I attended Cocktails 101 on a Monday night from 7pm to 10pm. It was a flawless experience, and totally worth $100. I already knew a lot about cocktail mixing and liquor, and I learned a great deal more.
There were about 10 people, which seems an optimal number, because everyone could sit at the bar and no one had to overflow to the tiny tables in back. Russell talked nonstop for 3 hours, answering questions along the way. His barback did a great job of rinsing our equipment (and there was a lot of it) between drinks, passing bottles around, and generally being helpful while unobtrusive. Russell is bright, friendly, enthusiastic, and overflowing with knowledge.
We made four classic cocktails -- the Mojito, Old-Fashioned, Martini, and Margarita -- and each was just about the best I'd ever had. He told us a lot about the why, and not just the how. I already knew that for a great cocktail you have to use freshly squeezed juice and measure your ingredients properly, but I learned a couple dozen little things that I can't wait to try -- straining some drinks twice, keeping your mint leaves in cold water, making your simple syrup from something more interesting than white sugar.
After a full three hours of entertainment, I had a couple of questions for him. He didn't rush me, and gave me a few things to taste. I left with a short list of liquors I never heard of that I am going to seek out immediately.
When I initially arrived at the bar, the hostess who came to the front door led us into near-total darkness in the bar, and I was honestly scared that I would trip over something and smack my head. But the Wilson room where we took our class was well-lighted and cozy.
It's clearly not a place to get falling-down drunk, but after 4 cocktails with 2-3 oz of liquor in each, I had a serious buzz. read more