What makes a great bar? There are only a few questions in life that prompt so much debate and frankly this is one of them. Whether it is in a hotel, restaurant or a traditional bar, what gives it that buzz, ambience and pulling power?

Six years ago Whisky Magazine launched its quest to honour the greatest bars in the world. The original scheme evolved into our awards programme for bars, hotels and restaurants. These awards honour the very best venues in the world, and developed out of the Great Whisky Bars of the World series. This comprises an accreditation system to recognise excellence in whisky. With three levels, Gold, Silver and Bronze, we recognise any establishment, no matter how big or small, that celebrates whisky. Any premises that applied were accredited under the programme and received their certificate dependent on their range and quality of whisky.

This app will help you find the great whisky bars in the world we have found so far, and we have flagged up the ones that have been included in our accreditation scheme. The Gold, Silver or Bronze winners can be searched for separately, or you can search by country or city. There has never been a better time to get out there and explore some amazing places to drink. So if we have missed out your favourite bar, or you run a bar that is not included, please let us know and we’ll make sure to include you.