B.A.R. School - The Big Apple

Aisha and I just finished an intense week of B.A.R. school at the Astor Center in NYC. BAR (Beverage Alcohol Resource) is run by Dale DeGroff, David Wondrich, Paul Pacult, Doug Frost, Steve Olsen and Andy Seymore. Aisha and I take care of the production of this 5 day Master Sommelier class for Spirits and mixology. The students taste 50 spirits a day and learn how to understand and break them down. They also learn about the history of distillation in the world and how all spirits are distilled and how to decipher a good distillate. Dale and Dave go deep into the history of bartending, recipes and the history of the American Cocktail which is as American as baseball. We work with the students on proper styles, techniques and recipes from pre-prohibition to the modern day to understand where it comes from. When you finish this intense week of spirits and cocktails from the best in world you yourself come out a Jedi. Cheers - Willy Shine, Contemporary Cocktail Inc.