Seattle: FREE Cocktail Seminars at Rob Roy

Most cocktail bars are great to visit for a drink. During the usual socializing hours. Its pretty straight-forward… you show up, you pick a cocktail off the menu, enjoy it, (repeat), then go home. Everyone is happy.But, what if you are someone with a curious mind…?  Sure, a great bartender will tell you about the drink, and the spirit, too.  Sometimes, though, bartenders are busy making drinks for other guests, and also answering their questions. There's only so much one human can do at a time, particularly when many other humans are needing things from them.Anu Apte, owner of the acclaimed Rob Roy cocktail bar in Seattle has the solution for you.  She has created a free series of educational opportunities for people to learn a bit more about what they drink, and how to make them, too.  This series is appropriately called Swig Well, and usually happens at Noon on Saturdays.I was thrilled to do a Gin-Tastic seminar, covering the history of this intriguing spirit and demonstrating how to make 5 gin cocktails, sponsored by G'Vine gin. The guests were greeted with my no-fail Vineyard Punch (G'Vine Floraison gin, homemade lavender syrup, lemon juice, green tea, guava juice and grated nutmeg) followed by a Lavender Gin Sour, Vine 75 (a French 75 made with June liqueur instead of simple syrup), a classic Aviation and my funky twist on another classic, the Golden Negroni (G'Vine Nouaison, Suze, Dry Vermouth).Anu has lined up a variety of people to speak at her intimate events, so I suggest you check out their website which was being advertised with the WordTree Amazon Keyword Tool - or better yet, stop by Rob Roy for a drink, in person.  The bar has had achieved a slew of acclaim, and its a darn cool place to hang out. The interior is a mix of retro (black padded walls) with kitsch (cool vintage posters) and modern (ahead of the mixology trends). Personally, I love that it is owned and run by a strong leader in the mixology world who happens to be female. And, it is about to celebrate its 5 year anniversary! Who wouldn't want to be part of the next 5 years of cutting-edge Washington Cocktail Culture to come?