Facilitating Cocktail Workshops & Classes

[Chris Amirault]

After brewing for several months, a project I've been pursuing is taking shape. If all goes well, this fall I'll be presenting a series of mixology classes in partnership with a local restaurant (and as a Society benefit). None of the logistics are set; I'll start an event topic when we have solid dates.

This topic is for planning and executing cocktail workshops. I have worked in education for decades, have designed and facilitated hundreds of workshops for adult learners on a variety of subjects. However, the food and drink workshops I've facilitated have been small, in-home affairs for friends and friends-of-friends. As a result, while I'm confident about the basics of a well-organized two-hour workshop, I'm also sufficiently experienced to know that cocktails present their own set of unique issues.

To frame the discussion, let me tell you about the crowd we're likely to get. RI has largely missed the cocktail revolution in this country. (I can produce an arms-length list of complaints, but here's a useful case in point: at a newly opened "cocktailian" bar in town, I watched in awe as the owner/bartender shook my Manhattan with wet ice for 30 vigorous seconds.) The workshop would thus start with cocktail basics -- ingredients, technique, and a few base recipes -- and then, should there be interest, proceed as a themed series to be determined.

The workshops would be targeted at the home cocktailian who desires to learn about, taste, and create mixed drinks that will be superior to any served in RI. Buzz suggests that a few working bartenders might also be interested, but I think that we can assume that everyone would benefit from an overview/review of the basics and proceed from there. We've got the PR/media angle covered and have already started exploring retail liquor store links.

So I'm hoping to gain some ideas about the workshops themselves. I have an existing workshop that I've used to good effect and can revise to suit this session. I've learned a few lessons so far as well:

• You can't have too many glasses, straws, napkins, fruit, or garnishes.
  
• It's really easy to panic as your ice melts and drinks get crappier, so have a plan for access to lots of good, very cold ice.
  
• If you bring it, your favorite cocktail glass will be broken. Trust me on this one.
  
• Straw tastes in shot glasses are a great way for people to experience a variety of one type of booze, opening people's eyes to the differences between products and keeping them relatively sober.
  
• Participation is a mixed blessing. It's fine for participants to do tricks like flaming orange peels or practice stirring technique, but full-on drink-making is best left to the very end -- and they need their own equipment.
  
• Advocating for selection really makes a difference on the shelves, especially if you have good numbers and help people see the win/win for both participants and stores.
  
• When someone starts talking about industry-based marketing workshops, run in the opposite direction. You can swing a stick and hit a bartender running a Diageo-sponsored event; rare is the workshop devoted to the craft and not the brand.
  

While I have a few clues, I also know that there's a ton I don't know, and our Society membership includes some of the great cocktail teachers in the world. Please, if you will, share your insights.

Cheers.

[Alcuin]

I'll be watching this topic with interest, since this Friday I'm running my first in-home cocktail demonstration. Being in Madison, WI, I've got a steep road ahead of me; this town's still mired in the dark ages, to say the least (though getting a very interested local liquor store to badger the distributor and get me Rittenhouse BIB was a personal victory that hopefully bodes well for the future).

[KatieLoeb]

Chris:

I'd definitely try not to focus on too many things at once. Perhaps talking about stocking a basic home bar with liquor, mixers and equipment could be session 1. (Feel free to refer to my article on that subject) Basic techniques and a couple of classic cocktails along with some background on the spirits could be session 2 (e.g. Vodka and Gin - Martinis and Cosmos). Session 3 could be brown liquors and Manhattans and Old Fashioneds. I think it's easier to hold people's interest if they aren't being bombarded with too much information at once. Keeping it all relevant to a smaller sphere each session will allow them to build upon their knowledge from week to week.

Having just attended Liquid Lab with Junior Merino (a mind blowing experience, I might add), I thought the way the Lab was conducted was pretty interesting and instructive. We'd taste 5 examples of a given spirit, discuss, and then go back to the Lab where each attendee had a cutting board, knife, jiggers, shakers, strainer, and a room full of booze and fresh produce, juices, anything-you-could-possibly-imagine. We'd then each create 2 different cocktails with the spirit we'd just tasted. Granted, this was geared to professional bartenders to encourage creativity and the ability to make drinks on the fly, but the structure could certainly work in a more guided situation as well.

[Chris Amirault]

Alcuin, your store buy-in truly is a victory, and hopefully the first of many. See if you can score a Wisconsin Beverage Journal, and then start pushing hard! How are you approaching the structure of your demo?

Katie, don't get me thinking about that Liquid Lab.... My jaw dropped when I saw that place. I'll be working from a small 12-seat bar that sits astride a smallish (30 covers?) front of house, and I think I'll need to bring with me most of what I'll use.

I've already drawn from your article, Janet's eGCI course on classic cocktails, and several other sources, and I'm pretty keen on the content I want to cover. I can't assume a series quite yet, so the first session will have to be a grabber, in the hopes of getting some longer-term commitments.

Having just attended Liquid Lab with Junior Merino (a mind blowing experience, I might add), I thought the way the Lab was conducted was pretty interesting and instructive.  We'd taste 5 examples of a given spirit, discuss, and then go back to the Lab where each attendee had a cutting board, knife, jiggers, shakers, strainer, and a room full of booze and fresh produce, juices, anything-you-could-possibly-imagine.  We'd then each create 2 different cocktails with the spirit we'd just tasted.  Granted, this was geared to professional bartenders to encourage creativity and the ability to make drinks on the fly, but the structure could certainly work in a more guided situation as well.

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That sounds like the "training wheels off" session I've been envisioning down the road. For now, I've been thinking about tastings of a given spirit with discussion, then making some sample drinks for them; after tasting each, they decide which to make and what to tweak (sweeter, more sour, stronger, additional ingredient).

[Alcuin]

Alcuin, your store buy-in truly is a victory, and hopefully the first of many. See if you can score a Wisconsin Beverage Journal, and then start pushing hard! How are you approaching the structure of your demo?

Well, if I read the party right, the group will be mostly in their 50s, with some fond reveries of days gone by when their parents drank a civilized drink. The person who's party it is likes a good Martini and is apparently known for them--I introduced her to orange bitters and I think she (rightly) perceives that there's a wide world out there and would like to know more.

I haven't written my outline, but this is roughly what I intend to do. I'm approaching this mainly as a teaser: I'm going to present 5 standards that will allow me to scratch the surface in different ways:

the Daiquiri: we'll talk the basics of drink structure with this one, as well as the importance of technique

the Negroni (something challenging to the palate was requested): we'll talk about how and why to drink with this one. Many people seem to think that when you get into the realm of mixed drinks, you're going to get lambasted. I'm going to counter this notion by talking about when's appropriate to drink a drink, as with the Negroni it serves as a fine aperitif, just as a sweet drink might be good after dinner, a long drink when you want to contemplate, etc.

the Aviation: with this one I'll talk about liqueurs (what they are and how to use them) as well as modern cocktails and cocktail culture

the Improved Whiskey Cocktail: being from Wisconsin, they'll know the Old Fashioned, but in its muddled, very sweet guise: I'm going to talk history with this one and show them the importance of respecting and playing off of your ingredients

the French Pearl: I'm going to use this as an example of a modern drink that builds off of tradition to produce something new and unique.

I'm going to make these drinks and serve about 1oz or 1 1/2oz per person for tasting. An egg drink was also requested, but I'm not sure I'll get to that. If I do, I'll have the makings for Pisco Sours, so I might show them how to mime shake, why drinks with egg whites are good, and why they won't kill you.

The floor will be open for questions throughout and I'm going to show them the basics of equipment, technique, and how to build a bar or at least enough of a repertoire of things they like and can make at home. I'm also going to have handouts with info on it like a bibliography, list of essential equipment, etc. This will all be very basic, but very detailed too. Maybe, if I work with this group again, we'll get into more advanced things like tasting whiskies/gins/rums/bitters/etc. but that's too esoteric for now. At this point, they need to know what gin and bitters are.

[thirtyoneknots]

I think who your target audience is should determine a lot of your approach...if it is mostly people who already have an interest in home mixology and/or professionals, then you can skip things like how to stock a bar, since they presumably already have something to go on there. On the other hand, the kind of things that we think should be stressed (like the poor quality ice in your anecdote) should become self-evident throughout the session and can be dealt with almost as an aside. Tasting an overly watery Daiquiri or Sidecar should be all the reminder anyone needs.

Even assuming people who already have an interest in the craft, a palate for the unique and pungent flavors of liquor cannot be taken for granted and it would I think be a good idea to have some gentle intro drinks ready at the beginning, moving into 'advanced' stuff later into the thing. You can't of course build a palate in a day but at least they won't be shocked at the beginning.

One of the things I do when I'm training new bartenders at work is to have them make a lemonade, while I also make one. I don't qualify the order at all, so it could be as open as pouring it off the gun, but then I let them compare with mine and we work on lemonade until the feel for acid sugar balance is grasped. Then when they are halfway there I might make another one with flavored syrup or something to throw a curve. It's something that I've found useful as an early step in training to help with concepts of balance as well as illustrate the importance of A) always using new juice and B) making sure you know what your customer is ordering...the variations in something as simple as lemonade are legion...and theres not even booze in it.

[Chris Amirault]

Alcuin, those sample drinks are among the ones I've used as initiation libations, especially the French Pearl, which takes care of at least three "I don't like drinks with X in them" protests (gin, Pernod, mint). It's also a great example of the alchemy of a good drink; when people first see lime, gin, mint, Pernod, and simple, they can't imagine it tasting like anything palatable, much less magical. I give you major props for including the Negroni, a drink near and dear to my heart. I'd be afraid of people running for the doors (and wasting some of my old recipe Campari in the process).

Andy, I think I'm approaching stocking the bar the way that Robert Hess does: find a drink you like, get the ingredients, expand from there. It's what I did myself and the only economically feasible method for most people. I have a working list that I'll probably hand out, but I always stress it's idiosyncratic; people who don't love bitters don't need the number I do, and my scotch supply (one: Famous Grouse) is pathetic for most.

As for their palate, my sense is that few of those in attendance will ever have had a well-made... anything. Certainly nothing classic, mainly riffs on a fruity, sweet X-tini with a vodka base. One of my rather brusque insistences is that the drink should incorporate the flavor of the spirit and not mask it, starting with, as you said, something gentle. I've found, however, that the sort of people who express interest in this aren't haters of a given spirit, and that they're game to give the real thing a try.

I also agree that starting with basic flavors works; some people need to make their way to more complex flavors. When I did one session I had everyone taste several simple syrups (1:1 and 2:1 white, 2:1 demerara, 2:1 cane, 1:1 agave), and it was a great attention-getter. Everyone was amazed that "sweet" had different dimensions. It's sort of like your lemonade.

[Alcuin]

Alcuin, those sample drinks are among the ones I've used as initiation libations, especially the French Pearl, which takes care of at least three "I don't like drinks with X in them" protests (gin, Pernod, mint). It's also a great example of the alchemy of a good drink; when people first see lime, gin, mint, Pernod, and simple, they can't imagine it tasting like anything palatable, much less magical. I give you major props for including the Negroni, a drink near and dear to my heart. I'd be afraid of people running for the doors (and wasting some of my old recipe Campari in the process).

Andy, I think I'm approaching stocking the bar the way that Robert Hess does: find a drink you like, get the ingredients, expand from there. It's what I did myself and the only economically feasible method for most people. I have a working list that I'll probably hand out, but I always stress it's idiosyncratic; people who don't love bitters don't need the number I do, and my scotch supply (one: Famous Grouse) is pathetic for most.

As for their palate, my sense is that few of those in attendance will ever have had a well-made... anything. Certainly nothing classic, mainly riffs on a fruity, sweet X-tini with a vodka base. One of my rather brusque insistences is that the drink should incorporate the flavor of the spirit and not mask it, starting with, as you said, something gentle. I've found, however, that the sort of people who express interest in this aren't haters of a given spirit, and that they're game to give the real thing a try.

I also agree that starting with basic flavors works; some people need to make their way to more complex flavors. When I did one session I had everyone taste several simple syrups (1:1 and 2:1 white, 2:1 demerara, 2:1 cane, 1:1 agave), and it was a great attention-getter. Everyone was amazed that "sweet" had different dimensions. It's sort of like your lemonade.

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That's a good idea about the tasting of the syrups: you can get them to think about how things will work in a drink on some level without having them have to deal with things that might be too intense (spirits, bitters). I'll give that a shot.

As for the Negroni, I brought it up in some other context and she specifically asked for it. I told her that it was a difficult drink to spring on people and even herself (she's never even had one) but she insisted. She thinks something really difficult will be interesting. I'm not really sure if many will like it, but I'll just tell them an anecdote of my first impressions of a Negroni were like (I wasn't really thrilled) and how they've changed (I often drink Fernet Branca after dinner). Maybe it will be so for them too, or maybe not.

[Chris Amirault]

Negroni could be interesting to showcase different ratios: an equal parts Negroni (my go to) is a radically different drink than some others, especially ones that scale back the Campari.

[jneu]

Hey Chris, great topic. This is something I am very passionate about. I've been teaching a few cocktail classes in the Milwaukee area for a couple of years so I can feel for you. I too am in a bit of a "cocktail blackhole".

I've found that for the classes where I've had beginners I had success showing them popular drinks that are typically not well made at many bars/restaurants - daiquiris, margaritas, mojitos. By teaching good technique and how to pick the right ingredients they were able to make basic drinks far superior to ones they have had in the past. I was surprised at how excited they were about such simple drinks. Also, another thing I noticed is many students had questions about spirits and shopping for them. They really appreciated tips I could give them on picking out quality spirits. I think the next class I do I will try to have more variety of the same type of spirit so they can do some side by side comparison. Many people are very brand loyal without ever trying this exercise.

This has got me thinking about getting back to work on an outline I started.

"American History and the Cocktail"

cheers

[Chris Amirault]

I think you're right on target, regarding both the "new" versions (that is, old versions) of commonly ruined drinks and the buyer's guide. One of my secret missions is to convince people never to buy Bacardi white again.

[thirtyoneknots]

I think you're right on target, regarding both the "new" versions (that is, old versions) of commonly ruined drinks and the buyer's guide. One of my secret missions is to convince people never to buy Bacardi white again.

←

Oh man, preach it. We stopped carrying it completely at work in favor of Flor de Cana but some nitwit raised enough fuss that we have bacardi hiding in a cabinet all the time now. I should have given him 1/3 FdC and 2/3 vodka in his coke to see if he would pick up on it. Of course now he watches us make his precious rum and coke every time so I doubt I could get away with it.

[Chris Amirault]

[cough] Empty Bacardi bottle, full FdC bottle, funnel: problem solved. [/cough]

How do people handle ice? I just secured an assistant who can do runs between the freezer and the bar; not sure if there's a freezer at the bar itself. I suppose I could try to find some dry ice, but I'd rather not screw with that.

[weinoo]

Negroni could be interesting to showcase different ratios: an equal parts Negroni (my go to) is a radically different drink than some others, especially ones that scale back the Campari.

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Other than the Negroni (and don't use your old formula Campari unless you have to!), it's interesting to me how people react to other cocktails with Campari in them. I've made Negronis for guests, and half of them don't even finish the drink. On the other hand, make everyone a Jasmine, and that drink will disappear really fast. Great way to showcase the bitter.

[Dave the Cook]

I've taught a few cocktail classes, but they've not been hands-on affairs, and the knowledge transferred has been only the most basic stuff. Having said that, I do have some suggestions:

• At a seminar I attended a couple of years ago, Dale DeGroff taught a "tasting" technique that really opened my eyes. We had seven different bottlings to taste, each represented by a half-ounce pour in a small plastic cup, and when I took my seat, I was sure that I was in for palate fatigue, gustatory confusion and slight inebriation. Here's what he told us to do: put your nose and mouth over the sample and breathe through your mouth.
  Unless you clamp your nose, you'll still get significant sensory input, and you won't burn your nose hairs with the alcohol. It also gives your tongue a small dose of ethanol, so it gets gently tempered for the onslaught to come. What that means is that you don't need to ingest so much alcohol to register the differences in brands, ages, etc. (It also reminds you how much aroma matters.) The only improvement I could suggest is a piece of paper with a checklist for each spirit, so students can note their impressions immediately; I'd include common descriptors and a few blank lines.
  
• Don't underestimate the impression that a full-strength cocktail can have on a newb. A few years back, a friend asked me to create a drink for a party she was giving. I came up with a combination of reposado tequila, spiced syrup and lemon juice topped with hard cider: maybe a touch more alcoholic than a Tom Collins. She took the recipe home for testing and reported back the next day: It was great, but man, was it strong! Now, she regularly has a Friday lunch accompanied by a typical Tex-Mex frozen Margarita (with the requisite shot of Chambord or Midori), so she's not averse to alcohol. But if your students have similar experience, a real Margarita (or Aviation or Sidecar) will be a big boozy surprise.
  
• Ice: start big. If you can't enlist a local Kold-Draft equipped bar to pony up, then use those big-ass silicone molds and make your own giant cubes. For the day-of, use an insulated cooler with a perforated hotel pan (so the melt drips off; water just makes ice melt faster). If you can't find a perfed pan, get one of those expandable mesh sink strainers to hold your ice in the cooler. Just get the water off the ice as quickly as possible.
  

[KatieLoeb]

[cough] Empty Bacardi bottle, full FdC bottle, funnel: problem solved. [/cough]

How do people handle ice? I just secured an assistant who can do runs between the freezer and the bar; not sure if there's a freezer at the bar itself. I suppose I could try to find some dry ice, but I'd rather not screw with that.

←

Wait a minute. Even a BYO restaurant without a proper bar should have an ice machine for ice water, sodas, etc. Is there no server's station with an ice bin nearby? Can you fill a cooler ahead of time from their ice machine?

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks, Dave -- those are all steal-worthy. I have never heard of the Wondrich trick and it's a good one. I'd already planned to stock up on Tivoli ice here at home, but I'll tweet up the town and see if I can find a Kold-Draft machine. Odds are low for reasons indicated above...!

Katie, I'm quite sure that there's a server's bin -- but I would like tips for keeping that ice cold. At another restaurant event, I did an impromptu demo and, when I arrived at the ice, the handful I grabbed from the bin was dripping and the resulting drink was junk.

[cax77uk]

I think you're right on target, regarding both the "new" versions (that is, old versions) of commonly ruined drinks and the buyer's guide. One of my secret missions is to convince people never to buy Bacardi white again.

←

I think the key with any kind of workshops like the ones that you're proposing is to give people the tools to be able to make informed choices.

Rather than trying to persuade them never to drink Bacardi again, try side by side comparisons, and make them relevant. Bacardi is made for mixing so comparing straight up against a sipping rum wouldn't work. However, making daiquiris with different brands would give people a good frame of reference.

i think what your doing is great and anything that gets people to step out of their comfort zone and try new things acan only be a good thing!

RM

[Chris Amirault]

Thanks. And, yes, I'll be doing no soapbox speeches about brands; that's what the tastes I mentioned above are for. ("Straw tastes in shot glasses are a great way for people to experience a variety of one type of booze, opening people's eyes to the differences between products and keeping them relatively sober.") When I've done that in the past, for example, they can pick up the differences among DeKuyper triple sec, Marie Brizard triple sec, Clement Creole Shrubb, and Cointreau -- a very interesting exercise that starts with most people thinking "orange" all means the same thing.

[slkinsey]

At a seminar I attended a couple of years ago, Dale DeGroff taught a "tasting" technique that really opened my eyes. We had seven different bottlings to taste, each represented by a half-ounce pour in a small plastic cup, and when I took my seat, I was sure that I was in for palate fatigue, gustatory confusion and slight inebriation. Here's what he told us to do: put your nose and mouth over the sample and breathe through your mouth.

Unless you clamp your nose, you'll still get significant sensory input, and you won't burn your nose hairs with the alcohol. It also gives your tongue a small dose of ethanol, so it gets gently tempered for the onslaught to come. What that means is that you don't need to ingest so much alcohol to register the differences in brands, ages, etc. (It also reminds you how much aroma matters.) The only improvement I could suggest is a piece of paper with a checklist for each spirit, so students can note their impressions immediately; I'd include common descriptors and a few blank lines.

Humans are actually unique in the extent to which we experience retronasal olfaction while eating. This means, more or less, that while we are chewing, scent molecules work their way backwards up into the nasal area and thence to the main olfactory receptors. This is the main reason why, for example, humans savor their food and eat slowly compared to, say, dogs -- and why our appreciation of flavor (note I didn't say "taste") is more important to us.

[alacarte]

Chris, good luck with your class!

Some great tips here - Janet, love the idea about straining water off of melting ice.

I've only recently started teaching hands-on cocktail classes, and wish I'd known some of these tips before. But some of the things I learned and can share:

--Have something small for the class to sip on right away, esp. if you'll be talking for awhile first. When I taught a spicy cocktails class I started everyone with a shot of Domaine de Canton.

--HAVE FOOD! You need something to absorb the booze & keep people from getting too drunk. Plus, it increases the perception of class value if you can serve something nice but not too complex. (I had artisanal cheese and chunks of bread)

--Don't forget about mise-en-place, both for you and your students. Get there early. Check and double check that the limes are sliced, for example, and everyone has all the bottles they'll need at hand. Otherwise students get bored watching you set up and you just look disorganized.

--Do as you say. I still remember the class where I advised students to always wear rubber gloves when cutting hot peppers, and then I forgot to put mine on when I demo'ed a habanero drink. And you KNOW everyone jumped to point that out! I made 100% certain to put on those gloves for the next class.

[Alchemist]

One of the most important things is to teach your class HOW to taste booze. I have seen many professionals slurp rum like it was wine. Air is the enemy. Keep those lips closed and move it around your mouth. The burn should only happen at the end to judge proof.

I like tiny amounts (half Ozish) of the cocktail in little plastic glasses. So much of a cocktail is in the smell, and a straw taste will never get you there.

I agree that there should be something to sip on ASAP. It helps if they have something interesting to taste from the beginning.

A helper is very nessasary. Simeone to wash tins, maintain the bar, grab that one thing that is always forgotten.

Have them taste fresh lemon and lime and talk about the sweetness in it. Its not just sour.

Talk slowly and repete important points.

Near the end, when everybody feels good, and gets really chatty, bring them back in line. You want your summation to be heard loud and clear.

Have a good time. Let your passion show.

Toby

[thirtyoneknots]

Have them taste fresh lemon and lime and talk about the sweetness in it.  Its not just sour.

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Good call, and in keeping with the compare/contrast theme it may also be instructive to let taste 'real lemon' and 3 day old lemon/lime juice as well to better understand why fresh is important. Lemonade or something similar made with these might also help to illustrate concepts about freshness, etc as well.

[KatieLoeb]

they can pick up the differences among DeKuyper triple sec, Marie Brizard triple sec, Clement Creole Shrubb, and Cointreau -- a very interesting exercise that starts with most people thinking "orange" all means the same thing...

You might want to throw Grand Marnier into the mix here, to illustrate what barrel aging and brandy bring to the party. Perhaps making a Margarita with each would also illustrate your point.

Edited July 6, 2009 by KatieLoeb (log)

[Chris Amirault]

So now I'm running at about, oh, eight hours for session one. I've got my own ideas about content for this first, start-up session, but I'm interested in yours. I want to assume almost nothing except prior bad experiences, have fun, edumucate them a bit, and leave them wanting more. Your thoughts?