by: Cruisin’ Diva
I have to admit, as much as a cruising connoisseur as I feel like I am, there are still some things that I’ve never tried. I know, shocking, but I vowed on my 10 year anniversary (kid-less cruise, mind you) that hubby and I were going to try things that we’ve never tried before. One of these being a mixology class. If you don’t know what that is, then be prepared. You’re in for a fun time!
Diva Tip: This is 21 and over only, which mean the kiddos need to head to the club, or elsewhere, because they are not allowed. This is also a class that you have to sign up for and costs $20 per person. If you are in a Facebook group, they usually have a sign-up, or you sign-up when your booking window opens.
I have seen and heard about the mixology class before, but had never really tried it, or I wanted to try it and hubby didn’t want to! This time, he had no choice. We were getting outside our comfort zone and having fun! Granted, we didn’t need alcohol to have fun, because we are not drinkers at all, but I wanted us to try things that we have never tried before, and we had heard nothing but good things about these classes. We were a part of a fantastic Facebook group and we decided to sign up within our own group. We had made many friends leading up to our cruise within the group (which I highly recommend), that we wanted to get to know them and spend time with them on the ship!
We started the class with a lesson on bar tending. Ashley was our bartender and was very knowledgeable of how to mix liqueurs and how to even shake correctly and what tools to use! Very informative to say the least!! We were all eager to get behind the bar and start making some of Ashley’s favorite beverages. I had the pleasure of being one of the first one’s behind the bar, and it was a totally nerve-wrecking experience, especially since so many people were watching!
I tried to use the techniques that Ashley taught us. Holding by the bottle neck creates more stability and control with the bottles.
Popping the glass on top of the shaker and shaking about 8-10 times.
There was a technique for pouring with the glass in the shaker, but I failed miserably at that, so I went for the trusty shaker strainer!
I must not have done too terribly bad, because everyone drank theirs, including hubby!
Now, I wish I could remember all the names of the drinks, and no, we weren’t so drunk, we couldn’t remember. LOL. My husband volunteered for a turn behind the bar, and made a drink where you muddled fruit. Muddling is where press the ingredients against the side of the glass with a muddler. This helps to release the flavors of the fresh ingredients so they blend with the alcohol better. The trick is to not to muddle too much or you can get the bitterness from the rind if you are not careful.
The admins of our awesome Facebook group! I miss these girls and I am ready to be back on the boat!
The Chocolate Martinis, this was my favorite and the only one I could remember the name of, were definitely a favorite of mine and my husband’s.
In my case, what this class allowed me to do, was to try things I would never think of trying before. It was an amazing time with friends and memories we will cherish. This class may not be for you, but if it is, you are guaranteed to have a lot of fun! We enjoyed the experience, and will definitely do it again, because no class is ever the same. They also have classes that are Martini specific and Tequila specific, so it all depends on your taste and what you are in the mood for.
I was pleasantly surprised of how laid back and fun this class was. It could have been the people we were with, and the bartender that lead us, but we had a phenomenal time and hope to keep doing and trying new things on all of our future cruises! If this is something that you would be interested in, I highly recommend it, and know you will have a fabulous time!
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