– COLLABORATIVE CONTENT –
I got a taste of summer the other night at a cocktail masterclass held at the weirdly wonderful TT Liquor. Located in Shoreditch, this was the venue where I would learn how to make cocktails for the first time, courtesy of Event-Venues. Any excuse for free alcohol and I’m there! Event-Venues finds unique and creative spaces to hold these types of events and TT Liquor was definitely unique.
It used to be a police station and after the event, I got to see the cellar below, which used to be for holding criminals. Fortunately now though, it doesn’t give off that vibe and instead, it’s a low lit bar for couple and groups to get together for a catch-up. TT Liquor is a multi-faceted establishment with a store to buy alcohol as you walk in, spaces above for cocktail making classes and not forgetting a small cinema room where they have a cocktail and film offer for just £10. As soon as I arrived, the place was already busy but I did get introduced to a few bloggers who were also in attendance. The rest were potential clients from all different companies who were trying out this experience and would hopefully work with Events-Venue in the future.
I grabbed a cocktail at the bar and hungrily eyed up my favourite type of snack food on the table. I knew this could potentially be a boozy one so I was shovelling down that prosciutto like it was going out of style. There was a brief introduction and then we were lead to the cocktail making stations. Initially, I paired myself up with another blogger but we got separated into teams. I’m not always great in situations where I know no one but I mentally put on my big girl pants and immersed myself within the group.
I love a good rustic vibe and this space had it in heaps. I don’t think the space we were in is where cocktail making classes normally take place but there are another two areas for classes of which both at some point were being used. Our cocktail instructor – literally forgot her name but that’s standard for my memory – told us what we had in our stations and that we would be making two cocktails. The first of which was my favourite out of the two. A gin-based cocktail called the Slingback and I believe it originates from Jersey? Anyway, after a thorough run through of the instructions, we got started. Typical blogger, I missed a bit of it due to taking photos so at times I had to ask my team what to do. HOWEVER, I was surprised at how easy this cocktail was to make, how good it tasted and how great it was that Sam’s sister had brought us a cocktail making set for Christmas. I mean, it’s like she knew I’d need it.
I mean just look at how beautiful it is. One mistake I made though was not adding any ice the shaker. Pretty dumb I have to admit as I was wondering why it wasn’t making any noise. What a pleb. For some reason, mine came out slightly greener than everyone else on my station but we believe this was due to the mint and possibly me overshaking it. But the important thing is that it tasted amazing and I could have easily guzzled down several of those that evening. What I liked about the masterclass is that the recipes were fairly easy to follow and there was an immense feeling of pride that I hadn’t cocked it up. Pride like when you’re a parent and your kid does something impressive, you know?
The second cocktail in this masterclass was called the Zombie. Yep, should have known this was going to be lethal when we were told we could only make three of them between the four of us. We were told a funny story (most likely made up) where a bartender served this concoction to a local who was severely hung over. Apparently, he downed three of them and ended up losing his job and his partner. He referred to his experience with this drink as like being a zombie, hence the name. I want to say that this was pure alcohol but I think there was a bit of pineapple juice and orange juice mixed in.
I actually didn’t get any clear photos of this, which I verbally cursed to myself when editing the photos. However, it was hella good and if I had any more than a few sips, I’d probably be on the floor. This was only a taster session for the cocktail masterclass and I think that it’s a great night out. I mean who wouldn’t want to make cocktails for themselves to drink?! Especially when you could just add a bit more alcohol when no ones looking.
Event-Venues has some gorgeous spaces both in London, Dublin and across Europe. For anyone who’s responsible for throwing client event or parties for their company, I think this can be a very personable and creative experience. Go check out Event-Venues on their website and take a look at some of the spaces they’ve managed to find.
Have you ever done a cocktail making class before? Let me know in the comments below.
*Disclaimer – This is a collaborative post with Events-Venue.com. All words are my own.
