Customers today are eager to learn more about what they’re drinking, and a few operators are tapping into this with educational programs for consumers.
Jade Bar at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, AZ, is offering Mixology 101, a hands-on cocktail spirits series. The three-hour mixology experience, priced at $35, will teach participants cutting-edge techniques, spirit details and the history behind the libations concocted by Jade Bar mixologists.
Sessions running from Jan. 16 through March 12 will cover vodka, gin, tequila, rum, American whiskeys, Scotch, brandies and liqueurs; dishes from the bar’s small-plates menu will be served throughout each session.
The Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, this winter is offering an educational experience with its master sommelier Will Costello (pictured above) and property mixologist Michael LaPenna. Up to eight people can attend the hour-long, Saturday afternoon sessions, priced at $50, to expand their knowledge with an exploration of wine or spirits.
The classes at Mandarin Oriental include Mixologist in the Making, and Sips with a Master Sommelier.
Mixologist in the Making will cover the 12 cocktails everyone should know, basic skills, standards of distillation, cocktail DNA and the techniques of tasting.
Sips with a Master Sommelier provides a hands-on whirlwind tour of wine, including insider tips and tricks on how to blind taste test, understanding oak, old world, new world, thin- and thick-skinned grape varietals and more. The session concludes with a blind tasting of four premium wines.
