Chicago Chic

Who hasn’t been inspired to throw around a bunch of liquor bottles after watching Cocktail?  I know I have!  However, being the klutz that I am, I know that I would be more successful making the drinks than shooting flames out my mouth while juggling 3 bottles and giving some hot patron my number at the same time.  However, I still lacked the knowledge of how to actually make a delicious alcoholic beverage that was sure to impress any party guest.

I came across a bartending class in the seasonal flyer I get through the Discovery Center that peaked my interest.  It met over a span of three Mondays.  On the first day of class I provided the instructor the materials fees and we discussed what we would like to learn.  It was just me and another friend in the class, so he suggested meeting at a bar for the next class so that we could actually taste all different types of drinks and decide which we would make.  But that was the last we ever heard of him.  He took our money, did not respond to emails, and changed his phone number.  The manager of the Discovery Center eventually restructured the class and partnered with another company.  He offered to make up for the bad experience by paying for a friend and I to take the new  class.  I was hesitant at first, but figured I had nothing left to lose except some inhibitions after a few drinks.

Fellow Chic-er Colleen and I met at A-List Startenders, ready to start pouring.  Meanwhile, the rest of the students did not seem quite as enthusiastic as they all showed up late, forcing the class to start a half hour behind schedule.  If this was how the class was going to be, I was for sure going to need a drink.  Fortunately, the instructor immediately informed us that we would be sampling about 15 different cocktails (YIPPEE!!!).  I should be clear now that this class was just basic 4 hour introduction to Mixology, and if you want to become a paid bartender, they offer a 40 hour intensive class.  I just wanted to learn how to shake a martini and blend a pina colada, so this was perfect.  We were all given guidebooks that included recommended supplies for your home and key terms, as well as recipes for the drinks we would be making and a few more.  The first part of the class was taught like a college course.  We were quizzed on the terms and had to go up to the smart board in front of the class to answer questions, in addition to learning a brief history of each type of spirit we would be working with.  Then the fun began.

While the beats of club music resonated in the background, we each took a station, or “well” (A+ for me!), behind the bar, and started to make the specified drinks and cut garnishes.  All of our alcohol bottles were filled with colored water, and were purely for practice, but the teacher made an actual batch and would pour us samples after each round to taste.  After a few samples I was already starting to feel the effects.  Of all things, I was surprised to learn that Brandy Alexander was my favorite.  And not so surprisingly, I confirmed that , unlike Colleen, I am not a Whisky Girl.  I even got to learn a fire trick after all!

By the end, my classmates and I definitely all had a buzz going, which became apparent when we started dancing along to the music. Retaining information became increasingly difficult, but luckily I took notes in my booklet that I will be able to refer to in the future (that is if I can read my then sloppy handwriting).

Now that my drink repertoire has increased, and using my skills acquired from Pasta Making, I am ready to throw a dinner party.  Although, seeing as how I don’t have any dining room furniture, I wonder if the next class I should take is woodworking…