Melbourne's top 5 cocktail classes

The Waiting Room

Neil Perry's first cocktail bar turns out some of the best drinks in town. For a modest fee, you'll get a mixology crash course with elite bartenders Will Oxenham and Steve Crozier. You'll be treated to gourmet bar snacks, amazing artisan cocktails, and a wealth of knowledge. For the finale you're free to run amok in the ample bar to make your own cocktail. 8 guests for classes Mon-Thu, 12 guests for classes Fri-Sun, $135pp.

Back Bar

The staff at this funky wee joint really know their onions. They’re pretty well versed on cocktails, too. Best of all, they’re unpretentious and approachable. The group classes are pure value at $55 per head, which includes sure-to-be-excellent arrival drinks, some light snackage and a bunch of drinkerly know-how. Min 8 guests, $55pp.

Longrain

As well as knockout fusion dining, trendy CBD staple Longrain offers a fairly dizzying drinks list. You can whip up your own on the first Saturday of every month, guided by the consummate professionals from Sensology. Here you’ll learn how to make the classics as well as some racy upstarts. Min 10 guests, $75pp.

Transit Cocktail Lounge

Jackson Watson’s more than just a oenophile; while he definitely knows his wine, his cocktails blow Tom Cruise’s out of the water. He’ll teach you a signature Transit drink, as well as a couple of classics, in a three-hour masterclass that’ll leave you lightheaded. From all the information, of course. 21/06/12 6-9pm. $49pp.

1806

The drinks list at 1806 is the stuff of legend; a centuries-spanning cocktail chronicle, starting – you guessed it – in 1806. The super-duper knowledgable staff share their wisdom in the very PoMo-sounding, very thorough four-hour Deconstructing Cocktails course. You even get a certificate at the end! Legit. First sunday of every month. $145pp.

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