Bottoms Up: Take A Craft Cocktail Class

Jesse Held runs intimate, fun cocktail classes in the bar at Constantine Minneapolis


Photos by Jason DeRusha

Like many of you, I’ve been thrilled by the explosion of incredible cocktails in the Twin Cities. Over the last ten years, we’ve seen cocktail programs at everyplace from the high-end restaurants to neighborhood spots. Because I like drinking those cocktails, I’ve also built up my home bar over the year. I wish I could forget spending $80 on rums to try (and fail) to recreate the $3 Kill Devil shot at Smalley’s in Stillwater.

I’m always looking to learn more about cocktails, so when I heard about Jesse Held’s cocktail classes at Constantine, I jumped. Jesse is the genius behind the bar programs at Parlour/Borough and Monello/Constantine. He’s been around since the days of Bellanote, starting the Iron Bartender contest there in 2009!

The class has about a dozen people in it. We learned how to make six different cocktails, from the Pegu Club (gin, orange curacao, lime & bitters) to the Lucien Gaudin (Aquavit, Gran Classico, Cointreau, Dry Vermouth).

But the coolest thing was being able to ask Jesse any question we wanted: why are some drinks shaken, other stirred? What building blocks are must-have in your home bar? What equipment do you need it have? 

The classes are always on the second Saturday of the month, in the afternoon. Make sure you drink a lot of water because drinking six cocktails is a lot. A lot. 

Saturday, November 12
Saturday, December 10
TIME: 1-3 p.m.
COST: $75/person
RSVP: info@constantinempls.com