LeShea B.
Yelp
The people's last stand
7:30 class
June 2023
We had a class of like maybe 10-12 people.
Setup:
Online you choose a time slot and book with your credit card. Nothing is charged until after the class is completed, and they bring you a check.
Once there:
Come in, and check in. Have your name marked off. They'll instruct you to sit at the bar or the sofa area until they're ready for class to begin. Class didn't start until maybe 10-15 min after the scheduled time, which allowed others to come in.
-each customer gets a glass of water and glass of champagne.
-the instructor introduces themselves and passes the mic around for introductions. Name, age, favorite drink, one unique fact.
-instructor then goes over the items in front of you and introduces the first drink.
Pros: a different experience, other than going out to eat
Friendly staff. I would recommend.
Champagne included before you start
Learn how to make 2 drinks, and they explain what everything is, from the ingredients of the cocktail down to the tools used to make it, and their origins.
Parking garage available. I am not sure if it's free or validated, because I lucked up on a parking spot right outside of the venue.
They give you a break after making the first drink so you can go out on the patio so they can clean.
Cons:
The speaker system is not the best. Opt to sit next to the presenter so you can hear. We were at the back near the door, and it was very hard to hear. Also? There was a separate party seated in the couch area behind the presenter. It was extremely hard to make out what the presenter was saying.
I thought that they would tell them to be quiet, but that never happened. This was a MAJOR con for me, as I missed a good piece of the instruction. When the instructor used the mic, it was muffled and mixed with a bit of an echo. When he didn't, it was better, but the people behind him laughing and being loud interrupted that.
After our break, the party behind the presenter left, and the experience was much better.
If you're a germaphobe -- this is a shared ingredient class. You will be sharing the spirits and other ingredients to make the drink with others around you. Ice is shared, garnishes, etc. no Tongs we're given for the lime wedges. You just dig your fingers in and get them.
$50 was a little steep to not FULLY enjoy the experience. Not hearing the instructor really killed it for me. I'm glad that I was able to at least enjoy part 2 of the class.
Upgrades beyond what could be fixed in the aforementioned details:
1) consider updating the class calendars with the drinks that'll be made during that scheduled time slot. I saw another review state they made a mule during their class. I would be terribly upset making that, as I don't drink them.
2) Consider making the booking experience more customizable with a bio of your bartender/ instructor. (Similar to how painting with a twist does)
3) Have patrons wash their hands before being seated. Also, have them wash their hands before drink 2. Or have hand sanitizer available.
4) One instructor at the front end and one at the back so that all students can hear/ learn. Or a smaller speaker near the end of the table.
All in all, I plan to return with other friends. 3.5/5 experience. I just didn't want to put it at a 3!!!!