Don’t be Shy and Shake it in Your Mini Bar!
by Duri Kwon
Have you ever WAITED for the class? As far as I know, unless a hot biology teacher walked in the classroom, I have always eagerly awaited the break time. On May 12th, I was completely absorbed in the first ever Mixology Class hosted at Autre Monde by our amazing bar team. Are you thinking that there must have been hot teachers? They were good looking & charming to be sure, but I was drawn in not just by that but by the subject matter as well. How many teachers would be willing to make students a little tipsy as part of the class?
With that intro in mind, let me give you a birds eye view of the class and tempt you to joins us for the next one that will happen in July.
God Bless The Internet
As the clock ticked towards noon, I was excited that I could take a free cocktail class. I do love my internship! Marcus’s wit and Diana’s espresso made students comfortable and set an easy atmosphere for the class. The first part of the lesson began with a discussion of bar tools. Although we may think we know about cocktails, without understanding how to use proper tools, how can we even start? Many people don’t even know what they have to have or where to find the proper tools. In my case, these obstacles could easily make me give up before even starting. According to the teachers kind & patient explanation, we can purchase all of them from Amazon or other websites (please refer to below suggestions) that they recommend at a low price. I was surprised to learn that you can get a pretty professional starter set up of tools with a small investment. Perhaps all that silver & gold made me think they were more expensive than they were! They showed us that with the right tools, you can come pretty close to restaurant quality results at home.
2:1:1 or 8:2:1! A simple recipe, no need pen!
I’m embarrassed to admit it but, I don’t cook. Technically, I can’t cook. There are some reasons or excuses I could make as to why, one of the main ones being that the recipe is too complicated. When it reads something like ‘Drop ingredients by teaspoonfuls…’ I freeze I still don’t know my measurements well and have no idea what kind of teaspoon is the proper size! But it’s different when it comes to mixing a cocktail. All I need to do is having fun! Just choose a spirit and add a favorite flavor of syrup and/or fresh juice, mix and shake them or stir in a ratio, simple. The cocktail will be on the table for you to enjoy in a matter of minutes. Most of the classic cocktails follow simple recipes with a focus on a few key techniques and finding the right ingredients. It is more about the shopping, which I definitely know how to do. The best part of the class was that through first observing and then getting some hands-on cocktail training, we all felt a little bit like experts at the end. A little of this knowledge and it is easy to build your own cocktail. To learn about the next class, sign up for our newsletter or visit us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter! If you see me at our next class, let’s raise aglass and make a ‘gun bae’!(Korean toast)
Nicely done!
Tasting different style of cocktails and toast with cocktail lovers exchanging opinions about their favorite flavors in the afternoon, what could it possibly get better than this? It was relaxed and informative time. I would like to thank for sharing secret tips to our amazing teachers Marcus and Diana, and all students who enthusiastically took part in the class.
Here are house recipe for Manhattan & suggestions that we want to share!
Manhattan(House recipe) 3:1
Ingredients
3/4oz. Carpano Antica formula(sweet vurmouth)
2&1/4oz. Whiskey(Rye or Bourbon)
4long dashes of Angostorra bitters
Method
Stir(10-20secs)
Served on the rocks or up into a chilled martini glass
Garnished with a cherry or twist
Tips
Many other versions are 2:1-whiskey,(sweet vermouth) with less bitters
Perfect Manhattan 2:1:1-whiskey, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth
Dry Manhattan 2:1-whiskey, dry vermouth
Readings:
The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David A. Embury
The Savory Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh
My first week at Autre Monde Café was a series of surprises. It started with the menu. It was easiest, to start by pick out the terms that I recognized. French & Spanish were familiar but Italian terms… not so much! Welcome to the Mediterranean table! 
