It’s been a while. Funny how the stomach flu can do that to a person’s interest in drink.
But now that I’m hale and healthy again, I’m overdue in posting some events of BIG BIG significance for mixology-minded folks in the Seattle area. A little while back, I mentioned how I was privileged to participate in a “history of the cocktail” seminar hosted by Seattle’s homegrown cocktail expert, nay, mixological celebrity, Robert Hess, more widely known to those in the know as “Drinkboy.” I also mentioned how my only disappointment in the event was that such things didn’t happen more often in our sometimes sleepy burg.
This spring, my disappointment comes to an end. Beginning March 7, and continuing into May, the Museum of the American Cocktail is holding three mixological seminars at Oliver’s, in the Mayflower Hotel in downtown Seattle. Each seminar begins at 6:30 and lasts until 8:00, and the per-person cost is $45 (note that prices will be higher at the door, so be sure to register early on the seminar page on the museum’s Web site–better yet, sign up as a museum member and receive a discount on early registration).
The March 7 “History of the Cocktail” event is, I believe, a reprise of Robert’s January seminar at Mona’s, and for anyone interested in a broad, comprehensive overview of cocktail history, this event is invaluable.
On April 11, Robert will be joined by Ryan Magarian, a renowned local bartender and bar consultant, for “Cocktails 101: How to Stock, and Use, your Home Bar.” This is the kind of seminar I wish I’d taken when I was just getting started on messing around with cocktails. And even though I’ve been a fan of culinary cocktails for a few years now, and my home bar is now taking over my kitchen, I think there’ll still be some valuable pointers for getting the most out of my booze collection.
Finally, on May 9, Robert and Ryan will be joined by Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller for “Shaken & Stirred: Everything about the Martini.” Jared & Anistatia have been writing about martinis for more than a decade, both on their website, Shaken Not Stirred: A Celebration of the Martini, and in their book of the same name. This kind of focus on a particular drink and its different manifestations is exactly what I was pining for, and I hope plenty of other people join me at Oliver’s in May.
(don’t forget–REGISTER EARLY)
