If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about your favorite spirit, or make craft cocktails like a pro, The Alembic is here to help. Their Monday Night Mixology classes offer you the rare opportunity to pour, shake, stir and sip with some of SF’s best mixologists.
The Alembic, located in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of SF, has been a standard-bearer for craft cocktails since it opened in 2006. These hands-on classes range from fun seasonal drinks to deeper dives into a single spirit, like American Whiskey and Vermouth.
Owner and bar manager Kathryn Kulczyk is the creative force behind The Alembic’s cocktail menu. She has been teaching mixology alongside co-instructor and renowned bartender Michael Cecconi for the past 8 years. At their former bar, Two Sister’s Bar and Books, regulars loved the cocktails and frequently asked for the recipes. After a few attempts at home, most folks became frustrated by the process and lackluster results. This inspired Cecconi to offer a basic mixology class to the public, which Cecconi and Kulczyk have continued to expand at The Alembic.
Each class explores a genre of cocktails or a specific spirit and involves a lot of tasting. “During the class, we’re tasting spirits and making four full cocktails. It’s a really fun time. Even the folks who are a little nervous or intimidated at first are talking to their neighbors and having a great time by drink two.”
“We have a little something for everybody. Today I’m teaching a summer seasonal class, so it’s more focused on interesting ingredients than elaborate recipes. We also do more advanced classes like one on obscure Japanese whisky and another on Tiki drinks that are both really cool,” said Kulczyk.
The class is intended for home bartenders, rather than professionals, but that doesn’t mean they water down the material. Students gain technical skills, but also an appreciation for the spirits and equipment worth buying, rather than the ones that are all hype. This class will forever change the way you think about and buy spirits.
All classes are taught at The Alembic, with more information available at Monday Night Mixology.
Location: 1725 Haight Street, San Francisco
Featured Image: Courtesy of The Alembic