Story by Cara Devine. Cara is our Melbourne-based drinks writer. She is the manager of Bomba in Melbourne and the face and talent behind the cocktailing youtube channel Behind the Bar. You can email her at behindthebarchannel@gmail.com
The Elysian
113 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 3065
theelysianwhiskybar.com.au
The hospitality industry is notoriously difficult. Even setting aside the particular challenges of the last few years, getting noticed and, most importantly, holding that attention in a society obsessed with novelty is no picnic. But, those venues that do survive can become something special – the heart of a community.
The Elysian Whisky Bar had twin aims from the outset – to resemble the kind of bars that owner-operators Yao Wong and Kelvin Low like to visit on their travels (especially those in Japan), and to educate and introduce people to independent bottlings (IBs) of whisky. “Education is definitely a massive part of running a whisky bar. The more educated people are, the more they can understand and appreciate what they are drinking,” says Low. They have done a stellar job on both fronts.
The room is beautiful, dominated by a wall of whisky rendered enticing rather than daunting by the petite dimensions of the space and a bar clearly designed to be propped up at. The service, almost always courtesy of the men themselves, is simultaneously incredibly knowledgeable and incredibly humble which is critical in a venue where only the most confident of whisky connoisseurs wouldn’t feel somewhat out of their depth. “The most important thing is making sure you’re being inclusive and understanding that everyone is at different levels in their whisky journey (and not being a dick!).
“Education is definitely a massive part of running a whisky bar. The more educated people are, the more they can understand and appreciate what they are drinking”
Having a great enthusiasm for the product you’re pouring is also essential as the consumer can feel it and will be more willing to join in the journey of learning,” says Wong, and his business partner agrees. “The IB or rare whisky world can be quite niche and daunting for some people. But if we know that you are new to this, we will always use simpler terms, break it down for you, and without confusing people with different brands and names, just go back to basics and work with flavour profiles. We will talk to you and see what flavours you like and then bring some options for you to choose from, at different price points as well (to keep it accessible). Often people make the mistake of using difficult jargon and introduce too many brands. This will only confuse the customer more.”
It’s an approach which has clearly worked. Sitting at the bar there can feel like an episode of Cheers – Wong and Low greet almost every customer by name. “Paying attention to the palates of our regulars, understanding their likes and dislikes really helps. Knowing what they’re interested in and making sure they’re up to date on what we’re doing, making them feel like they’re part of the journey of our bar is very important to us,” Yao explains when asked how they’ve built such a strong community. “We have many loyal regular customers, and they are more like friends and family now,” adds Low.
It’s an approach which has clearly worked. Sitting at the bar there can feel like an episode of Cheers – Wong and Low greet almost every customer by name.
Their tastings (both virtually through lockdowns and in person) always elicit an incredible level of engagement for and are an important part of the education aspect of the venue. “When the tasting is brand orientated, we usually will do a vertical tasting with some rare releases thrown in… If the tasting is with an IB brand then I will try to get the bottler themself to talk about their selections. This has been really fun, as we really get to pick their brains and understand what goes on behind the scenes. Asking questions like “Why did you pick that cask?” or “How on earth did you manage to find such an amazing cask?” or “What made you finish in that cask?”. These are the burning questions that I normally have when I taste IBs,” says Low, and this is appreciated by their legion of loyal attendees.
This genuine passion for whisky and constant pursuit of knowledge has allowed them to stay at the top of their game as the bar matures. The whisky industry has changed since they started out; the average consumer’s understanding of whisky has increased, as have the number of independent bottlers, but so have prices. When asked for any tips on staying relevant, they both have similar replies. “A lot of what we do and what we stock stems from the never satiated thirst for trying new bottles! In fact you could say that the bottles we open over the bar are a reflection of what we personally want to try… And if the consumer continues to like that, then I think we’ve been pretty lucky!” quips Wong, and “we still get excited like little kids in a candy store when trying new whiskies!” says Low. He emphasises the need to stay up to date with what’s happening in the whisky world – their ever increasing amount of vintage Scotch bottlings and Australian whiskies is testament to this.
The duo have clearly perfected their art; you couldn’t be in safer hands the next time you are feeling adventurous and want to try something new. That said, they also make the best Espresso Martini in Melbourne. On reflection, I think it might be the perfect bar.