A dystopian world, after the apocalypse, filled with fear, injustice and deprivation might not strike you as bundle of laughs.
But throw in tonnes of booze including glowing cocktails (blame the radiation) in an underground shelter, and it could be a cracking night out - very different to the city's gamut of sports bars, gin palaces, craft beer haunts and swish cocktail spots.
Revellers will be greeted with a complimentary decontamination drink on arrival at what's probably the most 'out-there' bar ever to open in Nottingham.
Imagine 1980s neon lighting, synthwave, lava lamps, tie-dyed T-shirts and drinks mats made from denim jeans in a futuristic society... welcome to Dystopia.
This is what happens when two creative bartenders Christian Tirel, ex Last Chance Saloon, and former Brass Monkey manager Liam O'Brien get together over a few whiskeys.
"Imagine couple of rogue maverick renegades that one day thought it would be a great idea to open a bar based loosely on Kavinsky, Drive and Kung Fury in 7 DAYS…" is their explanation.
"It starts with some lighting bolts and thunder and a snapshot of a bar in 2019 that was set in 3014 envisioned by someone in 1984, a bar that had survived the Trump invasion of 2021, the great Laser & Magarita war of 2089, closed down for a bit, had a few homeless people live in it for a while and then RE-OPENED...welcome to our future that’s kinda in the past but not really…"
So... we get it, we think, but all will become clear when you visit the underground pop-up, beneath Lost Property in Hockley.
The exact location is Resistance, a secret bar that's currently going spare for the summer.
To extend the hospitality, cleanse the palate, and get 'rid of radiation from the outside world' visitors will be greeted with a complimentary decontamination drink.
The full cocktail list is currently a closely guarded secret (in other words they're refining it, remember their whiskey-fuelled sesh was only last Thursday) and will evolve as the bar runs its course.
However, there will be an element of fear and the unknown with some familiarity. For example Citizen of the World has been inspired by the classic Cosmopolitan.
Others have provocative names, such as Cuban Missile Crisis, to get drinkers talking.
Liam said: "They will be thought-provoking. It's not just about the drinks, it's about being with good company and having a good conversation."
Unlike a "normal bar" there won't be wine, possibly one beer, and limited mixers because vodka and coke will not be a thing.
The cocktails will be made from their own supply of spirits that they've amassed over 15 years in the industry - hundreds of bottles of gin, whiskey, rum and vodka they've bought, been given and won in competitions - "the only alcohol left in the world" after the apocalypse.
UV lighting will give some of the cocktails an eerie glow, set against a soundtrack of 1980s retrowaves.
Dystopia will open on Friday August 9 and will run for a minimum of four weeks.
Bearing in mind most bars take a year to launch, with months of planning and deliberating over the decor, service and menu development, it's been a frantic challenge to find a venue, decide on the look, and source equipment.
Brass Monkey, the Curious Tavern, 400 Rabbits and Be At One have rallied round to provide support - such as providing the venue and lending glasses.
Liam said: "It's not going to be like a standard run-of-the-mill bar. We want to do something we don't think currently exists anywhere else.
"Crazy ideas we are never short of. We want to have a bit of fun - take our creativity and see what comes out the other end. It's a joke that has gone too far but there is a lot of love going into it. We want to try and do something people can really enjoy.
"We've not even opened and we've had people trying to book tables and asking us to take it on tour. It started off as a bit of irreverent fun and it's turned into something people are getting behind it."
Christian added: "We have no idea how this is going to work. This is more of a passion project. It's like being a kid in a candy shop but being an adult. We have nothing to lose. It's a bit of fun and a chance to showcase our creativity."
Guest bartenders, both from Nottingham and nationally, are welcome and they'll be given free rein to experiment.
Liam said: "There's so much creatively but normally it's restricted because they're messing with someone else's bar or livelihood."
Opening hours will be Friday to Monday, from 8pm until late, with entry via Lost Property in Carlton Street.
