MACAU, July 29 — Last night, two Malaysian bars were named in the 2026 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars at a ceremony in the Wynn Palace, Macau.

Despite dropping from last year’s No. 15 ranking to No. 32, Three X Co earned the title of Best Bar in Malaysia after Penrose’s surprise drop out of the 50 Best list. 

Hidden away on the third floor of Bangsar Shopping Centre, the bar has been an integral part of the Klang Valley cocktail bar scene since it was founded in 2017. 

It first appeared on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list at No. 47 in 2021.

A regular feature on the list, Bar Trigona continued its streak of making the list for a seventh consecutive year, placing at No. 38, improving on its No. 39 position last year. 

Located in the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, it was the first Malaysian bar to place on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2020, when it ranked 44th, and also previously won the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award in 2022.

Separately, five Malaysian cocktail bars were named on this year’s Asia's 50 Best Bars extended 51-100 list, announced two weeks ago ahead of last night’s ceremony.

In Kuala Lumpur, Reka:Bar, known for its lab-like setting and innovative, almost scientific approach to cocktails, ranked No. 63, falling outside the top 50 after placing No. 47 last year. 

But the bigger surprise was Penrose, which dropped to No. 64 this year after reaching No. 8 two years ago and No. 10 last year.

The sole new Malaysian entry is Cabinet 8 KL at No. 65. Hidden inside a cafe on Jalan Sultan, Cabinet 8 KL dedicates an entire section of its menu to tea-influenced drinks, with oolong, lapsang souchong, pu’er and jasmine tea worked into classic cocktails.

A veteran of both the list and Malaysia’s cocktail bar scene, Coley marked its 10th anniversary this year by improving on last year’s ranking of No. 92 to No. 83. 

Founded by CK Kho, the bar is named in tribute to Ada "Coley" Coleman, the Savoy’s iconic inventor of the hanky panky, a classic cocktail made with gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca. 

It has been a staple of the Bangsar neighbourhood since it was named Best Bar in Malaysia in 2019, when it ranked No. 27.

Located in the heart of George Town, Penang, Backdoor Bodega placed at No. 66 this year, after placing No. 64 and winning both Asia’s Best Cocktail Menu and World's Best Cocktail Menu awards last year. 

A pioneer in the city’s cocktail scene since 2016, the bar fashions itself as “an overpriced pin shop,” with guests purchasing lapel pins at the bar to “redeem” cocktails.

The ranking is determined by votes from Asia’s 50 Best Bars Academy, which comprises more than 300 bartenders and owners, drinks writers and cocktail experts from across the region. Each member nominates seven bars they have visited over the past 18 months.