The Story Behind The LiquiNeers

What started as one wedding and a simple idea grew into something much bigger.

Today, The LiquiNeers is a hospitality brand built around creativity, connection, and the belief that a great drink is only one part of a memorable experience.

A Passion for People and Possibilities

Elias Tufunkji, founder of The LiquiNeers, began his journey in Lebanon through cocktails, events and hospitality. But he quickly realised that bartending was never just about making drinks. For him, it was about people, energy, presentation and creating an atmosphere.

A Wedding in Lebanon Changed Everything

In 2009, Elias had the opportunity to provide bartending for a wedding in Lebanon.

For the event, he created a mojito and mocktail experience for the guests. What caught his attention wasn’t only their reaction to the drinks — it was the way they responded to the interaction, the presentation and watching the bartenders work in front of them.

That experience made Elias realise there was an opportunity to create something beyond traditional beverage service:
a hospitality experience that could become part of the event itself.

That small beginning would eventually grow into The LiquiNeers.

THE IDEA BEHIND THE BRAND

Engineering Experiences, Not Just Drinks

The LiquiNeers grew from Elias’s belief that bartending could become more than simply serving drinks.

As the business developed, he realised that clients weren’t only looking for someone to prepare beverages. They wanted someone they could trust to create a complete experience for their guests.

That meant thinking beyond the recipe — about the ingredients, presentation, bar design, service flow, guest interaction and the atmosphere surrounding the bar.

For Elias, the goal is simple:
The bar should feel like it belongs to the event — not like something that was simply brought in to serve drinks.

Flavour Meets Emotion

For Elias, the guest doesn’t come to the bar only to receive a drink — they come to interact.

That experience can come from the way a cocktail is presented, the conversation between mixologist and guest, the design of the bar, or simply making someone feel looked after.

The drink matters, of course.
But for The LiquiNeers, the feeling around the drink is what people remember.

From Lebanon to the UAE: A New Chapter

In 2021, Elias brought The LiquiNeers to the UAE, seeing the country’s events, hospitality and luxury market as a natural next step for the brand.
But entering a new market meant raising the standard across the entire experience — from the bars and uniforms to the cocktails, presentation, service style and attention to detail.

It also meant becoming more adaptable. A private celebration, luxury wedding, corporate event or brand activation can each require a completely different approach.

Today, that flexibility remains an important part of The LiquiNeers, as Elias looks toward new markets, new experiences and new forms of hospitality.

The Biggest Challenge: Staying True While Growing

For Elias, one of the hardest parts of building The LiquiNeers has been maintaining the same level of quality as the business grows.

When the company was smaller, he could personally control almost every detail. Growth meant learning how to build a team and create systems that could deliver the same vision even when he wasn’t personally standing behind the bar.

That process has become one of the biggest learning experiences in developing the brand — making sure the quality, presentation and hospitality remain consistent as The LiquiNeers expands.

“The greatest challenge has probably been maintaining the same level of quality while growing.”
— ELIAS TUFUNKJI