Did you know that you can take a private cocktail-making class led by Bespoke’s talented mixologists? It’s true, and that’s exactly how my husband and I celebrated Valentine’s Day this month.
Bespoke offered two classes in February, both a Galentine’s- and a Valentine’s-themed session. We attended the Valentine’s session held in the afternoon on Valentine’s Saturday, and we had such a wonderful time. (Note: our class had to change locations to Bespoke’s sister bar, Modernist, due to a last-minute technical issue, but both locations are wonderful.)
When we arrived, we were offered bowls of snacks and pours of sparkling wine while we settled in and gave everyone time to arrive and find their seats. Both bar and lounge seating options were available, so if you’re a “sit in the front of the class” kind of learner, you’ll enjoy bar seating. If you’re more of a kick-back-and-tune-in-here-and-there, in-it-for-the-vibes kind of guest, you might enjoy the lounge option more. Either way, you’ll be sure to get plenty of help from the hosts and enjoy amazing cocktails.
In our class, there were around 12 couples in attendance, and all of the ingredients and tools we would need were set up for us when we sat down at our name markers. The sparkling wine pours were unlimited throughout the class. However, since you’re making three cocktails, I’d highly recommend pacing yourself — oh, and scheduling an Uber or Lyft, or planning to hang out and eat in the area afterward, which we did and thoroughly enjoyed.
Once class officially began, we were walked through making three different cocktails, with time to sip, savor, and chat between each one. The cocktails ranged from lighter and fruit-forward, to balanced and mid-strength, to liquor-forward and deeper in flavor. The second cocktail we made was my favorite. It was made with equal quantities of freshly squeezed lemon juice, aperitif, chartreuse, and rose gin. We finished that cocktail off with a spray of orange blossom water, which took the sipping experience to the next level by involving not just our sense of taste, but our sense of smell, too.
Our hosts and instructors, Owen and Jose, were very welcoming and helpful throughout the experience. During the class, we didn’t just learn the recipes for the three cocktails. We also learned what causes drinks to be overly diluted; how to properly swizzle, shake, and stir cocktails to ensure the highest-quality drinks; how much ice is too much ice to shake with and what is just right; the proper motion to use when shaking a cocktail and for how long; and even facts about the different ingredients we were using and what makes them unique, rare, or taste the way they do.
We really found the entire class enjoyable and a super pleasant way to spend a weekend afternoon. Classes are generally held on Saturdays or Sundays before Bespoke opens for evening service. Tickets are available through their website and Instagram profile links, and they typically offer a new class each month based around a specific, timely theme or liquor.
If you enjoy quality cocktails and learning how to do something new while supporting a local business, I highly recommend taking a cocktail class at Bespoke. Cheers!
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