Elementary Bar - Meet the guys behind the cocktails

Elementary Bar take place at Cutlery Works on Thursday 22nd October.

We caught up with the guys behind the event who are offering an experience unique to Sheffield.

Hi, please can you introduce yourselves?

Hi, we are Zack and Dylan, two bartenders based in Sheffield looking to reformat the cocktail scene using our new business.

What is Elementary Bar?

Elementary is a new concept to the cocktail scene taking the classic format of a high end culinary tasting menu and flipping it on its head, changing the focus to be drinks first. Food coming second means the small plates on offer perfectly accompany each cocktail, highlighting the carefully selected flavour profiles in each drink.

Each cocktail is carefully crafted using the finest ingredients and locally sourced seasonal produce to let you try flavours unknown to the traditional cocktail format.

How did you come up with the concept?

We both became bored of going out to cocktail bars and trying the same old recipes each and every time. Coming from fine dining backgrounds and working with highly skilled chefs, we saw the creativity of what they were doing with foods and realised there is so much more you can do with cocktails from altering molecular structure to change the texture of an ingredient to culturing different types of bacteria to make syrups and kombucha’s.

How does it compare to other cocktail experiences?

We believe that the breadth of knowledge we can provide throughout each experience turns a night at a bar in to a memorable and educational experience.

Each drink we produce has at least one element hand made by us which means it can’t be easily replicated anywhere else. Each experience will be be new and exciting.

Is this event a one-off? Do you have plans for more pop-ups/a permanent place?

Currently we are only running pop ups, we want to do as many as possible to get as many people as possible in Sheffield to try the extraordinary flavours we have to offer and have people engage with this new experience.

On the 22nd we will be hosting a 4 course cocktail tasting menu with a mezze accompaniment for each course. The process of each course will be explained throughout the experience as we guide you through a showcase of Elementarys finest creations.

Who has come with the cocktail menu and how have you paired them with plates?

Working with a team of skilled chefs with Michelin backgrounds we have taken a cocktail menu concept and paired foods with complimentary flavour profiles, which in turn enhance the flavours of our drinks.

How have you sourced your ingredients?

With the lockdown period we have taken this time to extensively research new methods, new products and brands that fit our ethos, as well as using the wealth of knowledge from chefs we have previously worked with and our past experience in the cocktail industry to select our ingredients. For example we have a recently been foraging for ingredients in our kombucha’s and syrups which has been an extremely interesting experience.

Why did you choose to host the first event at Cutlery Works?

With Cutlery Works being an important hub for growing new independents in Sheffield we thought this would be the best place to start out as they have helped in incubating so many other start ups in Sheffield that have grown exponentially since their opening. We also saw the space in Pop Bar and thought it would be the perfect place for us to begin.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on your plans?

Unfortunately we have been impacted slightly by the pandemic as we offer a bespoke catering service for private events such as weddings and parties in which we provide a mini tasting menu format. So as you can imagine lots of weddings and parties over the summer season had to be moved to next year. But at least we still have this to look forward to!

Why should people come along to the event?

People should come along to our event because we know the people of Sheffield want something different, something new and out of the ordinary because Sheffield is the home of independents and we know they are just as bored of the same old generic cocktails that we began to dislike. Elementary want to provide the most unique and memorable evening with the most unimaginable creations and flavours known to the cocktail world.

Tickets are on sale now, both 2 hour sittings cost £35.

Get your tickets for the 5:30pm sitting here and for 8pm sitting here.

Elementary Bar - Meet the guys behind the cocktails

neighbourhoods

everything else

Newsletter Sign Up

Home

Kelham Island

Ecclesall

Abbeydale

Castlegate

Work with us

Contact Us

Subscribe To Our Newsletter