Bartender by Surprise: Andrew Ho Becomes a Legend after Winning the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2025

Andrew Ho understands that being named the winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2025, as part of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, comes with a clear mission: to inspire and guide the next generation. And that, without question, requires total commitment.

Originally from Hong Kong and trained in the luxury hospitality industry, Andrew is a key figure in the Asian cocktail scene. In 2016, he co-founded Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou, China, recognized as the city’s first speakeasy-style cocktail bar. There, innovation and creativity have transformed what was once a traditionally conservative bar culture.

At Hope & Sesame, modern techniques like vacuum distillation and various infusions are used alongside exclusive Chinese liquors, herbs, and spices to craft a truly unforgettable cocktail experience.

The bar’s latest menu doesn’t follow a specific theme. Instead, it is inspired by creative flavor combinations. Each drink is designed to blend unique and unexpected ingredients, offering a fresh take on the classics.

Winning an award like the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender is not only a personal honor. It is also a recognition shared with family and team. Thanks to that collective work, Andrew was chosen by a prestigious panel of peers and professionals. In short, he helped the cocktail scene in mainland China flourish and put it on the global radar.

And yet, becoming a bartender was never part of Andrew’s original plan. His dream was to become the general manager of a major hotel. That’s why he studied at a renowned hospitality school in Lausanne, Switzerland. He even served as assistant director of Food and Beverage at the Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong. After working in Guangzhou for a few years, his next step was to open a restaurant in 2016. To do so, he reconnected with his former classmate and now business partner, Bastien Ciocca, who also had a deep passion for food and drink.

“We found a space in the old part of the city, still close to the center,” says Andrew. “When I walked in, I could feel it. I thought, ‘This is going to be an amazing place’… but not for a restaurant. It felt more like a bar.” So, they bought the space.

Andrew still wanted food to be a part of it, having previously opened a Vietnamese restaurant. They started drawing floor plans, moving the kitchen around, arranging the seating… but nothing fit. Eventually, they realized the concept just wasn’t going to work.

Still, they didn’t want to give up the space. Instead of looking for a different location for their restaurant, they took a leap and decided to open a speakeasy focused on an emerging cocktail market. “We didn’t want to waste the location, so we said, ‘Let’s open a bar and see what happens.’”

And just like that, Hope & Sesame was born. The success was immediate, with strong support from both local and international guests and significant media attention.

That was the turning point for Andrew. His future wasn’t in hotel management, but behind the bar. Even so, he brought all his hospitality expertise into this new venture, working night after night behind the counter.

Today, their team has grown to more than 100 employees across five bars in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as a consulting company. They enjoy complete creative freedom, which Andrew says is key to their constant evolution.

True to his do-it-yourself philosophy, Andrew remains hands-on. He shares knowledge with bartending teams across Asia, serves customers, and mentors the next stars of the cocktail world.

Andrew is passionate about training the next generation. Winning this award is, for him, a sign of the respect and admiration his work continues to earn within the Asian bartending community. His contribution to the cocktail scene in mainland China has been vital to putting it on the international stage.

His leadership style is rooted in example. In fact, winning the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award has only motivated him further in his role as a mentor, something he finds deeply fulfilling.

Today, Hope & Sesame is a benchmark. It continues to earn accolades and has helped bring global attention to a city of 20 million people like Guangzhou.

In 2016, China’s cocktail scene was still in its infancy. Andrew and Bastien took a risk, not knowing whether their concept would be well received. They bet everything on Hope & Sesame, and they won.

When they opened, Andrew didn’t have a cent in his bank account. He didn’t come from a wealthy family, but he knew that if it failed, he could always return to hospitality.

Fortunately, Hope & Sesame succeeded. The media loved the concept, especially the fact that the owners themselves were behind the bar every night, mixing cocktails, engaging with customers, using fresh ingredients, and applying innovative techniques.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Andrew and Bastien’s approach is how they translate their culinary knowledge into the world of cocktails. They love to cook, understand flavors deeply, and know how to combine them to create extraordinary blends. “We work to create what we believe is amazing, what we think the customer will love,” says Andrew. He truly is a talented bartender whose story continues to inspire admiration throughout Asia and beyond.

Andrew Ho’s story is proof that destiny does not always follow the original plan. What began as an attempt to open a restaurant ended up revolutionizing the Asian cocktail scene from Guangzhou. Today, Hope & Sesame is more than just a bar. It is a platform for innovation, mentorship, and excellence. His example shows that when you combine talent, passion, and risk, the result can be extraordinary. Because at the end of the day, great bartenders shake ideas, cultures, and generations. And Andrew is doing just that, one drink at a time.