Andrew Ho, founder and co-owner of Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou, has been awarded the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2025, the only peer-judged accolade in the Asia’s 50 Best Bars programme. Voted by bartenders from venues on the 2025 list, the award honours Ho’s leadership, mentorship, and lasting contribution to the cocktail landscape in Mainland China.
The award is the second in a series of special recognitions leading up to the tenth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, which will be announced on 15 July 2025 in Macau, hosted in partnership with Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace.
A graduate of the École Hôtelière de Lausanne and a former Assistant Director of Food & Beverage at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Ho launched Hope & Sesame in 2016—Guangzhou’s first speakeasy-style cocktail bar. Located behind a traditional Cantonese diner in the Dongshankou neighbourhood, the venue has become a benchmark for bar innovation in southern China. It has been featured on Asia’s 50 Best Bars for six consecutive years, placing No.14 in 2024 and earning the title of Best Bar in Mainland China for two years running.
Hope & Sesame is known for pushing the boundaries of modern bartending through techniques such as centrifugal clarification, rotary distillation, and sous vide infusion. Ho envisioned the venue not just as a bar, but as a story-driven experience rooted in heritage and curiosity. His goal: to create a bar with character, surprise, and romance.
Beyond Hope & Sesame, Ho’s ventures include the baijiu-focused SanYou and DSK Cocktail Club, as well as the consultancy Spirits Architects. The group offers end-to-end services to hospitality clients, from beverage development and brand strategy to staff training. His reach extends internationally, having hosted brand activations and guest shifts in over 40 cities.
Emma Sleight, Head of Content for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, said: “Andrew is not only redefining what great bartending looks like in Mainland China – he’s laying the foundations for the country’s modern cocktail culture with his entrepreneurial vision.”
On receiving the award, Ho remarked, “It is such an incredible honour for my family, team and myself to have my work recognised by such an illustrious panel of industry peers and colleagues. After the excitement settles, it’s important to remember that my work is not done. The responsibility to inspire and mentor our next generation still requires my unwavering dedication. However, in the meantime, ganbei! And I hope to see you all in Hope & Sesame for a drink.”
Carlos Andrés Ramirez, Global Advocacy & PR Director of Altos Tequila, added: “This recognition is more than well-deserved – not only for his outstanding career behind the bar, but also for his influence on the industry and the vibrant growth of mixology in China.”
