Dry January Combo Class: Water Tasting and Best Nonalcoholic Spirits and Cocktails

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Two classes in one:
Water Class from 1PM – 2:30 PM
Nonalcoholic Spirits/Cocktails Class from 2:30 – 4PM

Water Class: Still or Sparkling? Water Tasting and Education

Does water have flavor? Is there a difference in flavor between tap and bottled water, or from one bottled water to another? Can water express terroir?

The answer to all these questions is YES! Come learn about- and taste- lots of water in this class by cocktail writer and educator Camper English.

First we’ll learn about tap water, including the local stuff in San Francisco and bottled tap waters like Dasani and Aquafina. We’ll briefly discuss home water filters and measure the dissolved solids in water before and after filtration to see how much it changes. We’ll taste tap and filtered water versus demineralized water to get a baseline, and learn how bottled tap water tastes the same no matter which tap they take it from.

For the majority of the class we’ll talk about and taste regionally-sourced bottled waters, learning how to categorize them, how to read their labels, and which ones to seek out. We’ll learn how waters differ according to type of source, mineral makeup (sodium, magnesium, calcium, etc), total dissolved solids, pH and more. We’ll look at naturally and artificially carbonated waters that can hold absurd levels of minerals in solution, and learn how to read a water quality report.

We’ll taste both bottled still waters and sparkling waters to see the great variation in brands. We’ll look at award-winning waters, waters designed for whiskey pairings, and other novelty water options. Waters we’ll taste include Vichy Catalan from Spain, Borjomi from the Republic of Georgia, and Saratoga from the USA.

This class is open to everyone and a perfect way to stay hydrated during Dry January.

Best Nonalcoholic Spirits and Cocktails Sampling Session

Sample fifteen or more of the best nonalcoholic beverages selected by cocktail journalist Camper English.

Suddenly there are tons of new nonalcoholic products on the market, but at prices near $40 per bottle it can be risky to buy before you try – especially because many of them are not as good as you’d like them to be. In this guided tasting class, cocktails and spirits journalist Camper English will share his favorite selections from among the 100+ nonalcoholic spirits, canned cocktails, and other non-alcoholic products he has tried over the years.

The product emphasis for this tasting is on ready-to-drink cocktails and nonalcoholic “spirits” that have an obvious utility (such as mixing with soda water or ginger ale) or just over ice, rather than needing to make a full cocktail with them. We’ll also not include very much non-alcoholic beer and wine – though you’re likely to find a few of those in the tasting. Selections in the tasting include one or two products from the portfolios of Lyre’s, Three Spirit, Martini & Rossi, the Pathfinder, Bare Zero Proof, Spiritless, Tenneyson, and more.

Note that these products meet the legal definition of nonalcoholic beverages, coming in at under .5% ABV. Some products contain bitter ingredients like wormwood and gentian, which are typically not recommended for pregnant people.

Classes are limited to 12 people. Class takes place in the boardroom on the 4th floor of the Mechanics Institute Library building at Post and Market Street in the Financial District, just steps away from the Montgomery BART/MUNI station.

Your instructor for both classes is Camper English of Alcademics.com. Camper has been writing and teaching about cocktails and spirits in San Francisco for nearly 20 yeras. He is the author of Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails, and The Ice Book: Cool Cubes, Clear Spheres, and Other Chill Cocktail Crafts. Camper has given dozens of talks and classes about cocktails and spirits science and history to audiences of bartenders and consumers. Camper also gives classes at the Beverage Academy at Bourbon & Branch – follow the Beverage Academy on EventBrite to see his upcoming classes. To stay informed about all of Camper’s classes, please join the Alcademics Newsletter, which goes out monthly.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.