CourseHorse partnered with Leisurely to coordinate this event, which was more of a lecture than the mixology class that was anticipated. The bartenders were not prepared for the number of people in the class (there were about 15 in the group), and communication was poorly executed. Everyone in the group was very confused on what we could and could not do. For instance, director at Leisurely instructed our group not to get any drinks, but the bartenders of the actual event said it was an open bar. We basically paid $125 per person to have a 2 hour open bar, which is far more expensive than going out to a regular happy hour.
As for the course itself, the instructor spent an hour and a half giving a lecture on basic techniques that should come with common sense. The class covered simple techniques such as how to use a lemon squeezer properly, and how to make simple syrup. The instructor spent a good 20 minutes on explaining how to squeeze a lemon, and there was nothing hands on about this class.
Overall, I think there was poor communication with the bar, Leisurely, and the attendees and this left a very disappointing experience.
Thank you so much for your note.
We continue to see positive experiences had by attendees at Pouring Ribbons’ mixology classes, so I am sorry to hear that your experience didn’t match expectations.
To be clear, the class you booked was open to the public and not bookable as a private event, which I believe is partly where the confusion stems.
We also had Leisurely team members on-site as you mentioned, and we’d never dissuade a customer from drinks they’re entitled to as part of the open bar. It’s not our call to do so, and as you could imagine, would be bad form on our part.
We’re also sorry to hear about the confusion you and your group experienced. For certain partners and for larger parties, we like to be on-site as an extra hand, and help ensure a smooth initial experience. We ensured to greet everyone, and give them a recap of what to expect. Furthermore, we encourage them to order drinks and partake in the light bites. Ultimately, we do everything we can to make sure our customers are comfortable and excited.
We did speak with the rest of the attendees, and hadn’t received any complaints. We also noticed that your group was seated at the tables behind the bar as opposed to being seated at the bar like the rest of the group.
Regarding the $125 price point, we believe you may have had a better experience seated at the bar as opposed to behind the other attendees, as the instructor is teaching from the bar throughout the experience. Aside from full open bar to top-shelf cocktails from a highly awarded bar, this is a fantastic experience for those who want to learn about the foundations of mixology from someone who’s well known and respected within that industry. Costs such as his time, expertise, access to plenty of drinks, and food should be thoughtfully considered. They nor us like to cut corners when it comes to crafting and introducing these experiences.
We understand you booked their Mixology Essentials class which is geared towards beginners, enthusiasts, and those looking to set up a home bar. As simple as some of these techniques may seem, it’s important to understand the foundational elements to build off from. We’re not sure of your background in mixology, but their 201 class do offer more advanced techniques if perhaps that would’ve been a better fit.
This is not a hands-on class, but certainly is interactive, as the instructor shares stories and anecdotes related to the topic he’s discussing, as he builds multiple cocktails from scratch. Of note, there are far more techniques and topics covered that were not mentioned in your review.
We apologize if the description provided did not translate as a demo-style class.
Please let us know if we can be of further help to assist.