The Roosevelt Room's Master Class Series - Classic Cocktails

As the saying goes, we can’t appreciate where we are unless we understand how far we’ve come. In this modern cocktail revival, it’s easy to forget about the cocktails that parented the innovative creations being served behind bars today. In this introductory course, attendees will learn about the evolution of the cocktail, how important families of cocktails came to be, and the history and (oft-debated) origin of some of our most beloved classics.

Each attendee will get to enjoy three classic cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, all while learning about the history and how-tos of the drinks being made, and why they’ve become beloved classics.

Attendees must be 21 years of age. Class promptly begins at 12pm and concludes at 2:30pm. Hors d’oeuvres will be served at the beginning of the course. Guests are encouraged to stick around after the course concludes to enjoy our Sunday Happy Hour service at 3pm!

Topics Covered:

• The beverages that started it all: Punch, Sling/Toddy, Julep, Old Fashioned (aka “Cocktail”), Collins/Fizz, Cobbler, Crusta, Sour/Fix, Daisy, Martini/Manhattan
• Cocktail History up to 1800 A.D.
• Punch, and its many offspring
• The Rise of the Cocktail, 1800-1885
• Prohibition and its Repeal, 1885-1934
• The Cocktail’s fall from grace, 1934-1990s
• 2000’s: The Modern Renaissance of the Cocktail and Bartending as a profession