'Most unusual concept' in America, this Phoenix cocktail bar named among best in the world

World's 50 Best Bars released its North America's 50 Best Bars list on April 23 and one Arizona cocktail destination claimed a spot alongside bars from Mexico, Canada and the U.S.

Named last year's Tales of the Cocktail's Best U.S. Cocktail Bar 2023, Century Grand in Phoenix made the cut for World's 50 Best Bars alongside the likes of New York's Super Bueno (also selected as the winner of Disaronno Highest New Entry Award 2024 and The Best Bar in Northeast USA 2024) and New Orleans' Jewel of the South, a bar that pays homage to NOLA's history by serving revived classic drinks.

North America's 50 Best Bars first launched in 2022 to highlight the region as a world-class drinks destination. The list consists of bars from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, with a judging panel of 270 industry experts, including bartenders, bar owners, well-traveled cocktail connoisseurs and drinks media with "50/50 gender balance." Voters are not allowed to vote for their own bars.

Though bars don't have to fit a particular criterion, the quality of drinks, the service, the surroundings, atmosphere and price level are taken into consideration.

What set Century Grand apart?

Barter & Shake Cocktail Entertainment, the team behind Century Grand, established the bar in 2019, the centennial of the introduction of prohibition. The bar is made up of three concepts under one roof. Platform 18 transports guests via train car circa 1924. Grey Hen Rx was inspired by New Orleans, which was the first city to establish a pharmacy and the menu focuses on high-quality whiskey, Bourbon and classic New Orleans sips. The third concept, UnderTow is a tiki bar housed in what looks like an antique ship.

The 50 Best Bar praised Century Grand for being "one of the most unusual concepts on the North American bar scene." It went on to praise the menu: "Jason Asher and Jax Donahue have also crafted a world-class bar programme built around culinary roots and narrative structure."

Kailee Asher posted a photo of her and her husband, Jason Asher, on Instagram set to Empire Of The Sun's "Walking On A Dream." The caption read: "We’re watching the 50 Best Bar awards tonight at Century Grand. Congrats to all the winners this year!"

How to visit Century Grand

Reservations are highly recommended and must be made using the online reservation system. Reservations require a pre-paid $12 per person deposit, which is applied to the final bill.

Details: 3626 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-739-1388, centurygrandphx.com/platform18-cocktail-bar.

Cheers: These 5 metro Phoenix cocktail bars named among best in the US – 2 for the first time

Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow @banooshahr on X, formerly Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why Phoenix cocktail bar Century Grand was named one of 50 best in US