The intricate drinks at Lucky Campbell's swanky Uptown speakeasy Parliament may look entirely too complicated to attempt at home; after all, many of us can barely pour a decent gin and tonic, much less properly dilute a cocktail or concoct our own aromatic tinctures. But yesterday, twenty-odd aspiring mixologists at Parliament's Mix Master cocktail class had boozy stars in their eyes as some of the city's most talented bar mavens taught them how to stir, shake, and garnish respectable cocktails for perhaps the first time in their otherwise booze-soaked lives.
Sunday's three-hour class walked attendees through a variety of drinks, starting with a classic Old Fashioned. Campbell demonstrated how to properly shake dashes of Angostura bitters — at least five, he instructed — onto a sugar cube before pontificating on the importance of expressing the oils from an orange's peel into the drink for optimal flavor. Everyone agreed that the resulting drink was better than anything they'd ever mixed at their home bar.
Up next was the Ramos Gin Fizz, a cocktail that strikes fear into the hearts of pro bartenders everywhere. This egg white and cream-based cocktail is famous for its velvety, foamy texture, which reaches its full and glorious potential only after an eternity of vigorous shaking. The provided directions for the drink say to "shake until your arms fall off," which isn't far off from the truth. Mostly, though, attendees were surprised that the Ramos was actually fairly easy to make (not to mention delicious).
Campbell also walked his thirsty pupils through the process of mixing fresh fruit purees into drinks, as well as infusing spirits with flavors like strawberry and shishito pepper. While listening to Campbell lecture, attendees worked on peeling the perfect slice of orange zest with a paring knife, or getting down the essential "tap back and forth" stir technique that creates proper dilution.
Campbell may have forgotten to order enough standard jigger measuring cups for everyone to use, but the bartenders improvised by showing off their "pour counting" skills, an essential bit of knowledge that everyone too lazy to bust out the old jigger-and-pony should know. Some cautious drinkers chose to carefully measure out two ounces of gin or one ounce of lemon juice, but most were happy to just wing it and try their hand at pour counting like the pros.
The $125 entrance fee may seem a bit steep, but for a three-hour class with a cocktail master and a take-home kit filled with essential tools like a paring knife, bar spoon, Hawthorne strainer, shaker set, and mixing glass, it's certainly a worthwhile investment for anyone who's serious about stepping up their amateur bar game — especially when you consider how much one night out sipping on fancy cocktails will run you these days. Stay tuned to Parliament's Facebook page for an announcement about the next upcoming class, which will be held March 29.
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