Ahead of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023 ceremony, which will take place in Hong Kong for the first time in July, the prestigious list has announced the winner of the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award 2023: Hong Kong's queen of mixology, Beckaly Franks. This award category was initially launched in 2018 and hailed its inaugural winner, Vijay Mudaliar from Native bar in Singapore, as well as Shingo Gokan from Speak Low in Shanghai in 2019, followed by Jay Khan from Coa in Hong Kong in 2020.
The Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award is a category that has been collectively voted for by bartenders from establishments that have been listed on the 2023 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars. Franks was recognized for her significant impact on Asia’s bar sector throughout her career. In 2015, she co-founded an award-winning American dive bar, The Pontiac in Hong Kong, and has since opened several other bars in the city, including Quality Goods Club, Call Me Al, and Artifact. As one of the most influential personalities in the city, she constantly pushes the boundaries of the drinking culture, putting the city on the map as one of the best in the region. Her efforts continue to pave the way for aspiring women bartenders in the city.
According to Franks, “Bartending is a privilege, not a right. I have been fortunate enough to be able to aggressively follow my heart and my passion for taking care of people in my own way, and I am grateful to be recognised for it with this award. Bartending has rightfully consumed the majority of my adult life and provided me with a world of opportunity that most wouldn’t dream of. It is a wild ride and I only hope to honour the relationship between the bar and the guest as much as it has honoured me. It is not easy work; you have to love it. I have always loved tending bars and I always will.”
Visit 50 Best Bars TV YouTube Channel to learn more and be sure to tune in to the channel to catch the live stream of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023 awards ceremony on July 18.
Recommended stories:
The World’s Best Bar Paradiso to guest shift at DarkSide
Testina’s Friends from Milan series
Australian ice cream store Aqua S opens in Hong Kong
Follow us on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram, or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news and updates on what's going on in the city.