Life & Work with Thomas Sherwood of Lo-Hi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Sherwood.

Hi Thomas, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Disregarding a kitchen stint at the students center grill in high school, I started my experience in the restaurant industry in Washington, DC at The Sovereign. The Sovereign is a Belgian Bistro that hosts a very traditional food menu, and takes heavy advantage of the lack of 3 tier distribution in DC to host an insane draft list. I had a hunger for knowledge and despite being a host, I was given the opportunity to attend trainings for other positions and sponge up as much information as could. Within a year and a half I had created my own management position in the keg room, was doing everything I could to be as involved and learning as much as possible. This didn’t go unnoticed and I was promoted to a junior staff management spot. This freed me up start working on more projects, and I got my first drinks onto the menu. After a year, I was upgraded to the marquis property of the group and given more space to learn. I was being flooded with beer info primarily, but really starting to dig into the nuance of spirits and food, and repurposing learn beer pairings across other liquids. When I eventually moved out to Denver, I sent a brief stint at Attimo Wine, cutting my teeth a little more in the wine world, but at that point I was ready for a break. I was looking to find the concept that fit me and so for the mean time I took a step back and worked at Punch Bowl Social for a year. My brain finally got to the point where it was begging to be engaged on a higher level. I was looking for a new space and did an interview and the former Sushi Sasa that I didn’t enjoy, so I found myself stopping into Proto’s Pizza since I needed lunch and help wanted was on their chalkboard. I talked to Jon Greschler who was DO for Pam Proto and had opened The Nearby Bar. I instantly found a home in the creative space, but also was instantly looking for things that weren’t there or didn’t exist. As we slowly leaned more and more into the creative aspect of ingredient prep and custom vibes, I quickly took the lead on ordering and management of housemade ingredients. I didn’t want to use ginger syrup anymore, I wanted a ginger beer based Szechuan Peppercorn Fenugreek syrup, I didn’t want Cranberry juice, I wanted Red Wine Vinegar Beet Shrub. Once again I had found a space that I could grow in, and I did everything I could to make it my own. In short order, I found myself spearheading the majority of the ingredient creation and being in the ear of the buyer for most of the space. As staff changed and the former manager proved ineffectual, I took over management of the Nearby Bar about 18months ago. Since then the goal has been to excise all the bullshit off our back bar, amplify the amount of events we do and why we do them, and dial in ingredients to a level that we are completely different that any other bar in town!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I entered into the restaurant industry shortly after having left College at GW. I had not found the academic success I was accustomed too, and was very undirected. I left school with severe depression and didn’t know if it was temporary or not. Not getting my degree after lots of family dollars spent on school to get me there, had a profound impact on me, and I determined to rediscover my self worth. I found this in the industry where I could, but as many were, I hit the Covid speed bump. When I moved out to Denver, I struggled to find a job for multiple months, my long term partner and I broke up, and once I did find something, my mental health was at an all time low. I ended up deciding to get myself to a treatment facility to work on my brain a little bit. Once I was back, I thought I was doing well, but as it turned out I was not. I picked up a DUI, and again needed to reassess what I needed to grow into the person I wanted to be. This all happened just months before starting at Nearby over 3 years ago. Jon supported me and gave me the space to be impactful without overextending myself.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love flavors, I love recreating things in their own new way, and I love creating something unique. I take the word unique very seriously, and always am attempting create something new. That having been said my pedigree is in old world flavors. Whether Absinthe, Genever, Eau de Vie, Herbal Bitter, Dry Reisling, Arneis, Beaujolais, Quince fruit, Kellerbier, Tmave, you name it I like it. I think I’m very fortunate to have found my pallet for food, beer, wine & spirits from different regions and time periods, and I love incorporating food into booze and vice-versa, but in reality the beauty of what I do now at Nearby is essentially be an interpreter. To anyone that has a semblance of what they might like, I can extrapolate that and create a specific experience that ties into what you like, that introduces you to something without taking you out of your comfort zone.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We love to see new faces in the bar, especially when they are armed with a quality prompt. We’re firmly of the opinion that we are a bar worth bringing you visiting friends to as a means to show of the city! Also when you’re in, don’t forget to ask about Proto’s Pizza, we offer the whole menu while they’re open and slices afterward!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nearbybardenver.com
• Instagram: @nearbybardenver
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/NearbyBarDenver