You probably have your local watering hole, where everyone knows your name and you can order “the usual”.

If you’re travelling, though, you might want to find yourself a new local in another country. And, while you’re at it, why not make it one of the best bars in the world?

The results of the highly anticipated ‘World’s 50 Best Bars Awards 2018’ have been released, with first place going to a famed UK spot.

You can take a look at the full list here, but for the sake of brevity, here’s Forbes with the top five:

5. Connaught Bar – London, UK

4. The NoMad – New York, USA

3. Manhattan – Singapore

2. American Bar – London, UK

1. Dandelyan – London, UK

The Dandelyan is led by cocktail expert and pro-bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana. It opened in 2014, and first made the list at number 50 the following year.

By 2017 it was in second place behind the American Bar at the Savoy. This year, it finally scaled the ladder and took top spot.

If you think the bars of Bree and Kloof Street are hipster hangouts (for good reason), then the Dandelyan could be home away from home.

Ready for the massive plot twist? It’s closing down. Here’s CNN:

“I’m flabbergasted,” said a dazed-looking mixologist-in-chief Ryan Chetiyawardana shortly after accepting top honors [sic] in the bar industry’s equivalent of the Oscars and admitting sheepishly to the assembled crowd he was “killing” his acclaimed venue.

“In a way it’s the most fitting thing,” he added. “We have worked so hard and with so much passion and we’re now at the pinnacle of the industry.”

Next year’s closure of Dandelyan, which occupies the ground floor of uber cool but weirdly named Mondrian London Hotel at Sea Containers, will disappoint legions of fans who flock to the low-lit if somewhat brash venue to guzzle signature botanic creations.

Chetiyawardana says that he and his 32-strong team are going to create a new bar in its place – something that he hopes will “encourage others to innovate and challenge” in the drinks industry.

Talk about quitting while you’re ahead…

The other potential outcome is that the runner-up, the American Bar at the Savoy, will increase its customer intake. Then again, most of the best bars on the list were in London.

Despite the imminent closure of its top-rated fancy booze vendor, London’s pre-eminence in the world of mixed drinks remains unrivaled, according to the 2018 ranking. The UK capital claims 10 of the top 50 watering holes, compared to nearest rival New York’s six.

You know, South Africa might not have made the top 50 (yet), but we do have some pretty great bars.

So if travelling abroad isn’t in your immediate future, why not give that local a break and do some bar travelling in your city?

You know the best way to experience new places and drinks? It’s to try them for free.

How? Download the Clink app.

Clink is an exclusive membership app that gives you one free drink a day at awesome Cape Town venues. For a monthly fee of R90 (the cost of two drinks), you get 30 drinks.

Keen to try Clink and some new experiences? You can get seven days of free membership to try it out.

More good news – you’ll probably find your local amongst the extensive range of venues partnered with the app, so you can always go back.

Every day, for another of those 30 free drinks. We told you this app was a vibe.

Here’s just a taste of what’s on offer:

Don’t make the same mistake as those Londoners who never got round to visiting The Dandelyan.

Download the Clink app and start exploring your city’s watering holes.

[sources:forbes&cnn]