What does it take to become Asia’s best bar? For one, a perfect Earl Grey cocktail

Last month, on July 28, Hope & Sesame took the first spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026. From behind an unassuming Cantonese storefront, the Guangzhou speakeasy bar has spent a decade reinventing Chinese culinary tradition through cocktails to become the first bar in mainland China to win the title. Co-founders Bastien Ciocca and Andrew Ho have built a menu that draws as much from Cantonese flavours and the wider Chinese diaspora as it does from cutting-edge bar techniques.

On August 20 and 21, Ciocca will bring Hope & Sesame’s signature drinks to Akina, Mumbai, as part of Bombay Cocktail Week. Ahead of his visit, The Nod caught up with him to talk cocktails, underrated ingredients, and where the industry is headed next.

Who’s the first person you texted after the win?

My mother. As I was celebrating with my wife and my partners, I wanted her to be the first to know. She didn’t believe it for a few seconds!

How did your team celebrate?

We have a tradition: every year after the ceremony, we all go to a late-night local restaurant for supper with the whole team. This year it was 18 of us together with amazing food, cold beers, and lots of toasts. We’ll do more celebrating at the bar with our team and guests once we are back.

What’s one cocktail on your menu that deserves its own award?

That’s a hard one, as each drink contributes to the experience throughout the evening. But maybe the Ango—a classic that’s been on our menu for a while. It is inspired by the classic Trinidad Sour and made with a reduction of balsamic vinegar, bitters, and beetroot yet is truly local in flavour, reminiscent of a traditional dish called vinegar pork trotter. (Sounds strange, but it’s super delicious!)

What’s the weirdest garnish you’ve ever fallen in love with?

Black garlic chocolate!

What’s one cocktail ingredient you think is still underrated?

Monk fruit is a great ingredient. It has excellent sweetening properties yet contains zero sugar, so it can serve more than one purpose in drinks. I’d also add baijiu (Chinese liquor). It’s a category not yet widely used by the bar industry, even though it’s the most-produced spirit in the world—a vast, rich drink in both taste and culture that brings a lot to many different types of cocktails.

If someone has never been to Hope & Sesame, what’s the one drink they absolutely can’t miss?

Definitely the Earl Grey Dark & Stormy. It’s a drink that pleases both first-time cocktail drinkers and cocktail aficionados alike. We brew our own ginger beer and use a great Earl Grey tea, both infused into rum, plus tea-infused ice. It’s been on our menu since volume one, 10 years ago.

Do you think bars today becoming more adventurous? 

It’s actually the opposite. I see some of the most successful bars in the world simplifying their menus, drinks, and storytelling. Rather than leaning too heavily on complex technical features, they are focusing on creating a highly recognisable identity for their products: unique glassware printed with the drink’s logo, a signature garnish, merchandise promoting one item, social media, and so on. Adventurous, complex processes are increasingly hidden from guests, unlike a few years ago, when the industry wanted to educate diners.

What’s one trend from your bar that you think will shape the next big trend?

Probably the way we approach collaborations. In the past we’ve partnered with brands such as Lee Kum Kee, Chagee, and Hey Tea, the modern art museum HEM, and Chow Sang Sang jewellery to create strong stories and cocktail creations that combine both brands’ identities, flavours, and sometimes products. This creates great win-win opportunities, tapping into each other’s fan base and reaching more customers than we could on our own. We always approach it with depth and meaning, and a lot of friends reach out to us for advice on how to create these kinds of opportunities.

What’s the most exciting cocktail ingredient you’ve tasted this year?

Probably smoked coconut—it was in a highball at Cosmo Pony in Jakarta and it was really delicious!

Do you have any advice for bars who would like to make it up the ranks?

It took us 10 years—good things take time. And when you take the time to grow, you’ll probably enjoy the rewards even more.

What’s the best hidden food destination in your city?

Across Guangzhou there are a lot of great hidden spots—we created a guide with our bar team’s favourite places, which we share with friends and guests. You can find it here. 

As for Switzerland, since I left a long time ago, when I go back home it’s mostly home-cooked meals with family, as time is usually short there. It’s not really about where but more about what; I’d go for both raclette and fondue at the same time. Two of the heaviest, most heavenly dishes on earth!

Which trend do you think is overhyped?

In China right now, there’s a big trend toward very affordable tap cocktails, which draws a lot of attention, but in some places the pricing structure isn’t built to be sustainable over the long term. I also think the very laid-back style some cocktail bars have leaned into could fade.

And a trend you can get behind?

As the wave of modern, trendier Chinese restaurants booms around the world, moving beyond just Cantonese, Beijing, and Sichuan cuisines into more niche regional cooking, the bar industry is starting to follow. Cool local bars using local spirits, fruits, and other ingredients are a growing trend, both in China and in cities abroad like New York, Melbourne, London, and Bangkok.

As part of Bombay Cocktail Week, Hope & Sesame will be bringing their signature drinks to Akina in Worli, Mumbai on August 20 and 21. For reservations, call +91 8657799860