A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

Thursday night I was invited to a cocktail class at Therapy, the private dining room at Ames Street Deli and Study.

Ames Street Deli is the more casual spot to hang out, grab a bite to eat or get a drink at the bar. Study is the more formal dining experience next door.

Both are owned by Sam Treadway, pictured above. He’s a talented and accomplished bartender, competing all across the country. Check out Sam taking home the first place win at the 2015 Shake it Up competition.

I first met Sam at the GrandTen tasting at Journeyman, the sister restaurant to Study and Ames Street Deli, and we had a chance to meet again when the Good Ones had an event at Therapy not too long ago.

Check out the cool drink matrix and menu at Ames Street Deli here.

Sam started off the evening by showing everyone how he makes his ideal martini.

He gave a brief history of the martini and explained why James Bond was wrong, asking for his shaken not stirred. Next time you stop into Ames Street Deli or BackBar, ask him why!

There were about 20 or so participants and everyone had the chance to customize their own martini, choosing their gin, vermouth and garnish (and whether or not to add bitters).

Sam explained that it is important to peel the fruit over the cocktail so that when the oil from the fruit mists, it lands in your drink.

Some people chose to garnish with a lemon, an orange or a grapefruit. I found it interesting that only one person chose to garnish with an olive!

Pictured, Rafiq Abdus Sabur.

Look who we ran into, Mr. Opus himself, Graham Wright!

The lovely Rose Drucker.

Guests carefully measured out their alcohol in jiggers, an hourglass measuring device you see at many bars.

After the drink was stirred, guests poured their drinks into chilled glasses.

Pictured, Ryan Lee.

Eric Klotch, Sam Treadway, Catherine Owens, Director of Food Sourcing, Social Media and Design at Journeyman.

Guests were invited to sample the different types of vermouth available – tasting the difference between the sweet and dry varieties.

Three guests were mixing drinks at any give time. While they were mixing, other guests were snacking on a delicious charcuterie board and fried cheese curds.

Miss this class? Sam will be teaching another one on September 3rd – this time he’ll be mixing up some tiki drinks! Get tickets here.

Tags: cambridge, class, event, restaurant