Spirit School

Schedule
Ongoing

Profile

In a gentlemen's-club setting of leather sofas, mirrored shelves, and plenty of twelve-, eighteen-, and twenty-year-old spirits, beverage director Joel Cuellar keeps his lessons informative and informal even if his attendees—male and female—are all wearing suits and a studied attitude. Classes start with a little chemistry set to illustrate the distillation process, and Cuellar also nods to lowbrow brands (some drinks just do better with mixers). Throughout, one uniformed waiter scurries about with myriad nibbles like gougères, chicken tikka, and even foie gras. So not only are you drinking and studying the good stuff, but you're eating some good stuff, too. — Alexandra Vallis