Best Cocktail Classes In NY
Like Tom Cruise in Cocktail, you too can work your magic behind the bar. All you need is a little instruction. Enter the five cocktail classes listed below. They offer you everything you need to turn your libations from ho-hum to yum-yum.
Apothéke Academy
9 Doyers St.
New York, NY 10079
(212) 406-0400
www.apothekenyc.com
The Apothéke Academy takes place in the Apothéke, a bar that harks back to an earlier time, such as 19th-century Vienna, or Paris, or Berlin, when cocktails came in heavy, cut-glass and relied on the strength of their ingredients, as opposed to newfangled shenanigans (looking at you, smoking guns). Classes include the Absinthe Minded, Spirits of Mexico, and Market Fresh Mixology, which utilizes ingredients from the bar's own herb garden.
Genuine Liquorette
191 Grand St.
New York, NY 10013
(646) 726-4633
www.eatgenuine.com
Here's the deal at Genuine: this mini-chain of bars and restaurants is "inspired by the bodegas, superettes, and liquor stores lining the Californian Coast." In other words, you can get a little Cali without leaving NYC. Its Master Class gives students a solid foundation in the basics of mixology. Not only will you learn how to shake, saturate, and stir, but you might even be allowed to pop behind the bar at Liquorette when you and your pals come in.
Haven's Kitchen
109 West 17th St.
New York, NY 10011
(212) 929-7900
havenskitchen.com
Unlike the other spots on this list, Haven's isn't a bar. Indeed, it's a cooking school, designed for folks who burn water, folks who can expertly slice and dice, and everyone in between. Sandwiched between such classes as Middle Eastern Meze, Dim Sum Brunch, and Fresh Pastas for Spring is its Cocktail 101 course: Lessons in Libations. Taught by a professional, this class focuses on properly stocking your bar and entertaining at home.
Huckleberry
588 Grand St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 218-8555
huckleberrybar.com
Referring to itself as the "second least pretentious cocktail bar in Brooklyn," Huckleberry offers a very cool deal on Tuesdays. For two hours, you can sample three cocktails while learning the secrets of their success from the guy or gal behind the bar. Many Tuesdays also feature a rep from a notable or up-and-coming spirit brand, who'll offer tips and tricks too. We love that this place doesn't take itself too seriously: drinking is, after all, supposed to be fun.
Liquor Lab
138 Wooster St., 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012
(646) 470-7989
liquorlaboratory.com
Run by a CCO, or Chief Cocktail Officer, Liquor Lab considers itself to be Manhattan's first interactive cocktail laboratory. It offers a huge range of classes, from The Deconstructed Martini to Tequila & Tacos to The War Against Sugar (for anyone looking for low-cal alcoholic drinks). We're particularly excited about Iconic NYC Cocktails and Their Creators, which delves into the backstories of such notable libations as the Cosmo, Gin-Gin Mule, and Manhattan.
