Want to learn how to make the perfect drink? There’s more to it than you would think as Angela Beitz and Mark Spence found out at a Learn, Make… Taste class at Havana Club, Emirates Palace
If you’ve ever wondered what goes into making a mocktail or mixing a beverage and have admired bar staff creating drinks with flair, then the Learn, Make… Taste classes at Havana Club at Emirates Palace may just be the perfect thing for you.
Learn, Make… Taste is all about the art of making drinks and learning how to mix, muddle and mash your way to creating the perfect beverage. During the session you’ll be guided through the steps by the bar’s mixologist Sacha Toussaint. Sacha has worked at Havana Club for eight years and has created many drinks of his own that are served in the establishment.
The classes are very hands-on and when we arrive the bar is all set up with a chopping board, knife, mixer, mixing glass, bar spoon, jigger, strainers and muddler. We are given four recipe cards that we are expected to follow.
Sacha is a real expert in his field and starts by telling us where people go wrong when making drinks. ‘You can’t really go wrong when putting fruits together, the problem a lot of people make is using way too many ingredients.’
We start by making a Moskito. We grab a tall glass and Sacha gives us a lime each. ‘It’s important to use limes from either the USA or Brazil. Other limes are way too bitter.’
We are told to cut the ends off of each lime because, Sacha explains, that’s where the bitterness is. We cut one lime wedge into four pieces and throw them in the glass. Sacha then shows us how to muddle the lime but he’s got some expert advice for us. ‘You don’t want to go crazy when muddling limes, you just want to give it a few presses to get the juice out. If you hit it too hard it makes the limes very bitter and your drink will taste awful.’
Then it’s time for sugar to complement the lime juice and we put in a teaspoon and then give it a stir. We add 12 mint leaves and again Sacha tells us they just need to be gently pressed with the muddler to release the flavour otherwise we’ll damage them. ‘Mint is a very delicate herb, you can bruise it very easily so you need to treat it with love.’
We add some lime juice and give the drink another stir before adding crushed ice. We then top the drink up with a good quality ginger ale and garnish it with a sprig of mint. Sacha then taps some icing sugar onto the sprig for presentation and to add a slight sweetness.
We make one more mocktail which is a different take on the Moskito but with pineapple juice and vanilla syrup, and it is absolutely delicious. Then Sacha announces that we are allowed to make our own creation which instantly results in us getting extremely competitive.
Sacha has loads of fresh fruit laid out including pineapple, limes, blueberries, passion fruit, raspberries and more along with chillies, ginger and a huge range of syrups, including pistachio and rose. We debate for a while over what we will make and features editor Angela gets started. She kicks off with fresh ginger and Sacha cuts two neat sticks which Angela muddles in her glass. She then adds in a load of raspberries and muddles these as well. Sacha suggests then adding a syrup and Angela chooses almond and adds a splash of lime juice, some ice and tops it all up with soda water. Once Angela has shaken the drink (very badly, mind you) she pours it into the glass and it’s time to taste. It’s not bad, but she decides she should have put pineapple juice in instead of soda water to make it a bit sweeter.
Finally Mark, our deputy editor, has a stab at concocting his own blend with minimal guidance from master of ceremonies Sacha. Opting for green apple and blackberries with a scoop of brown sugar it sounds like an absolute winner to begin with. Once he throws in some pistachio and shakes it up with some ice, his Frankenstein creation is ready for tasting. Frankly, it wasn’t amazing but it didn’t make us sick either, so every cloud, we suppose.
In conclusion, mixology is best left to the experts but it’s also a lot of fun and there’s a lot to be learned about the fusing of flavours. If you’re looking for a fun evening out with pals get yourselves along to Learn, Make… Taste for a spot of education in the art of mixing mocktails.
Classes take place once they are fully booked and happen from 4pm-6pm. The price is Dhs250 per person. There is a minimum of six and a maximum of 16 people for each class. Booking is required at least two days in advance.
Havana Club is open daily 6pm-2am, Emirates Palace, Ras Al Akhdar (02 690 7999).
More mocktails to try
Hakkasan
Great soft versions of their regular mixed beverages menu.
Emirates Palace, Ras Al Akhdar (02 690 7999).
The Beach House
Indulge with the homemade lemonade, hibiscus and jasmine ice tea or the delicious mint fizz.
The Beach House, Saadiyat Island (02 407 1234).
Ess Lounge
Sip on a range of fresh juices and mocktails while enjoying the view and a shisha.
Ess Lounge, Shangri-La Hotel (02 509 8777).
