We recently hosted a private holiday party at Gustology. We used one of their preferred caterers, and our guests were thrilled with both the food and drink. It was wonderful to be able to pick the cocktails we were going to learn, and it ensured there was something on the menu for all. Max and Marco were superb hosts/facilitators! It's in no small part to their efforts that our party was a success. Cheers! read more

Gustology - Tangy mojito. - Bartenders Near Me

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We had a private event with Gustology and it was meh. The facilitator was not as engaging or crowd pleasing. The drinks were all pre-made and all we did was mix. We had higher expectations. read more

It's confession time, my friends! I am cocktail-challenged. I don't know how to shake a shaker or what the hell bitters is. Don't get me wrong, I can order a cocktail like a champ but when it comes to recreating my faves at home, I have no idea where to begin. So when I noticed my favorite little bar Gusto had grown up to Gustology, a cocktail making experience, I grabbed a drinking buddy and headed over. Gustology has a calender of their classes on their website ranging from holiday drinks like Cranberry Old Fashions and Godiva Martinis to tried-and-true standbys like Manhattans and Mint Juleps. Spotted my favorite the Moscow Mule, which also included a lesson in Margaritas and Greyhounds, and made a reso. Marco, the owner and instructor, was an amazing teacher. Not only did I learn how to shake a proper cocktail but I got some lessons in liquor and glassware. I loved the layout of Gustology too. It's an open, welcoming space with paintings from a local artist lining the walls. It'd be a cool and unique place for a private party. After the hour and a half class, I felt so confident that I made Moscow Mules all night long! Can't drag your boyfriend to a painting class? Does he give you a noncommital nod when you mention a cooking class? Gustology is totally your answer. C'mon, like he's gonna say "no" to booze. It's an awesome date night spot or even a girl's night out stop. Definitely try it out! read more

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My boyfriend and I went here using a Groupon and it was a great night! It was fun, interactive of course, and the bartender was great! He teaches you a little history of each drink before you get to savor your tasty creation! You get breaks in between each drink to mingle and walk around the establishment. We will definitely be back! read more

Gustology was my first drink mixing class ever, and I loved it! I recently attended Saturday night class.. I walked in not knowing anything (aside from knowing how to order like a pro) and I walked out not inly knowing how to mix three great drinks, but knowing the cool details about the alcohol that we used. Our cocktail maestro, I can't seem to recall his name right now, was funny, knowledgable, and happy to answer any questions we had about the drinks (on or off the menu). Gustology is a hit for a date night, group outing, or if you just want to learn to make a delicious specialty cocktail! read more

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If it wasn't for the first 20 minutes of our evening this would have been a rare 5 star evening. The idea for Gustology is brilliant and I can see this really taking off. Learning to make a few cocktails and learning the history of your favorite drink is different and fun.This is a perfect evening out for anyone from an old married couple to a group of friends. My wife and I arrived a little early. We were met at the door by the owner but it wasn't a very welcoming feeling. No one else was there and rather than introducing himself and helping us feel comfortable he just told us to sit down and we would start later. The place was dark and there was nothing to hold our attention. It was boring and uncomfortable and the only reason we didn't leave was we had prepaid. After a little bit he turned on some music but to me it was not the right music for the venue (hard rock) so our comfort didn't get any better. Finally another couple came in and they got the same quiet treatment as we did. Once the class started it was a blast. The owner, Marco Gutierrez has a wealth of knowledge and experience and he freely shares it. We learned three drinks, each fun and delicious. It is a laid back evening with plenty of time to enjoy the drink, ask questions, and visit with others in the class. Everyone truly enjoyed the evening. We will definitely go back. Now for my recommendation for Marco. Know your clients. I think your target client should be couples in their 30's, 40's and 50's. We have money and time. Make us feel comfortable. Put on some jazz music and have a shopping area for us to browse. If you can't sell liquor sell accessories like tumblers, glasses, shakers and mixers. You could expand to the other goodies sold at various gift shops around town. You may be successful any way but I think that with a little tuning you will hit gold. read more

I've been mixing drinks with the wrong kind of tequila my entire adult drinking life because of all the hypnotic advertising messages floating around. Where were you, common sense? While the less imaginative trampled each other at the mall, my friend and I visited Gustology the day after Thanksgiving and pretty much got a private mixology class (suck it, crowds!) Marco, Gustology's owner and lead instructor, is a laid back dude with lots of charisma and mad mixing skills. Marco taught us how to make The Greyhound, The Natural Margarita and (my personal favorite) the Moscow Mule. Everything is provided for, including freshly cut and squeezed fruits and juices. While this is technically a class, you can make your Gustology experience as laid back or as informative as you like. Marco was happy to tailor the "class" as he answered all our questions and gave us advice to optimize our mixing and drinking efforts. Fun times... I can't dance, karaoke is NOT my strength, my jam poetry sucks, and none of my dishes will ever become the staple of any gathering. But now, my Moscow Mules may get me in to a few Posadas. it's a win win, you guys. Also, Gustology is a waaaay cooler alternative to those BYOW painting classes if you ask me. But then again, I don't shop at the Eddie Bower. Stop buying that heartburny margarita mix and learn to make it from scratch from a pro. Gustology gets bonus points on: concept, attention to detail, cool music and awesome atmosphere. read more

I've come here twice and had a blast both times! I'm becoming a pretty good at home bartender - moving on up to deluxe Cuba Libres, Mojitos and dessert drinks from my usual boring old Rum N Cokes, hah! Thanks! read more

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Me gusta Gustology! This was a fun way to spend an evening, learning about how drinks are made, if you've ever been wondering. They walk you through a few drinks one by one, step by step. They give little tidbits of info along the way, and you get to make your own, and drink it! This isn't a bar. It's not really a place to go get your drink on. You can take your own beer and liquor in, so if the pace isn't fast enough, you can prepare some preliminary drinks that help get you going while you wait for the instructor to give you the go ahead to drink. The drinks don't really seem to go together. They just sort of pick a few random drinks and pair them together. So we were all over the place. Fruity vodka drinks, tequila drinks, and bourbon. I was chagrined to see that they don't serve the Moscow Mule in the copper cup it deserves. It's not a Moscow Mule if it's not served in a copper cup! The instructor was pretty dry. Seeing that he seems to have given the same speech over and over, you think that he'd work some jokes in there. Nope. Dry as gin. read more

I had an awesome time at Gustology. I found this place through Groupon. My husband and I attended the cocktail class. We made French 75, jalapeño margarita and Jack Rose. It was very intimate only 6 people including my husband and I. I definitely recommend it for a date night! Our instructor just happen to be the owner Marco. We really enjoyed it and we will definitely have to book another class soon! read more

Gustology - Bartenders Near Me

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SUCH a great date night!! This is my second time at Gustology and Max was as gracious a host as ever. We learned to make a Kir Royale, Daquiri and a Fiesta Margarita. We again learned much about the liquors we were using and had a great time in the process. We really enjoy going here immensely!! read more

Gustology - The Fiesta Margarita - a perfect way to end an awesome night! - Bartenders Near Me

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Our class with Marco was so much fun! We had a great time learning the history behind the drinks as we mixed along with the bartender. This would be the perfect place to host a party for a small group of friends. We will be back soon to whip up some new cocktails! read more

Gustology - Easy setup! - Bartenders Near Me

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If cosidering into buying the groupon deal, think twice, this company doesn't honor the groupon and you will only be able to redeem whenever they decide is convenient for them, even if the groupon or the website doesn't stated it. I checked on the calendar for a class that fitted my schedule and was available, after I made my reservation I got an email saying sorry but we cannot accommodate you in this class cause we only take a number of groupons per class (says who??it didn't say anywhere, nor groupon nor website) Then I went to check the site again and there it was ! they added a line to the same class stating it ! Shady ! The problem is that groupon won't refund my money and now im stuck with these 40 dlls groupon I cannot take cause I don't live in san antonio, I'm just visiting. The classes that shows available at their site are not. This was their answer Hello Laura, thank you for the message. Unfortunately that class is no longer accepting deals or coupons. You may purchase your tickets from our site. We only allow so many coupons to be registered in a day. My suggestion would be to re-gift your groupon or ask for a refund from groupon and purchase tickets from our site. If you'd like to purchase from us, here is a discount for you, coupon code HOLIDAY read more

My husband and I have been here a couple of times. The first was on a Groupon when they were just starting out and the second was Valentine's Day. The owners are fun and open people. We not only learned how to make drinks we've always left up to our bartender, but the history behind the drinks. This is a great place because it's new, the owners are passionate about teaching what they know, and they only allow 10 people at a time so it's never too crowded! This is a great "first date" place, a great place for any couples or friends night out, and an awesome place to learn how to make a great drink and the history behind them! read more

My girlfriend and I went with another couple last night and didn't know what to expect. In a nutshell, it's one of those "painting places" but with classic cocktails and much cooler. We had Marco show us the proper way to make a Margarita on the rocks, Moscow Mule, and Apple-tini. There's a lot more explanation about each liquor, the history of the drinks, why you use a particular glass, etc...I also enjoyed how he had natural/organic ingredients, instead of the store bought,processed stuff. I went in after buying a groupon and left telling my girlfriend that I would have paid the full price and walked out of there COMPLETELY SATISFIED. It was one of the cooler things I've done here in San Antonio. It was a wonderful date night and we will most definitely be back. 5 star experience. Great time. read more

There was a snafu with water being shut off (not Gustology's doing, but the entire complex was affected), so our originally booked session was, in essence, cancelled. Instead of sending us all out on our way, Marco made one of the drinks with us, the Jalapeno Margarita. He saved what would otherwise have been a disaster of a date night, and even allowed all participants to register for and attend any other one class in the future for free. Our second experience was a great time. He is knowledgeable, and the drinks were delicious. We would definitely give Gustology another try and have recommended to friends! It's a fun date night; my only suggestion would be to grab dinner beforehand because as of now, there are no hors devours or food of any kind, and if you're doing an evening class, you may (like us) not want to eat a late dinner. read more

Fun times, great place to have a first date or other situations that might otherwise be awkward. Drinks are fresh, natural and delicious.

Excellent experience! Learned about the history of the drinks we were making and how to make them as healthy as possible at home. Definitely would recommend this place for a date night, girl's night, batchelorette party, etc. read more

This was a very fun date night, it was refreshing doing something original. The drinks were all very good, our favorite was the jalapeño margarita.learning about the different alcohols and the history of the drinks was a really great part of the class. The importance of having thing be as natural as possible was also educational for us, we felt like we were seeing a hangover doctor. I would give it a five star but we both wish there was more time after the last drink and that the class didn't end so abruptly. Marco ( the owner) said that he after valentines day food would be a part of the class which would also bring this up to five stars. We highly recommend doing this and we will be back again! also we were a little tipsy after so we walk nearly across the street to an italian restaurant called Milano's and got some great food and allowed the buzz to wear off, I would recommend doing the same. read more

FANTASTIC!! We've been looking forward to visiting Gustology for some time, finally setting aside a Saturday afternoon in mid-April. We had more fun than expected, Max was terrific. Unfortunately traffic jams on 410 seemed to have scared off a few people so there were less than the usual number in attendance. All of the drinks were new to us and we learned a few tricks to mixology along the way. We will be back with friends!! read more

Great place. Went there and was happy with the setting. Not many people per class, and the instructor was enthusiastic and informative. The drinks we made can easily be made at home, and left with a couple new favorites to have whenever I do drink. They are also considerate of everyone who may potentially drive when it comes to the drinking for anyone who may have an low tolerance or anything. They also prepare the materials for you and all you have to do is listen, pour, shake and enjoy. They also give ample time between the recipes to talk and settle with the drinks. The chairs are a little too small if you're tall but a small price to pay for an awesome class. read more

I can't speak to the actual drink making class, as our event was booked over. I inquired about a date months ago, and was told to wait to book until it was closer to the event date. It's about a month out now and our date has been booked by another party. VERY disappointed with the customer service. EDIT: I just received a final email from Alex at Gustology: "it's your karma, not ours", and "sorry you didn't get your way this time, but I'm sure you'll figure out how to get your way in the future". Excellent customer service, Alex! read more

I had a great experience at Gustology. They have a nice and friendly staff with a great atmosphere. Kyle was the instructor the night that I went and he made things very easy and enjoyable for my girlfriend and I. I enjoy having a nice drink but, learning a bit about the history and how to make them, makes them more enjoyable. If you're looking to have a drink and tired of the bar scene then this place is a great place to go. read more

I'm giving 3 stars because 2 out of three drinks were terrible. I love Gustology's concept and Marco was a cool dude and instructor. My only issue was two drinks were so bad I didn't want to drink them. I loved the Black Widow, but hated the Jack Rose and Moscow Mule. We can't resist a mule but this one was the worst. I'm not sure if it was the very basic recipe or the cheap liquor. read more

This was an awesome experience. Bring some friends and enjoy your time. Have fun, make drinks! A great recipe for fun.

I attended one of the dinner/drink pairings in October and had a great time. I approached the mixologist, Marco to do a larger event for 60 people. We worked out all the details for pricing and expectations etc over the next few months. I asked for an all inclusive quote including tax and gratuity. He gave me pricing and then when it came time to pay it, he said that the gratuity was not included which added hundreds of dollars in extra cost. There was also no chef at my event as we had discusssed. The food was not up to par with what I experienced at the smaller event at the main location. Marco was not professional or business savvy enough to handle a party that size. Everyone had an okay time, but not for the price we paid. He did not deliver. read more