Samuel Nellis
Silver Lyan | Washington, D.C.
February 2026
Samuel Nellis, a Washington, D.C. native, grew up dining at local restaurants with his family. Although he always enjoyed hospitality, Nellis went to college to study theatre and eventually took an office job in Chicago, Illinois, after graduating. When he returned to D.C., however, he got a job working as a food runner and host at Birch & Barley and ChurchKey. Over the next two years, Nellis was hooked on service and worked his way up from barback to server to bartender before eventually becoming assistant general manager, learning to lead while diving into the restaurant’s expansive beer program.
Eager to learn more about cocktail culture, he joined the team at The Red Hen as a manager, where he had the opportunity to engage deeply with the bar program and explore molecular mixology. Nellis stayed with the company for the next six years, bartending and helping manage the group’s concepts across the city.
After the pandemic, Nellis was ready for something new. Energized by years of reading about Bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana’s White Lyan in London, England, Nellis joined the team at Chetiyawardana’s bar Silver Lyan in D.C. and soon became a senior bartender. In February 2024, he was promoted to head bartender, taking on creative and managerial responsibilities. For each menu, Nellis and his team create cocktails inspired by stories from around the world, such as his shaka sour with vodka, fermented sugarcane vermouth, passion fruit, cedar, Buddha’s hand bitters, and egg whites, which draws inspiration from the origins of the iconic Hawaiian hand gesture.
In addition to his duties behind the stick, Nellis works with Chefs for Equality and hosts educational classes at the bar, aiming to build community connection and raise the profile, creativity, and quality of the D.C. bar scene.
2026 StarChefs D.C.-Maryland-Virginia Rising Stars Award Winner
