I don’t know a lot about booze. I like wine (okay, a lot), can tolerate beer and enjoy a cocktail on occasion if it’s got some sugar and fruit in the glass. But I tend to find the menu at a place like Sugar House or The Oakland overwhelming and so usually just turn myself over to the whim of the bartender.
So, when Hendrick’s Gin invited me to a cocktail-making class at Social Kitchen, I was curious. A recent tequila tasting at Isalita in Ann Arbor piqued my interest in learning more about finer quality liquor, and the invitation from Hendrick’s looked like something from the 19th century, requesting my company at The Delightfully Peculiar Cocktail Academy.
I was in.
Upon arrival at Social Kitchen’s rooftop dining area, I was greeted by a table that did, indeed, look delightful. Hendrick’s clearly invests in its branding, and the place settings included Hendrick’s placemats, gift bags with recipes and tools of the trade, and a box with two porcelain tea cups bearing the company’s logo.
The academy was hosted by Fred Parent, Hendrick’s regional ambassador, who was easy to spot by his dapper clothes and warm, gregarious demeanor. Fred was a bartender in his former life and has an exuberance about the process of making a delicious cocktail.
He took us through three recipes, each of which we made ourselves—each attendee having been given all the necessary ingredients and implements. We squeezed lemons, measured simple syrup and tasted the differences between two cocktails when only one ingredient changed. (Meanwhile, Social Kitchen staff brought us plates of French fries and macaroni and cheese. I’m not sure how those foods enhance the experience of drinking gin, but I wasn’t complaining.)
In between the drinking and snacking, I actually learned a few things. Fred is passionate about getting the balance of ingredients right, and I started to imagine I could even mix up a few fun drinks of my own at home (or at least enjoy trying). And since we want to share that fun with you, we’ve asked Fred to create our next issue’s Signature Drink. Keep an eye out for it!
