Make and Shake Cocktail Workshop

Last Sunday a friend and I spent a fun few hours at the Make and Shake Cocktail workshop run by David Hamilton Boyd at White Rabbit Cocktail Club in Stoke Newington.

We made our way to the very sunny garden at White Rabbit to tables laid out with cocktail making paraphernalia. This particular class focussed on El Dorado rum, so started with a rum tasting session from Stefanie Holt. She took us through the rums we would be using for the cocktails: a white 3 year old rum with hints of vanilla and white chocolate, on to the 5 year old golden rum with hints of caramel and butterscotch and finally the 8 year old dark rum with hints of tobacco mixed with caramel toffee.

After getting our taste buds used to the alcohol, David showed us how to make a classic mojito. Easy on the sugar and mint to let the taste of the rum come trough, crushed with a muddler and mixed with the flat end of a cocktail spoon.

Next up was a ginger and pineapple swizzle, mixed with a swizzle stick, piled high with ice and topped with some angostura bitters.

Then finally the Orange Blossom Daiquiri with Cointreau and orange blossom syrup, shaken over ice and topped with orange rind. We accompanied it with the 12 year old El Dorado sipping rum.

The group was around 8 people, so there was plenty of guidance from David, as we made our way through the drinks our ability to follow the instructions diminished so we needed a few reminders.

You can follow all the recipes over here: http://www.organicspirituk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/make-and-shake-1-with-el-dorado.html

The Next Make and Shake class is on Sunday 7th Oct 3-5pm and costs a very reasonable £15

All photos (c) Emily Webber