Last week I was kindly invited to a Cocktail Making Masterclass by The Cosy Club in Tunsgate Quarter.

Upon arrival to the Club’s decadent Private Dining Room ‘Wonderland’ my guest and I were greeted with a warm welcome from our host and bartender for the evening Jess and a Limoncello each (an easy way to get into my good books).

Considering we are in the buzz phrase of the moment ‘uncertain times’, I was curious to see how such an event would run, with 10 other people participating. However we were soon put at ease and informed of the safety measures put in place, including; masks and gloves worn by the staff, (with enough provided for the guests too), well spaced apart seating and enough hand sanitizer to fill a beer barrel!

The first cocktail we were shown how to make was a classic Aperol Spritz. Jess began by filling a wine glass with cubed ice, poured 50ml Aperol over ice, then topped with 100ml Durello (a lesser-known, yet great alternative to Prosecco), filled the rest of the glass with Soda, and adding 2 drops of Orange Bitters and a Dehydrated Orange to garnish. Afterwards we all had one made for us, which was another nice and light citrus treat for the palette.

Jess then demonstrated how to make a choice of 3 cocktails, which we would then pick to go on and create ourselves. I chose the Cosy Colada, (essentially The Cosy Club’s twist on another classic cocktail), the main difference is the Club’s version opts for Coco Lopez instead of Coconut cream, which tastes a lot lighter and maybe dangerously is easier to drink! As I was one of the last to make a cocktail, it was great to have Jess nearby (of course at least 2 meters) to help refresh my memory, as she said “it’s not a test and anyone that can remember after one demonstration should think of applying for a job with her!” I began by grabbing a Hurricane glass and putting the following ingredients into a Boston shaker; 25ml Coco Lopez, 25ml TD Spiced Pineapple Syrup, 50ml Mount Gay Rum, 37.5ml Pineapple Juice, 12.5ml Lime Juice and 2 Drops of Angostura Bitters. Fill the Hurricane glass 2/3 full with cubed ice, give the ingredients a hard shake, single strain, and a crushed ice cap and garnish with a cocktail umbrella and Glacé cherry.

Afterwards we were each treated to a delicious meal and I had the Buttermilk Chicken, which was lightly spiced, panko-crumbed chicken breast with thick-cut chips, chipotle mayo and house slaw.  It was nice to have the break in between for food and then go back to the cocktail making after to help break up the evening and keep everyone interested.

The final demonstration of the evening was of my favourite cocktail, an Espresso Martini. Now again it wouldn’t be a Cosy Club cocktail, unless it had a bit of a revamp, so they opt for Vanilla Vodka in their version, which is a welcome addition in my opinion. Jess poured 37.5ml of Smirnoff Vanilla Vodka, 12.5ml Tia Maria, 75ml TD Cold Brew Syrup and a Dash of Chocolate Bitters. Again all the ingredients require a hard shake and double strain. Garnish with 3 coffee beans et voilà!

All in all, we had a fun evening and were well looked after, I would highly recommend everyone tries a Cocktail Making Class at The Cosy Club, as they also offer Mocktail classes and cater for anyone with allergies.

You can find full details about their different packages and prices here: https://cosyclub.co.uk/cocktail-master-classes/