Making You the Master of Your Home Bar

At the beginning of quarantine, we all picked up some hobby or another. Perhaps you revved up a sourdough starter, took up knitting, or even tried to see to the bottom of your bourbon bunker. Well for me, I certainly tried my hand at sourdough baking (my starter is miraculously still alive after months of neglect), but where I found true joy was in my long-time love of cocktails.

One evening in late March, I made my partner a Manhattan and myself an Old Fashioned and for whatever reason, I decided to film it and post it on Instagram. The reception was better than I expected, so I took up filming step-by-step recipes and educational mixology sessions with some frequency. In each video, I cover the basics of how to make a drink, its origin story, why each ingredient is important, and why we use each technique. Of course there are plenty of bourbon and whiskey cocktails, but there is also something for everyone, including tequila, gin, rum, mezcal, and yes, even vodka. I am an extrovert and prone to a bit of theatre in general, so it was a wonderful way for me to take the stage, talk about what I love, and connect with my friends and readers across the world. I dubbed the series "It's 5 O'Clock Here" and over 40 episodes later, am still going strong.

Pre-Pandemic, I could be found on weekends helping Derek Brown teach cocktail classes at the award-winning Columbia Room, stirring, shaking, and swizzling up 100s of beautiful cocktails and geeking out on mixology with my fellow Washingtonians. So when we were all forced inside our homes, devoid of face-to-face human contact, I had to keep preaching the good word on how to create exceptional cocktails to anyone who would listen. Thankfully, Zoom proved a perfect platform and as of today, I have taught private custom cocktails classes to nearly 3,000 students across the globe from Norway to New York in virtual birthdays, holiday celebrations, team-building activities, corporate parties, and any occasion that warrants a bit more octane.

As a Bourbon & Banter reader, I invite you to check out my videos on our YouTube channel. Mix up a drink or three with me, drop me a comment, and let me know how it turned out and what drinks you want me to cover next. We are also proud to offer our readers access to booking live, custom, private virtual cocktail classes and whiskey tasting experiences. I focus on teaching cocktails with ingredients available at your local grocery or liquor store, but can also accommodate more complex requests, including delightful non-alcoholic cocktails.

We also offer custom-curated cocktail boxes (without the alcohol, due to the convoluted web of liquor laws in America) complete with syrups, bar tools, garnishes, etc. These classes are perfect for any sort of gathering, corporate event, team-building, customer appreciation, virtual conference, or even as part of a sales pitch to liven up your presentation. If you'd like more information on our cocktail classes please send us an email with your contact info, estimated number of guests, and preferred event timing.

So pull up a chair, grab your shaker, and get cocktail curious with us.