What’s it all about?
Vodka and cocktails… the dark decades before the rise of the craft cocktail movement. While vodka remains a top seller, it’s clear that gin, rum, tequila and others are now guzzling its market share. Peoples’ palates are maturing away from juice-laden sugary cocktails but there are a few classic drinks out there that have stood the test of time by having a little bit more X-factor. Join us to taste them before they’re gone forever!
What will we cover?
A selection of curated drinks using a quality plain (unflavoured vodka) of your choice.
Below are details of the ingredients you need:
Drink 1: Vodka + Spicy Ginger Beer* + Limes
Drink 2: Vodka + Chambord* + Pineapple Juice (fresh if possible)
Drink 3: Vodka + Creme de Cassis* + Pink Grapefruit Juice*
*Pink grapefruit aka Ruby or Ruby Red Grapefruit are available fresh currently. If you can get and juice a fresh one it is highly recommended.
* Creme de Cassis can be found in select bottle shops in 50ml and 700ml. Best to aim for a French brand or try Marionette Dry Cassis. Failing that try Ribena or a high quality blackberry jam but be gentle.
What will you need?
Ingredients:
- Spirits, liqueurs, bitters, mixers, fruits and juices as required for the cocktails listed above.
- Lots of fresh, clean ice.
- Regular sugar to make sugar syrup
- Something to shake with: eg. 3 piece shaker, Boston style glass + shaker tin, tightly sealed jar or wide-mouthed drink bottle.
- Appropriate strainers for your shaker: hawthorne strainer, fine strainer.
- Something to measure with: eg. A cocktail jigger, shot glass measure, cough medicine measure.
- A variety of glasses: eg. a collins glass, a cocktail coupe or similar, a rocks glass.
- Knife and chopping board.
- Something to juice citrus with or your hands.
- Something to stir with: bar spoon or chopstick.
- A tray or tea towel to catch spills.
Who will be teaching?
Simon began adult life disliking alcohol in all forms after repeated unsuccessful attempts to be friends with beer, rum/coke and tequila sunrises. But a chance encounter with a vodka, lime and soda was his gateway drink into a classic daiquiri at the famed cocktail bar Der Raum. Since then Simon become an avid barfly visiting cocktail bars around the world in Europe, America, Asia, NZ and Australia as well as being good friends with gin, rum, whiskey and wheat beers. More recently Simon has been creating at-home cocktail experiences and teaching friends to make tasty drinks all around the world whether it’s a Melbourne balcony, a villa in Tuscany, an apartment in Paris or on a sailing boat in San Francisco Bay.