Cocktail Class at South Boston's Grand Ten Distilling

When it comes to libations, Boston is typically associated with beer. And for good reason  - Boston is the home of over 100 universities & colleges and dozens of breweries including much beloved Sam Adams and Harpoon brands. However, the craft cocktail is infiltrating this traditional, salt-of-the-earth market with several popular bars known for specializing in delectable drinks. If you look hard enough, you'll find a gem or two, typically tucked away in basements, behind curtains or, in this case, in an old foundry.  

Luckily, we didn't have to look too hard. My event planner friends, Kim and Elizabeth, know the Boston food & drink scene inside and out. They were the geniuses who introduced me to Belly's Four Blind Wines tasting that I wrote about last spring. This time, they organized a cocktail class for a handful of our friends at Grand Ten Distilling in South Boston. Lonnie, our fabulous bartender, showed us how to properly make two cocktails - a gin smash and a drink similar to a manhattan. Then he helped each couple invent their own signature drink. 

Lonnie was an incredible host. Here is a man who truly loves his job, knows a lot about booze, and gets visibly giddy when concocting a new drink. Below is Lonnie delivering our first lesson in the Gran Ten Tasting Room:

About Grand Ten Distilling
Grand Ten is located in South Boston, about a 10-minute walk down Dorchester Ave from the Broadway Red Line T stop. Here you'll find Boston's old foundry - rows of low rise buildings that were once used to manufacture high quality iron for government weaponry. Once the demand for guns declined, the foundry evolved into wire factories. 

One of the many things I love about Grand Ten is how they incorporate the local history into their labels. For example:

• Wire Works Gin pays homage to the building's historical purpose - wire manufacturing. 
  
• Medford Rum was named for the original - one of the most popular rums during the 1800's. The original was manufactured and shipped from nearby Medford, MA ( Tip: pronounce it Medfid, otherwise you'll be labeled an "intahlopah" and be laughed out of town).  
  
• My favorite is Fire Puncher vodka, named for Tommy Maguire, who in 1887 fought a raging fire at an Iron Works building with his fists. Don't believe me?  Check out this newspaper clipping from 1887. He was a little bit brave and a whole lot of crazy, which is a fitting description for the person who drinks Fire Puncher straight up - it's SPICY! 

The atmosphere of the tasting room is industrial hipster - wicked tall ceilings, exposed beams, metal factory lamps, brick walls, and dudes with beards  Oh, and let's not forget the old green truck that adds a little color to the ambiance:

The back room is where all the magic happens. It looks a lot like a chemistry lab with beakers and burners filled with mysterious concoctions. The copper still looks like something out of Frankenstein's lab. That or R2D2 and CP30's love child.  Clearly, there is a lot of science and experimentation that goes into Grand Ten's products. 

Cocktail Class
Gran Ten provided us with all the necessary gear for proper drink making. We learned how to measure, muddle, stir, shake and pour the right way. 

Our first drink was a refreshing gin smash made with muddled mint leaves, Wire Works gin, honey simple syrup, lemon juice and orange bitters. 

Our second drink required Medford Rum (which actually has a taste more reminiscent of whiskey) and some vermouth. I noticed the name of the vermouth they provided was a Spanish brand named "La Cuesta". If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may recall my visit to Cuba where I learned a lot about my family history. My grandmother's last name is "de la Cuesta" and her ancestors originated from Spain. Perhaps there is a connection! 

Here is our beautiful second drink:

Then it was time to create a drink and we challenged Lonnie to help us make one with coconut cream. We knew Lonnie was good, but was he THAT good? Sure enough, Lonnie delivered and we made a frothy pink cocktail using the ingredients below. It was a tasty drink that I later named the Pink Panther.  

[Pictured Above] Kim enjoying our invention - the PInk Panther!

At the end of the evening Grand Ten gave each of us a cocktail glass as a parting gift.

Honestly, I'm not a big cocktail drinker so I can't expertly review the liquors. However, I enjoyed all the drinks we made and the individual tastings, which says a lot since I don't typically like gin, rum or whisky. Chris, who has a more sophisticated palette when it comes to the hard stuff, liked the Medford Rum so much that he bought a bottle. And he's not a rum drinker.

For me, the best part of the experience was learning something new from a great teacher (Lonnie) with good friends as my fellow students.  

Grand Ten offers private parties, tours and private cocktail classes. Or just swing by for a tasting! 

Note: This is not a paid endorsement of any kind. Our entire group paid for our class and any bottles we purchased afterwards.