Va-va-voom
The Savoy, making its debut at number one, was joined in the top three by two more hotel bars: The London riverside Mondrian hotel's stylish Dandelyan and the regal NoMad in New York City.
With another London hotel venue, the redoubtable Connaught Bar, at number four, last year's victor fell to fifth place.
The top 10 was rounded out by Athens' intimate The Clumsies at six, Singapore's Manhattan at the Regent Hotel at seven, New York's Attaboy at eight, London's Bar Termini at nine and, lastly, Shanghai's secretive Speak Low.
Selected by a panel of 500 international judges, the Savoy was acclaimed for its winning combination of tradition and innovation -- praise that Whisson reckons was well-earned.
"There's a good few bars that have the same va-va-voom as the Savoy," he says. "But I think ours is a very unique bar. We have a responsibility to the heritage of the place -- the history is something you don't get anywhere else."
Other London bars on the list are Happiness Forgets at 12, Oriole at 17, The Gibson at 21 and Nightjar at 43.
While New York claimed the next highest number of bars -- seven, including bright and cheerful Dante at 16, Dead Rabbit sequel BlackTail at 32, legendary Employees Only at 37 and spicy East Village venue Mace at 42 -- Singapore emerged as a new powerhouse.
(Click through the above gallery to see images of the top 25 venues on this year's list.)