Top tipplers!

Britain is famed for its tea drinking, but, from Lord Byron to Winston Churchill, we Brits are also not bad at hitting the harder stuff. London bar Artesian, which has won the title of the World’s Best Bar four times, warding off stiff competition from New York, makes the ideal spot to imbibe. We stop by and pull up a bar stool.

Located in The Langham Hotel, Artesian is headed up by Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale, who recently launched their “Surrealism” menu for 2015.

Last year’s top three remain unchanged: the Artesian’s fierce New York rivals Dead Rabbit remain at number two and London’s Nightjar stays at number three.

London bars make up five of the top ten, and nine bars overall – one more than New York. London hotel bars do best – with five included in the list – Artesian at The Langham, the American Bar and the Beaufort Bar at The Savoy, Dandelyan at Mondrian Hotel, and the Connaught Bar at the Connaught Hotel.

Innovative London bars make up the rest – 69 Colebrooke Row, Happiness Forgets and White Lyan – as well as returning third placed jazz speakeasy Nightjar.

Whilst London leads the city rankings and claims the top spot, the US is home to the most bars in the list, showing their extensive cocktail heritage and buoyant contemporary cocktail scene.

Representatives from the world’s leading bars flew into the capital to attend the awards at Christ Church Spitalfields, London, on 8 October, along with internationally renowned industry figures and celebrity supporters.

The bars are chosen by an academy of over 400 industry experts. The list includes top drinking destinations around the globe, with restaurant bars, speakeasies, hotel bars, and tiki-themed venues all featuring. This year’s ranking includes bars from 27 cities in 19 countries, with 14 new entries.