Multi-hyphenate, bartender and serial hospitality entrepreneur Beckaly Franks, the co-founder of several Hong Kong bars like The Pontiac, Call Me Al, Ponty Cafeě and Artifact, has been named the winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2023.

Ahead of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards ceremony set to take place in Hong Kong on July 18, the prestigious list confers the winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2023 to Hong Kong’s bartender and serial entrepreneur Beckaly Franks, who is also called Queen of Mixology by her peers.

The award is the only peer-judged honour in the Asia’s 50 Best Bars programme and is collectively voted for by the bartenders of those establishments which have been placed on the 2023 list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, according to a press statement.

Hosted in collaboration with destination partner Hong Kong Tourism Board, the statement adds that the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award has been collectively voted for by bartenders from establishments that have been listed on the 2023 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars. This year’s awards are expected to be the first full-scale gathering of the bar community in Asia since 2019.

“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,” says Franks on winning the prestigious award.

Multi-hyphenate Franks has opened several venues, each distinguished by its unique character, yet all unified in their commitment to inclusivity and delivering exceptional guest experiences. The statement adds that her company Hungry Ghost includes the

neighbourhood restaurant-bar Call Me Al, an all-day cafe bar, Ponty Cafeě and Artifact, a subterranean space that focuses on aged spirits and has a chef-driven counter dining journey.

“Beckaly is truly an inspiration to her peers for the work she does and the support she gives to the Hong Kong hospitality scene. A highly skilled bartender, serial entrepreneur, mentor to many and champion of inclusivity, Beckaly can be credited for creating her own very distinct brand and is regarded as something of a legend in the world of great cocktails. Since moving from the US, she has called Hong Kong home for over eight years and has in this relatively short span become one of the most recognised faces and respected talents in Asia’s bar community. She is truly deserving of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award,” says Mark Sansom, Content Director for Asia’s 50 Best Bars.