ABOUT THIS CLASS:

This Academy Session breaks down the science of spirits and cocktails in a way that’s practical, nerdy, and immediately useful behind the bar: Explore the mechanics of flavor and how to put them to work.

Dr. Arielle Johnson (author of Flavorama) is your guide to unlocking new flavor frameworks and understanding how to think like a chemist in order to layer, balance, and create recipes with intention and creativity.

Students will journey from the mouth and nose to inside the liquid itself as we explore fermentation, distillation and beyond – and unlock what really drives the experience of tasting spirits and cocktails.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Flavor Fundamentals to unleash creativity
• Balancing Act: Understanding how aroma, dilution, and temp affect balance
• New Frameworks: Design recipes like a chemist!

Thirsty for more great talks at the intersection of flavor and science? Start here:

• Nose Dive with Harold McGee: Scent + Flavor at the Molecular Level
• Spin Cycle with Dave Arnold: Centrifugation, Clarification, & Cocktails
• Wild Drinks with Danny Childs: Techniques to Harness and Preserve Wild Flavors

About Your Teacher:

Arielle Johnson

Arielle Johnson is a flavor scientist who advises some of the top chefs, restaurants, and bars in the world. Named by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants as one of the people shaping the future of gastronomy, she has lectured on food and science everywhere from Tales of the Cocktail to SXSW and Harvard.

Her writing has appeared in the LA Times, Lucky Peach, and in her book, Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor.

She received her PhD from UC Davis, served as the science officer for Alton Brown’s Good Eats, and cofounded the Noma Fermentation Lab (where she currently serves as Senior Advisor). She is also the co-founder of a flavor agency, Retronasal Industries.

Follow Arielle at @arielle_johnson.

ABOUT THIS CLASS:

When it comes to cocktail development, we don’t always need to think big or try and reinvent the wheel. Sometimes all you need to put your spin on a classic is a small amount of something interesting or unexpected: A thoughtful dash, rinse, or spray can make a big difference – and so can knowing which tool is right for the job.

Join veteran bartender Abigail Gullo for a journey into the small things. But we didn’t quit at cocktail creation — we explored this concept through everything from menu design to steps of service, offering up decades of bar experience on table touches, non-verbal communication, and more.

This is a rare opportunity for real-world insights on an often-overlooked aspect of modern bartending. Grab your notepad and hit play!

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Build a menu with nuance and impact
• Superpowers: Confidence, Storytelling, & Observation
• Get Inspired: Restraint & Creativity

A Negroni for every mood? Check out our list of favorites from the family tree.

About Your Teacher:

Abigail Gullo

Abigail Gullo is a hospitality professional with two decades in the beverage industry. She got her start making neighborhood craft cocktails at the innovative bars of the early aughts New York City bar renaissance.

She’s created drinks at award-winning establishments from New Orleans to Seattle, from Rome to Athens and Puerto Rico. In addition to multiple Bartender of the Year awards, Abigail received an inaugural James Beard Award nomination for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service in 2025.

Follow her at @abigailgullo.

ABOUT THIS CLASS:

How well do you really know orange liqueurs? From Mai Tais to Sidecars, this category is at once essential yet often overlooked.

Come take a closer look at Curaçaos, triple secs, and even the occasional blue bottle (gasp).

Taught by Cognac Portfolio Ambassador Xavier Herit, this class peels back the labels to explore sugar content, base spirits, and cocktail application with special guest Jonathan Adler.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Production Insights: Distillation, Maceration, and Base Spirits
• Cocktail Use: The right orange for the right job
• History + Biology: Give your drink some context!

Free Download: Grand Marnier Recipe PDF booklet!

About Your Teacher:

Xavier Herit
Cognac Portfolio Ambassador, Campari America
Growing up in Paris with roots in France’s Bordeaux region, Xavier was raised in a world defined by genuine hospitality and delicious food and wine. His path to becoming the Cognac Portfolio Ambassador began in restaurants, apprenticing for mentors like Chefs Daniel Bouloud and Alain Ducasse, before finding his true calling behind the bar—a career that covered roles from bartender to owner and even co-author. These all led him to the brand ambassador role he holds today, where he gets to share his love and deep knowledge of these incredible products with bartenders across the country.

Thirsty for more? Check out these popular class recordings:

• How to Cost A Bar Menu – Mark Murphy
• Farm to Drink Cocktails – Danny Childs
• Clarified Milk Punch – Josh Seaburg
• Spinzalls & Clarification…And So Much More – Dave Arnold
• Do Frozen Drinks Right – Michael Moberly

About this Digital Session:

Slow Drinks author Danny Childs leads this digital session on “farm to glass” drink-making!

Learn about safely sourcing, extracting, and preserving wild ingredients with ferments, infusions, tinctures, vinegars, syrups, and more.

Leave with easily customized “Master Recipes” to expand your craft and tips for drinks like a Lacto-Fermented Tomato Martini, a DIY Roasted Peach Pit Amaretto, and summer shrubs.

Whether you’re wandering the forest, farm, or produce aisle, a world of creativity and exciting flavors is waiting!

• Transform natural elements into sustainable and innovative cocktail components.
• Maximize flavor and output with master recipes (and tips to make them your own).
• Preserve flavor for use throughout the year.

Warning: If you are sourcing ingredients on your own, it is imperative that you learn which plants are safe to consume, and how to properly identify them. This digital session is intended to show you a range of wonderful techniques for harnessing flavor, not to provide the full knowledge needed for foraging safely. Take classes. Download a plant identification app. Hire a local guide. Buy a guide book. If you have any doubts, consult an expert.

About Your Teacher:

Danny Childs

Danny Childs is the author of the James Beard Award-winning book Slow Drinks and the founder of the company by the same name.

As a trained ethnobotanist, Danny’s botanical approach centers creating beverages with local flavors using ingredients foraged from the wild, picked from his cocktail garden, and sourced from local farms.

Danny teaches others how to create drinks in this manner through his consulting business, educational courses, and with his role in the Slow Food organization.

Follow him at @slowdrinks.

Check out Danny’s article on fermenting your own celery soda, ginger beer, and more!

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Thirsty for more? Check out these popular class recordings:

• Building a Successful Bar Menu – Mark Murphy
• Clarified Milk Punch – Josh Seaburg
• Spinzalls & Clarification…And So Much More – Dave Arnold
• Carbonating Cocktails – Bart Miedeksza & Valentino Girotto
• Do Frozen Drinks Right – Michael Moberly

About this Digital Session:

In this author talk, we are joined by Harold McGee, celebrated author of On Food and Cooking and Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World’s Smells, for a dive into the fascinating world of flavor and scent.

McGee guide us through the science and stories behind the smells and tastes that shape our culinary experiences. From the earthy to the ethereal, uncover how understanding aroma can transform the way you approach cocktail making.

This conversation is a journey to the far reaches of the cosmos and deep time, all the way down to the molecular compounds shaping the taste of your favorite Bourbon. We talk about Amazonian ants, why Parmesan can taste like pineapple, and how to supercharge your creativity through scent.

Whether you’re a flavor enthusiast or a curious beginner, this session will inspire and enlighten your senses:

• Discover Hidden Flavor Languages!
• Surprising Connections = Better R&D
• Strengthen Your Senses to master your craft

About Your Teacher:

Harold McGee

Harold McGee studied at Caltech and Yale, and since 1980 has been writing about the science of food and cooking. He’s the author of the award-winning book On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, a visiting lecturer in Harvard University’s course “From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science,” and a former columnist for The New York Times. He’s been named food writer of the year by Bon Appétit magazine and appeared on the TIME 100, an annual list of the world’s most influential people.

McGee’s latest book is Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World’s Smells. It began as a project about the flavors of food and drink, but expanded over the course of a decade to encompass the smells of the material world at large, which flavors often echo. Smells are triggered by molecular bits of that world, and Nose Dive explores their presence in interstellar space and the early earth, in forests and meadows, seacoasts and cities, in and on our own bodies, and finally their contribution to incense and perfumes, food and wine and spirits.

Want to know about upcoming free classes? Sign up for our newsletter!

Thirsty for more? Check out these popular class recordings:

• Building a Successful Bar Menu – Mark Murphy
• Clarified Milk Punch – Josh Seaburg
• Spinzalls & Clarification…And So Much More – Dave Arnold
• Carbonating Cocktails – Bart Miedeksza & Valentino Girotto
• Do Frozen Drinks Right – Michael Moberly

Frankly, we thought we knew all there was to know about blender cocktails. Boy were we wrong…

Blenders are an amazing way to bring unique, delicious drinks to guests and build large rounds quickly.

Michael Moberly of Monin (watch his Frozen Machine Drinks class) and bartender Sam Miller host this Blender Cocktails 101 covering everything you need to make the best blended drinks!

You’ll learn about:

• Starting Points and Pro Tips: adjusting specs, temperature + taste perception, and why you should measure your ice
• Business Sense: trending flavors, gear tips, and what you can learn from the Frappuccino
• Advanced Techniques: Using emulsifiers, plus recipes for Salted Campari Creme and more!

Whether you’re brand new to blenders or a seasoned tropical pro, we guarantee you’ll learn something new!

About Your Teachers:

Michael Moberly
In addition to his role as the Beverage Innovation Manager for Monin, Michael is a beverage educator and event logistics specialist with 17 years of industry experience, and the owner of a consultancy company in Reno, NV.
Follow him at @mcmoberly.

Sam Miller
A 20-year hospitality industry vet, Sam Miller recently opened Salt Lake City’s first tropical bar. He also co-founded of B4Change (Bartenders for Change), a social justice organization focused on reshaping the industry to be more inclusive and equitable.
Follow him at @samson_miller.

Want to know about upcoming free classes? Sign up for our newsletter!

Thirsty for more? Check out these popular class recordings:

• Building a Successful Bar Menu – Mark Murphy
• Clarified Milk Punch – Josh Seaburg
• Spinzalls & Clarification…And So Much More – Dave Arnold
• Carbonating Cocktails – Bart Miedeksza & Valentino Girotto
• Do Frozen Drinks Right – Michael Moberly

Creating a cocktail menu that harmonizes creativity with practical operations strategies is an art!

Instructor Mark Murphy joined us to share valuable insights from years of coaching bartenders and managers through the menu-building process.

Learn how to build a drinks list that works creatively and commercially! Get practical tips on strategic planning, visual design, and turning sales reports into useful data.

You’ll learn how to:

• Develop Cocktails with a Whole Menu approach
• “Speak spreadsheet” and cost effectively
• Balance creative vision and business needs
• Understand COGS and PMIX (and how to use them)

Whether you’re an “admin day” pro or spreadsheets make you dizzy, this class makes the math simple, clear, and maybe even fun.

DOWNLOAD THE INTERACTIVE WORKSHEET HERE.

Put your education into practice with this editable Excel doc, pre-installed with helpful equations to calculate COGS and PMIX.

About Your Teacher:

Mark Murphy is the Director of Bar Operations for one of the largest independently owned restaurant companies in the US, leading creative, financial, and functional development of over 35 bar programs.

With over two decades in the industry, paired with an education degree, he combines practicality and creativity to build effective and efficient spaces, concept-rooted menus, and thoughtful trainings for successful staffs.

Want to know about upcoming free classes? Sign up for our newsletter!

Thirsty for more? Check out these popular class recordings:

• Clarified Milk Punch – Josh Seaburg
• Spinzalls & Clarification…And So Much More – Dave Arnold
• Carbonating Cocktails – Bart Miedeksza & Valentino Girotto
• Do Frozen Drinks Right – Michael Moberly
• The Art of Making Things Happen – Kate Gerwin

Spirits Educator Tiffanie Barriere joined us to lead a Digital Session exploring Cognac’s history and legacy in the United States from WW1 to today.

Part education and part celebration, her class revealed the stories, characters, and iconic moments behind this beautiful category. Barriere takes you from Europe to Harlem Renaissance jazz clubs to modern hip-hop culture, and you’ll leave with a better understanding of both the history and future of Cognac.

You’ll learn about:

• Ritual & Application: From neat pour to contemporary cocktails.
• Story in a Glass: The role of craftsmanship, terroir, and time.
• History & Rhythm: Learn about Cognac’s cultural connections.

This is a can’t-miss class for anyone for bartenders and beverage pros wanting to learn more about the history of Cognac, and how to use it in a modern bar.

Want to know about upcoming free classes? Sign up for our newsletter!

About Your Teacher:

Tiffanie Barriere is a visionary award-winning educator, storyteller, and bartender’s bartender redefining cocktail culture. With a passion for creativity, culture, and community, Tiffanie champions Black women in spirits and inspires a new generation of bartenders and cocktail lovers to raise the bar—literally.

In addition to appearances on the Today Show and Drink Masters, Barriere’s creations and cultural storytelling have been celebrated everywhere from Forbes to The New York Times.

She’s been awarded the TOTC Visionary Award and named Bartender of the Year by Women of Whiskey.

Learn more about Tiffanie at TheDrinkingCoach.com.
Follow her IG: @TheDrinkingCoach.

Thirsty for more? Check out these class recordings:

• Clarified Milk Punch – Josh Seaburg
• Spinzalls & Clarification…And So Much More – Dave Arnold
• Carbonating Cocktails – Bart Miedeksza & Valentino Girotto
• Do Frozen Drinks Right – Michael Moberly
• The Art of Making Things Happen – Kate Gerwin

This is a can’t miss education for anyone running a bar program—or anyone who would like to! We break it all down into three key categories:

• Guest Experience & Storytelling
• Speed of Service & Efficiency
• Ingredient Transformation

What you’ll learn:

• New Tools: VOM, Ripple Machine, Spinzall 2.0, and More!
• Explore Techniques Like Canning, Floating Foam, Crystalization, and Flavor Blasting
• Budget Alternatives + Practical Tips: Honest, field-tested insights on gear and cost-benefit.

Want to know about upcoming free classes? Sign up for our newsletter!

Thirsty for more? Check out the class appendix for further learning:

WATCH NOW ON CAMPARI ACADEMY:

• Clarified Milk Punch – Josh Seaburg
• Spinzalls & Clarification…And So Much More – Dave Arnold
• Carbonating Cocktails – Bart Miedeksza & Valentino Girotto
• Do Frozen Drinks Right – Michael Moberly
• Drinks Theater – Jason Asher & Rich Furnari

ACADEMY GUIDES AND RECIPES:

• Clarified Milk Punch Guide
• Infusion Guide
• Pop-Up Tips from Tales
• How to make Campari Dust
• How to make Aperol Caviar

A PARTIAL LIST OF TOOLS DISCUSSED:

• Ripple Maker II and II Pro
• Flavour Blaster
• Stündenglass Gravity Infuser
• Searzall
• Spinzall 2.0
• VOM Edible Clouds

About Your Teacher:

As a manager for Campari Academy, Eddie Hansel has invaluable insights from the intersection of bar creativity, tech, and business. In addition to his years running volume and prestige programs, he has educated all over the country, and works closely on innovation.

Follow Eddie on IG: @academy_eddie

Industry mentor Don Lee thinks about creativity often – how to hone it, strengthen it, and push our industry to places we have only dreamed of.

He join us for a conversation about the process of creating new cocktails (if there are any such things), and how to thoughtfully and daringly join the centuries-long creative dialogue of the bartending craft.

A must watch for:

• Treating your creativity like a muscle: How to hone and strengthen it.
• The Art School Approach to criticism and why makes you a better bartender.
• Context as an ingredient, or why you should be drinking more Daiquiris.
• Cocktail Competition Tips (hint: Don Lee doesn’t know what your grandma’s cooking tastes like)

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About Your Teacher:

With a background in documentary photography and software engineering, Don Lee’s fierce curiosity and fascination with creation and interpretation found a natural home behind the bar during the mid-aughts cocktail renaissance. Lee’s industry icon status was cemented not only by direct innovations—designing industry benchmark barware, spearheading the fat-washing technique with the Benton’s Old Fashioned, menu creation and consultation—but through his work guiding the next generations, for which he was awarded American Bar Mentor of the Year.

Follow Don on IG: @donbert

Over the course of a bright, bluebird Monday in Manhattan, guests received free range to explore the Academy’s pantry and tool kit, utilizing everything from foams to floral chocolate to rapid infusions and even a Searzall!

After breaking into teams to ideate and construct their perfect Negroni riff from scratch, visitors received guidance from Kapri and Tommaso, Italian Icons Ambassador Olivia Cerio, plus Eddie Hansel and the Academy bar team.

After finishing their creations, attendees were invited to pull up a stool at our brass bar top, where they received final feedback on their recipes, presentation and garnish. Finally, Tommaso stepped behind the bar to whip up some Shakeratos, ensuring no one left thirsty!

Scroll on for photos from this fun, educational day—and make sure to follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter.

Kate Gerwin is often making things appear out of nowhere.

In the last five years she has built an award-winning bar and distillery, developed and sold a TV show, and is launching her own collection of glassware (just to list a few highlights).

She is constantly producing, developing, and sharing; be it cocktails, content, bar solutions, bartender talent, glassware, merch, interior design, and more. She’s an inspiration to so many and we were thrilled to host her for this unfiltered conversation.

You’ll learn:

• HOW TO: Take your dream from concept to completion
• TUNING IN: How to pause and listen when great ideas emerge
• PAY IT FORWARD: Why keeping the door open matters
• ENGAGE: Come with questions! Leave with practical inspiration!

Want to make sure you’re notified for all upcoming classes? Sign up for our newsletter!

About Your Teacher:

Kate Gerwin is a widely celebrated bartender and hospitality consultant. It’s nearly impossible to fit all her accomplishments from over 20 years in the industry into one bio—If you don’t know her from competing as a finalist on Drinkmasters or her various educator roles, then you likely know her from her growing awards collection, which includes “Top 100 Most Influential Figures in the World,” “Drinks Industry’s Innovator of the Year” and “Bartender of the Year.”

Her Albuquerque, NM bar has won awards for “Best U.S. Bar Team” and “Best New American Cocktail Bar.” She continues to elevate and expand the industry, through mentorship, creativity, and ingenuity.

Follow her at @alchemistkate.