All Mixed Up: Asia’s Top Bartender Beckaly Franks at ARTIFACT
Asia's got a knack for knowing the best ways to unwind, and we're diving into that vibe with "All Mixed Up." You'll find us in cool bars, drink in hand, escaping the tropical heat and spicing up our nights. With this series, we're exploring Asia's hottest bar scenes, chatting with the wizards behind the concepts and drinks — mixologists, bartenders, brewers, and more. Whether you're a cocktail whiz or just curious about the craft, we're serving up the stories behind the faces that fuel our nights out. So grab a drink and relax as we uncover the secrets behind our favorite bars. Trust us, these stories are best served chilled!
Award-winning mixologist and bar owner Beckaly Franks is a leading light in Hong Kong’s vibrant bar scene. Among her many accolades, she was voted the recipient of Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023. The Hawaiian-born, Portland-raised cocktail champion is equally recognized for her ability to transform the vibe of a bar as well as mix stellar drinks.
When The Beat Asia asked how she would like to be known, she replied with a grin: "Babe of Bars!”
Beckaly moved to Hong Kong in 2015 to open The Pontiac, a rock ‘n’ roll craft cocktail bar. She is also the driving force behind the hugely popular live music restaurant Quality Goods Club in the heart of Soho.
Beckaly and her wife and partner, fellow award-winning mixologist Ezra Star, form the pulsing heart of ARTIFACT Bar. Tucked away in Basehall 02 in Jardine House, ARTIFACT is an intimate speakeasy-style bar that has gained cult status for its subterranean, sci-fi-inspired vibes and its bold, ever-evolving menu. Since landing in Hong Kong, Beckaly and Ezra have been rapidly redefining the city’s bar scene.
The power couple are the masterminds behind Hungry Ghost, which includes venues like ARTIFACT, modern Japanese restaurant ARTIFACT Bar & Counter, and Call Me AL.
A year since it burst into the scene, ARTIFACT remains dedicated to inclusivity and championing diverse identities. The success of this project is largely due to their strong interconnected web of exceptional team members, including ARTIFACT Manager J Frank and Head Bartender Nishant Vargas.
The Beat Asia sat down with Beckaly to discuss her inspirations, the journey behind ARTIFACT, and what it means to shake things up as a queer woman in the industry.
How was the concept ARTIFACT created?
Ezra and I were fortunate enough to align with Hongkong Land and subsequently with the amazing interior architect Nelson Chow.
We were very inspired by brutalist and organic elements. For geeks like us, it was very easy to pick up earth and limestone, which translated into terroir, and then age. We're not a Whisky Bar or an aged Agave bar or Rum Bar, we focus on aged spirits because it is a representation of time and place, and of what's already happening inside the bottle with terroir. Terroir is the wind, water, and soil. All these things contribute to how a spirit ends up tasting.
Ezra and I are both abstract thinkers, so we were able to come up with a concept quite quickly. We decided to call it ARTIFACT because an artifact is evidence of the journey.
There's nothing within ARTIFACT that tethers you to time or space, which means you can get lost in the conversation and the drinks.
We play with a lot of juxtaposition, but at the core, we always come back to the DNA of ARTIFACT, which is the transfer of enthusiasm and to nurture our guests by way of a delicious cocktail.
How is ARTIFACT different from your previous ventures?
With an interior like this, it'd be very easy just to go for the standard, classic service and cocktails that can sometimes be considered quite pretentious. But what makes ARTIFACT explode is when you come in, you're meeting me, J, and Nish, and everybody has a part to play.
We're not trying to make everybody have the exact same experience. The service should always be of the same caliber, but we’re trying to create an opportunity for connection between us and the guests, but also between the guests and themselves.
What is your inspiration and evolution behind your new menu?
This new menu is our fifth menu. It focuses on one aged spirit at a time, making riffs off classic cocktails.
We didn’t want our guests to feel like they were going to the library and looking through a daunting catalog. We wanted to be more artistic and let our colors show.
That single spirit right now is the Pierre Ferrand 10 Generations Cognac, which is really cool because you get to play with different flavors and represent different things inside the spirit that aren't traditionally done, which mirrors the space in a way, in how it doesn't have any rules and regulations. It's a journey.
I think it’s safe to say we are all artists at ARTIFACT. J Frank, the bar manager, is a graphic designer. Nish, the head bartender, is the one who leads the conception of the drinks, and we fine-tune everything together. We really employ the whole team to take ownership of the menu.
What's your favorite cocktail of all time?
I love a Gibson. Our Gibson here slaps – it’s the best. I love a very terroir-driven Margarita, and I am a huge fan of a French 75, with absinthe.
What's a signature go-to cocktail recommendation from the new menu?
The signature cocktail is the Berry and Cheesecake. It is a variation of a bramble, which is a classic cocktail made with gin, lemon, and a berry compote.
Instead of using gin, we're using the beautiful Pierre Ferrand 10 Generations Cognac, which has a ton of fruit in it already, so that is going to go in and complement those berry aspects.
These are local berries from Hong Kong, and we do this beautiful cardamom and savory cheesecake foam on top.
You’ve put a lot of effort and work into creating inclusive spaces for women and the LGBTQIA+ community at The Pontiac – how has this mission continued at ARTIFACT?
I might be a tad not to everybody's taste, but people know they can trust me. I did a fair amount in the beginning in getting people to trust me to create a safe space. When Pontiac opened in 2015, it was primarily focused on employing women, and being an all-female bar, and by proxy of me being queer, it was also a representation of queerness as well.
Now we have established trust as people who represent women and the LGBTQIA+ community, we can continue. The Hungry Ghost venues are a continuation of that celebration. They are not limited to or defined by an agenda; they serve as spaces for people to be their authentic selves.
At ARTIFACT, everyone is encouraged to be exactly who they are. J is a young trans man, King is LGBT, my wife and I are a married same-sex couple, and in our other venues, there are lots of LGBT representation too.
You continue to be a great role model in the bar industry, do you see attitudes towards women and LGBT people in bartending or mixology shifting?
Absolutely. Obviously, in some places, it’s going backward, but the Hong Kong government is still advocating for same-sex relationships and equal housing for same-sex relationships, and it’s nice to see those things happening outside of this hospitality industry.
It’s also nice to see that the city you choose to live in supports who you are, because those things are part of our social progression. If you're not allowed to be who you are as a person and or with your partner, that makes your experience a lot more difficult.
I'm very supported as a queer person in Hong Kong, which enables me to create spaces for other people. I don't consider myself to be a mentor, but I am as solid as a rock, and if I am a mentor, that's great as well. But I don't think that what I do is always about what's happening inside the bottle! It's much more than that.
Stay connected with Beckaly on Instagram and Facebook. For more information, visit ARTIFACT on Instagram and Facebook.
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