CLASS BAR ACADEMY W/ DAVID WONDRICH

TT Liquor were happy to collaborate with Class Magazine and show off the versatility of our venue, hosting a number of their sessions as part of the London leg of the series – which also stopped off in Cardiff and Liverpool.

World-leading bar experts in their respective fields, be that American Whiskey, Rum, or Sherry, educated bartenders with priceless tutored tastings, presentations and one-to-one feedback following cocktail-making workshops and assessments.

Attendees first gathered in the Aviation Room for talks and tutoring, before the session moved into the first-floor West Wing, which was fully decked out with personalised cocktail making stations, for tastings and practical tasks.

World-leader in American Whiskey and our industry in general, David Wondrich, hosted the first session, during which he covered the history of the category, arguing that American whiskey should cast off its inferiority complex about the comparative youth of their traditions compared to that of Scotland or Ireland.

This was followed closely by guided tastings, and Wondrich making six classic whiskey cocktails before explaining the detailed history behind each.

Next up was global rum ambassador, Ian Burrell, who took guests on a guided historical tour of rum – from the migration patterns of sugarcane over 10,000 years ago in Papua New Guinea, all the way up to the modern Caribbean.

Following a similar pattern to earlier masterclasses, after his potted history Burrell led a tasting session of the event’s sponsor brands, before making four classic cocktails using the sugarcane spirit as a base.

The third and final session was hosted in our West Wing by renowned fortified wine expert Dave Broom, who hosted the Class Bar Academy’s first Sherry Academy.

Again in a similar structure to previous sessions, Broom gave attendees a sherry-themed history lesson – explaining its roots in Jerez, Spain, and revealing that the 15th century UK’s export market was integral to the region’s development.

Broom then conducted a tasting to highlight sherry’s complexity quality and value for money. He enlisted William Solorzano of German Gymnasium to create some twists on classics, before the audience made their own.

Are you an aspiring bartender and want to get involved and satisfy your yearning for learning? Contact Angel Brown at CLASS Magazine by emailing your enquiry to angel.brown@agilemedia.co.uk if you are interested in joining the next session.

Bartending not your bread-and-butter? We offer cocktail making classes for the novice, click on the link below, or alternatively contact one of our event organisers today via 02031 312 706 and we’ll run you through what we can offer.