New Entries and Returns
The 2026 list features 12 new entries, reflecting a broadening of the panel’s geographic and demographic radar. They include New York’s Steve Schneider (43), Montreal’s Calliope Draper (62), Juan David Zapata of Medellín Cocktail Week fame (63), industry educator Charlotte Voisey (70), Paris-based Juliette Laroui (84), Los Angeles’s Max Reis (86) and Linda Douglas (90), Goa’s Pankaj Balachandran (87), Washington DC’s Kapri Robinson (88), Cartagena’s Paola Oviedo (91), Guangzhou’s Andrew Ho (94) and Dubai’s Jenna Ba (95).
Seven figures return to the list after appearing in editions between 2019 and 2024: Tristan Stephenson (20), Sofokli Cali (42), Marc Álvarez (51), Julia Momose (59), Mario Villalon (77), cocktail-history doyen Dale DeGroff (82) and Thanos Prunarus (97).
Together, the 19 fresh names account for nearly a fifth of the 2026 list – a meaningful turnover that signals a panel willing to recognise new voices alongside established ones.
The Geography of Influence Is Rebalancing
For the first time, New York tops the city rankings, contributing 11 names to the list. London – traditionally dominant – comes in second with nine, while Barcelona rounds out the top three with five contributions. The shift reflects a broader rebalancing of bar industry influence away from a London-centric model toward a more genuinely global distribution.
By country, the United States leads with 20 names, followed by the UK with 12, Spain with 8, and meaningful Latin American representation: Argentina, Mexico and Colombia each contribute multiple figures, with Cartagena alone placing two on the list. Asian bar scenes maintain a strong presence through Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and Bangkok, while smaller markets in Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Albania, Kenya, India and the UAE all see representation, underlining how the panel reaches into emerging scenes.
The Full Bar World 100 2026 List
- Jean Trinh – Cartagena, Colombia
- Iain McPherson – Edinburgh, UK
- Monica Berg – London, UK
- Anna Sebastian – London, UK
- Danil Nevsky – Barcelona, Spain
- Lorenzo Antinori – Hong Kong, China
- Simone Caporale – Barcelona, Spain
- Vijay Mudaliar – Singapore
- Shingo Gokan – Tokyo, Japan
- Alex Kratena – London, UK
- Lorenzo Querci – Milan, Italy
- Priyanka Blah – Bangalore, India
- Remy Savage – Paris, France
- Kevin Kos – Maribor, Slovenia
- Sebastián Atienza – Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Emma Janzen – Chicago, US
- Indra Kantono – Singapore
- Stanislav Harcinik – Bratislava, Slovakia
- David Wondrich – New York, US
- Tristan Stephenson – Cornwall, UK (Re-entry)
- Giacomo Giannotti – Barcelona, Spain
- Kate Gerwin – Albuquerque, US
- Stefano Catino – Sydney, Australia
- Eli Martinez Bello – Mexico City, Mexico
- Arina Nikolskaya – Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Sorrel Moseley-Williams – Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Ago Perrone – London, UK
- Margarita Sader – Barcelona, Spain
- Márcio Silva – São Paulo, Brazil
- Ryan Chetiyawardana – London, UK
- Colin Chia – Singapore
- François Monti – Madrid, Spain
- Leah Van Deventer – Cape Town, South Africa
- Lynnette Marrero – New York, US
- Sandrae Lawrence – London, UK
- Kaitlyn Stewart – Vancouver, Canada
- Kaitlin Wilkes – Edinburgh, UK
- Nico De Soto – Paris, France
- Philip Bischoff – Bangkok, Thailand
- Agung Prabowo – Hong Kong, China
- Christina Veira – Toronto, Canada
- Sofokli Cali – Tirana, Albania (Re-entry)
- Steve Schneider – New York, US (New entry)
- Brian Owango – Nairobi, Kenya
- Patrick Pistolesi – Rome, Italy
- Eric Van Beek – Mexico City, Mexico
- Ara Carvallo – Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Megs Miller – Mexico City, Mexico
- Tato Giovannoni – Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Claire Warner – London, UK
- Marc Álvarez – Barcelona, Spain (Re-entry)
- Alonso Palomino – Lima, Peru
- LP O’Brien – Washington DC, US
- Julie Reiner – New York, US
- Thiago Banares – São Paulo, Brazil
- Tiffanie Barriere – Atlanta, US
- Holly Graham – Tokyo, Japan
- Niks Anuman – Bangkok, Thailand
- Julia Momose – Chicago, US (Re-entry)
- Ezra Star – Hong Kong, China
- Lauren Mote – Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Calliope Draper – Montreal, Canada (New entry)
- Juan David Zapata – Medellín, Colombia (New entry)
- Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn – Bangkok, Thailand
- Kevin Diedrich – San Francisco, US
- Luke Whearty – Melbourne, Australia
- Hidetsugu Ueno – Tokyo, Japan
- GN Chan – New York, US
- Jose Luis Leon – Mexico City, Mexico
- Charlotte Voisey – New York, US (New entry)
- Colin Asare-Appiah – New York, US
- Diego Cabrera – Madrid, Spain
- Jay Kahn – Hong Kong, China
- Erik Lorincz – London, UK
- Kiki Moka – Jakarta, Indonesia
- Kate Boushel – Montreal, Canada
- Mario Villalon – Madrid, Spain (Re-entry)
- Moe Aljaff – New York, US
- Salvatore Calabrese – London, UK
- Vasilis Kyritsis – Athens, Greece
- Tess Posthumas – Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Dale DeGroff – New York, US (Re-entry)
- Millie Tang – Paris, France
- Juliette Laroui – New York, US (New entry)
- Ines de los Santos – Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Max Reis – Los Angeles, US (New entry)
- Pankaj Balachandran – Goa, India (New entry)
- Kapri Robinson – Washington DC, US (New entry)
- Hiroyasu Kayama – Tokyo, Japan
- Linda Douglas – Los Angeles, US (New entry)
- Paola Oviedo – Cartagena, Colombia (New entry)
- Matt Whiley – Sydney, Australia
- Simon Ford – Nashville, US
- Andrew Ho – Guangzhou, China (New entry)
- Jenna Ba – Dubai, UAE (New entry)
- Tara Fougner – Miami, US
- Thanos Prunarus – Athens, Greece (Re-entry)
- Nana Sechere – Dubai, UAE
- Carina Soto Velasquez – Paris, France
- Bannie Kang – Singapore
How the List Is Compiled
Bar World 100 is voted for by more than 120 worldwide industry commentators – drinks media, consultants, bar operators, brand representatives and event organisers – based in more than 60 cities. Voters consider impact on the bar industry, drivers of growth, and influence over behaviour and trends. As the editor’s note clarifies, the ranking is a “freeze frame of opinion of who is most relevant to the world of bars now,” rather than a career retrospective.
Split by primary role, 71 of the 100 are bartenders and bar owners, 11 are consultants and educators, 10 are media and eight represent brands.
Editor’s Take
Hamish Smith, editor of Bar World 100, framed Trinh’s win in his accompanying note:
“If you’re new to Bar World 100 – our list of the industry’s most influential figures – you’re likely not new to the names that feature on its pages. These are the people who our panel of global voters consider to have the most impact on the bar industry, those that drive growth, shape behaviour and trends around the world.”
“The big news is that in this edition – for the second year running – we have a new number one most influential. Frenchman Jean Trinh, based in Colombia, follows in the footsteps of three UK-based winners: Iain McPherson, Monica Berg and Ryan Chetiyawardana. There can’t be a person who has come in contact with the Alquímico owner who hasn’t been taken with his positive energy; the way he has shown that bartenders really can change the world.”
The full Bar World 100 2026 list is available via Drinks International.
