Sharing a fun quarantine activity you can do on Fridays that involves learning new skills, supporting two DC small businesses – and liquor!
A couple of weeks ago, Serenata (a DC-based bar located in the Union Market district that specializes in Latino cocktails) invited me to join their Friday cocktail class with their Beverage Director, AJ.
I have never been to Serenata in normal times (aka before we were all staying at home) but I love learning about cocktails so I jumped at the opportunity! And let me tell you, this is how you should be starting your weekend!
On Fridays, Serenata’s Beverage Director AJ teaches a class on 2 cocktails and this is a really thorough class. Each class has a theme, mine was called “More Than Mezcal” and highlighted liquors other than tequila that are distilled in Mexico. Did you know gin could be made in Mexico? Neither did I before this class.
Starting on Mondays, you can purchase the cocktail class kit for $40 for the following Friday. The kit comes stocked with tasting samples, pre-poured portions of the liquors and ingredients for each cocktail (you’ll be making 2 different cocktails). It comes out to 4 drinks total. The kit contains the cocktail “recipes” with the letters “A”, “B”, “C”, etc. written on the card and the ingredient. Think of it like assembling Ikea furniture – except actually fun!! You can order your kits here for delivery or pickup but hurry, they sell out quickly!
Within the kit, you get a Zoom meeting ID and password for the class. It’s an interactive class where AJ shows you not only how to mix a cocktail but also the proper techniques. You can ask AJ any question, I asked about proper shaking and AJ was a fountain of knowledge!
It was also really funny to get to chat with the other people in the class. I didn’t feel like I was by myself on the couch, I felt like I was at the bar with others chatting about cocktails and cracking jokes.
Oh, and the kit also includes a snack! My kit had an out-of-this-world black bean dip and chips prepared by the head chef at Serenata. Omg it was so good!!! The only reason it’s not photographed is because I ate it all before I could snap a picture. I think that’s testimony enough ????
The other small business supported by these cocktail classes is Millie aka The Ice Queen! You know those incredible ice cubes in your cocktails that are perfectly shaped cubes and absolutely 100% clear, not even a trace of a bubble? You can thank Millie for them. Each kit comes with several of her beautiful ice cubes (seriously, they are beautiful) to make your cocktail feel truly special. I highly encourage you to check her out + support another DC small biz!
