There were just two of us in the small but trendy Mr Goodbar at 3pm this afternoon, learning about the classic martini and all its variations. The bartender, Ryan, was lovely; friendly and knowledgeable, he first told us the history of the martinez, the earliest form of the martini, before showing us how to make one.
He encouraged us to ask as many questions as we liked, and I, being fairly clueless when it comes to alcohol, grilled him on everything, from how each spirit was made to the rules of cocktail making and exactly how flexible they are. He answered everything assuredly and thoroughly, showcasing his genuine appreciation for different types of alcohol.
After we’d tried the martinez Ryan made us many different versions of the martini: dry, wet, dirty, shaken-not-stirred, and even branched outside of the martini to give us a taste of similar drinks based on alternative spirits, such as a Negroni. We compared all of them and I found my alcohol knowledge rapidly expanding; gin to Vermouth ratios are very important, and some bitters need only a few drops whereas some require 10 or 20ml.
The class was great fun and very informative, and while it may not be cheap, it is definitely worth it for the amount of alcohol you get to taste! My only advice: eat beforehand.
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