Photographer and bartender Elliott Clark finds himself today one of the leading faces of the drinks industry in the US – and on Instagram – all from the comfort of his Denver apartment.
A self-professed mixologist for homelovers, under his wildly popular @apartment_bartender handle, Elliott finds audacity in simplicity.
His approach from the get-go has been to simplify the craft of making premium cocktails at home, focusing on sophistication without pretension.
“Apartment Bartender started as a platform where I could express myself. I never imagined I could turn it into a career. But I’m grateful that it did.”
A talented basketballer in his youth, Elliott practised every day, perfecting his craft. Reaching a turning point in life, he applied the same dedication to his two side passions, teaching himself the basics of photography and mixology.
Little by little, he started to experiment. Then through social media, he found the perfect platform to reach the world.
“I wanted to mix things up, do things differently. They say when the job you want doesn’t exist, create it. And that’s what I did.”
His simple message of simplicity struck a chord. he democratised the concept of mixology, showing that anyone can make amazing cocktails, even with few ingredients.
“I wanted to show people that it’s possible to have a great drink experience at home, and it’s really easy to make an amazing cocktail, right in the comfort of your kitchen.”
And one of those ingredients can even be ice. Elliott regularly defends the importance of ice cubes to the art of mixology, which he describes as one of the “most underrated ingredients”.
“Ice not only matters for maintaining the integrity of your drinks, but it helps with the aesthetic and the presentation. Even with the finest spirits, and freshest ingredients, a cocktail will never be great if the ice is subpar.”
On his blog apartmentbartender.com he extols the virtues of proportionate, dense, and preferably pure (clear) ice, and true to his brand, shares tips for creating these at home.
Elliott’s success is testament to the idea that sometimes the most potent ideas can start at home, from the comfort of a kitchen.
With nearly 75k followers and counting on Instagram, the process of democratisation is well underway.
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