How Bar Mind’s Female Founders Are Making Their Mark

Ahead of International Women’s Day, we sat down with Bar Mind 念 founders Jo Lo and Birstacla Wong to talk minimalism, mixology and breaking into male-dominated industries.

Walking down Elgin Street, it is easy to miss Bar Mind 念. While not a speakeasy per se, its black concrete exterior and dark, reflective glass stand in stark contrast to the typical Hong Kong aesthetic, which often lures passersby with loud neons and crowds spilling onto the pavement. Instead, Bar Mind operates on an ‘if you know, you know‘ frequency. The stripped-back, cave-like space might be unnerving at first glance, but once inside, the atmosphere is magnetic — so much so that, as Lo and Wong warn, many find themselves staying until the sun comes up.

This intimidatingly cool aesthetic mirrors its founders: Jo Lo, a veteran of Hong Kong’s elite bar circuit, and Birstacla (Birs) Wong, a creative whose background spans fashion and tattooing. While the pair’s nonchalant personalities are a far cry from the ‘Extreme Extrovert’ archetype so common in F&B, the result is a sense of welcome that feels more authentic than many of the city’s louder establishments.

From the deliberate absence of bottles on display to the hyper-intentional menu, Bar Mind is committed to a ‘no labels’ philosophy. It strips away the industry fluff to focus on the essentials of a great neighbourhood bar: community and mixology. For International Women’s Day, we sat down with Lo and Wong to discuss the mentality behind their craft, navigating the ‘boys’ club’ of global competitions and their vision for the future of the space.

Read More: Sassy Celebrates International Women’s Day 2026

You both come from distinct creative worlds — Jo, you’re an industry veteran, and Birs, you come from fashion and tattooing. How do these backgrounds collide at Bar Mind?

Birs: For me, cocktails and mixology are just another medium for creativity, like making a garment or tattooing. I wanted to start a business that felt more ‘human.’ In fashion, things can feel distant. Here, I can talk to people directly.

Jo: We always wanted a multidisciplinary space. Once we’re settled, we want to host ‘flash club’ tattoo events or display Birs’s clothing. That way, Bar Mind can really be an inclusive community space, as well as a platform for all our interests.

Read More: Hidden Bars & Speakeasies In Hong Kong You Need To Know

I love your ‘meet-cute story’ — you actually met at Room 309, a former hidden bar in Hong Kong. Was it an instant professional connection, or did the bar dream come later?

Jo: We were introduced by a mutual friend there. It started as a relationship first, but as we got more stable, the dream of owning our own bar together became the ultimate goal. It felt natural to combine our styles into a single space.

Read More: The Best New Bars & Drink Menus In Hong Kong This Month

The aesthetic here is quite dark — it’s very cave-like and minimalist. Was this a reaction to the flashy, neon-heavy bar culture we usually see in Central?

Birs: Exactly. I wanted to go against the more campy aesthetic and the trend of loud branding. We don’t even show our bottles on the back bar. We want you to focus on the technique and the story in the glass, not the label on the bottle.

Jo: We definitely argued about the lighting in the beginning! I’m focused on the operations, while Birs is the creative engine. As long as it wasn’t too dark to see the menu, I let her lead.

Read More: Team Sassy’s Favourite Neighbourhood Bars & Local Pubs

Your menu is hyper-intentional, leaning heavily into Cantonese flavours. How do you integrate nostalgic ingredients into modern cocktails?

Jo: We use the Asian palate as our foundation. For example, our ‘A Taste of Home’ drink uses Lapsang Souchong and winter melon tea to bring in a nostalgic sweetness, finished with a salted plum powder rim — it’s a flavour profile every local grew up with.

Birs: It’s about balance. We take those ingredients and make something new, or ‘grown up’ from it. We want the drink to taste like a Hong Kong memory, but reimagined as something sophisticated and unexpected.

Read More: Where To Find The Best Happy Hours In Central

You’ve both competed at the highest levels, like Diageo World Class. What is the reality for women in those high-pressure, often male-dominated environments?

Jo: It’s still very imbalanced. In global competitions, you might see 60 participants, and fewer than 15 are women. Even in Hong Kong, the big bar groups and owners are almost exclusively men.

Birs: Honestly, I just do my own thing. You can’t control what people think or say, so I focus on the work. But those competitions were a huge period of growth for us. When I went to the Global Finals in Sydney, I had to create over ten signature cocktails, and Jo had to help me remember every detail and manage all the prep.

Jo: I was Birs’s chaperone in Sydney, and honestly, it was more stressful than competing myself! It was an intense year for both of us, but seeing each other grow through that pressure is really what solidified our partnership before we opened our own space.

Read More: Rooftop & Al Fresco Bars With Epic Views

You’ve been open for nearly a year now. Have you encountered any challenges in the shift of bartenders to business owners?

Birs: The economy in Hong Kong is tough right now. A lot of people are heading to Shenzhen or mainland China to drink because it’s cheaper. When the business drops, you feel it personally. But I believe the soul of the Hong Kong scene is hard to replicate — people will come back for the quality eventually.

Jo: It’s also just the sheer competition. There are so many new bars opening constantly. It forces us to keep improving. At the end of the day, we’re still working toward our dream of hitting the Top 50 Bars list, but first, we have to make the business work day-to-day.

Read More: Top Hong Kong Liquor Stores & Wine Shops That Deliver

On a typical night, you can see a lot of women — in groups and by themselves — at Bar Mind. Did you intentionally set out to create a safe space for girls or for the queer community?

Jo: We don’t label Bar Mind as an ‘LGBT bar.’ If people know we are a couple, they know. I don’t want to put pressure on anyone with a label. We just want a space where everyone — straight, queer, whoever — feels comfortable.

Birs: We just want to be a great neighbourhood bar. A lot of women feel so comfortable, we see them dozing off on the couches here, like they could stay all night. That’s a great compliment, but maybe some people feel too comfortable…

Read More: These Shisha Bars & Hookah Lounges Are Fire

If someone is visiting Bar Mind for the first time, what is the one drink they have to order?

Birs: The Peach Reverie. It’s a graceful mix of tea, fruit and wine — specifically Merlot infused with jasmine tea, blended with peach tea and vodka. We finish it with a sea salt cheese foam and torched Parmesan powder. It’s a sweet-salty composition that’s light, floral and lingering.

Jo: For me, the 80’s Highball! It’s a lightweight drink that’s traditional with a twist. We start with Dewar’s White Label for an approachable, honeyed Scotch character, then add Lapsang Souchong for smoky depth and winter melon tea for aromatic complexity. It hits those nostalgic Hong Kong flavours in a very intentional way.

Read More: LGBT-Friendly Bars & Clubs In Hong Kong