Cocktail Masterclass : TT Liquor

Cocktails have always had a special place in my heart.  I started the year with the idea of going completely sober, as “getting drunk” no longer appeals to me, however cocktails and prosecco seem to be the only things that have survived the cut!  Who doesn’t love a good cocktail night with the girls?!

I was invited to try out my first Cocktail Masterclass by event-venues and TT Liquor which I was very excited about, so I took my friend Cally along for a night of mixology. However, drinking or not, TT Liquor offer mocktail versions of all the cocktails, so anyone can join in the fun!

THE EVENT

Event-Venues are a specialist venue hire for creative, inspiring and engaging brand events across the UK and Europe. They have some gorgeous spaces, that are available to rent for a range of events including client meetings, work parties, and birthdays. You can visit their website to view some of their venues: event-venues

THE VENUE

TT Liquor is a multi-faced establishment situated in Shoreditch, East London, with a store to buy alcohol at the front of house, cocktail making classes upstairs, and a couple of bars downstairs.  They even have a small cinema room where they have cocktail and film nights for just £10!

We were given a quick tour of the building, which doubled up as a history lesson as we discovered some very interesting facts.  The venue is a renovated police station, which contained holding cells for criminals in the cellars below.  This has now been converted into a dimly-lit bar; the cells becoming VIP booths for guests to sip on their cocktails – pretty cool right?

THE CLASSES

TT Liquor have over a decade of experience when it comes to cocktail making, so I was excited to be taught by the best! They offer cocktail masterclasses in-house, at their Shoreditch home, as well as at a variety of venues throughout London and the UK. Their large collection of mobile bars and equipment means you don’t have to worry about making it to the venue – they can come to you!

There are four different classes on offer: The classic cocktail class, the molecular class, the gin classics, and the rum class.  We took part in the classic cocktail class.

Upon arrival, we were welcomed with a very enthusiastic crowd of people, all eager to try out some mixology.  There was a nice spread of food on the tables which included meat platters and cheese boards, and a welcome drink to get us in the mood. Amongst mingling with guests, we were also introduced to our teacher for the evening, who gave us an introduction to the background and concepts of mixology.  She immediately relaxed everyone with her funny anecdotes and breadth of knowledge, and informed us we would be making (and drinking) three cocktails.

We took our place at one of the custom-built wooden benches at the front, which included everything we needed: fine liquor, fresh ingredients, and specialist cocktail making equipment.

THE DRINKS

First up was a traditional ‘South side’, which is made up of gin, lime juice, syrup, and mint.  The name hails from the south side of Chicago, Illinois.  The drink is thought to have been the preferred beverage of Al Capone (Scar Face); whose gang dominated Chicago’s south side in the 1920’s.  I have never had this drink before, but enjoyed it more than I thought.  It was simple to make and easy to drink. What more do you need?!

Next up was the Zombie.  It is safe to say I won’t be trying this drink again! It was way too strong for me, and not to my taste, but making it was the most fun.  Rumour has it, a bartender served up this drink for a friend, who ended up getting so drunk from it, he lost both his wife and job on the same day.  When he arrived to confront the barman the next morning, he told him the drink had turned him into a total Zombie, and thus, the name was born! After one sip, I could understand why.

A zombie is made up of three types of Rum (white, dark, and spiced), brandy, pineapple juice, and grenadine.  Once the drink is mixed together and poured into a very fitting “skull” glass, a hollow lime is placed on top, filled with ‘Wray and Nephews’ (a whopping 63% vol.), and set on fire.  We also sprinkled cinnamon flakes over the burning lime, which sent flames shooting into the air!

We ended with an “anything goes” round, where each team made their own bespoke cocktail using whichever ingredients they wanted from those provided. We decided to make a ‘Sweet Easy’; a play on words from the Speak Easy gin we used earlier on.  We included passion fruit, cranberry, gin, peach, and lime.  It was definitely sweet but tasted amazing, and I hope to see it on a cocktail menu soon ?

 

I’d recommend this as an activity to do in London, especially for groups and couples. Not only is it a lot of fun, but you also learn about the techniques and history of mixology. The mixologist was full of energy and had everyone involved in the evening.

It also gave me a chance to try new flavours and cocktails that I wouldn’t normally drink.

For more info on how to book, prices, and availability, please see their website: TT Liquor 

 

 

Disclaimer*
I received complimentary tickets in exchange for a review. Views are my own.