In early February I got behind the bar for a change on the invitation of the lovely & glamorous team at Polit Bar.

They’ve been busy hosting a wide range of events in the bar ranging from burlesque to live music, and the masterclass was part of this ongoing program bringing the bar to life.

I’m not a professional barkeep, but if there is one thing I do know, it’s how to mix an acceptable dry Martini.

So with a sold out group of 10 people, some of whom had never had a Martini before, let alone mix one, I gave them the 101 on Gin and the other key ingredients, options for garnishes and styles, then they took turns mixing their own cocktail under my guidance.

I let them smell all the bottles first to get an idea of how the mix transforms the ingredients, and then made a Dry Martini (based on my favourite Plymouth Gin) to give them an idea of what they should aim for taste-wise.

Then onto the basics of mixing, how to use the garnishes, and some advanced tricks like adding a wash of Lillet Blanc or Orange Bitters,  and so it was their turn to come behind the bar.

They made a mix of dirty, super dry, wet, even a Vesper Martini, and all seemed very happy with the results.

It was great fun and I’m sure we’ll be offering it again before too long!

So here’s some happy snaps from the evening.

The range of Gins participants could choose from.

Learning to mix those healing waters the right way.

The lady had never had a Martini before, let alone made one! She went for a Dirty version to start her Martini journey.

Mastering the art of the swizzle.

A thing of beauty.

You can tell they’re very pleased with their work!

One dirty and one medium dry Martini.

Way more fun than My Kitchen Rules.

Mission Acccomplished!