Little sips

The most recent edition of my Classic Martini Lab was fun as always, with a wide array of combinations to sample.

April’s class at Antietam in Detroit found us exploring the many delicious ways eggs can improve our cocktails. The Averna Stout Flip is a rich and decadent drink.

Did you know that America’s first celebrity bartender was a black man and a freed slave? This was just one of the many interesting things we learned during the Unsung History of Black Bartenders in America class in February with guest speaker Amas Muhammad.

The first time I taught my Drink Like a Monk class, back in 2012, it was hard to find good beer cocktail recipes to include for that portion of the class. That’s definitely not a problem today!

The January 11 Winter Warmers cocktail class will include a few variations of the hot toddy concept, but here’s a basic one to keep you warm until then.

We had a ton of fun learning about aquavit in December’s class with Robyn Cleveland from Norden Aquavit. Although this spirit has been produced.

Holidays are a time for gathering with friends and family and they are a perfect opportunity to try out some crowd pleasing seasonal cocktails.  Here are some ideas to try this month

If you like walnuts, it’s worth seeking out Nux Alpina, a specific brand of the slightly bitter but mostly sweet Italian liqueur style of Nocino.

The Pimm’s Cup is a very summery cocktail, light and easy to drink and garnished with cucumber and fresh fruit. This fall focused take on the classic was a hit at October’s Cider Season class.

It seems like whenever I get a jug of apple cider, we drink half of it, then the rest languishes in the fridge until it gets fizzy and I have to throw it away.

During my brunch class we mixed up a bunch of variations of that indispensable brunch drink, the Bloody Mary. When I started describing the main ingredient of this one I got some seriously skeptical looks from the crowd.