Billed as a Prohibition-style speakeasy, Constitution has quickly established itself as a go-to spot for top-tier cocktails since opening last year in a stone house at 109 Constitution St. Its owners have since launched a series of cocktail-making classes to help patrons aged 21 and older elevate their home mixology skills.
Co-owner and operator Amy Camenisch said the classes at Constitution began with monthly bourbon sessions, typically held on the fourth Sunday of each month, and have recently expanded to cover other spirits. For instance, August featured a rum-themed class led by experienced bartender Seth Bol.
Students come away with skills like how to make margaritas in a larger batch size for ease in serving without sacrificing quality, stepping up one's Old Fashioned-making game, or crafting a classic daiquiri, she said.
"I think that it's important to know how to make a good cocktail at home, so when you're hosting people, you have a couple of good recipes in your repertoire," she said.
Class sizes are capped at eight participants, with tickets priced at $100 each. Ticket holders can expect to sample several spirits, receive background information on each, and get expert instruction on how to make three cocktails, with printed recipes to take home.
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Head bartender Rusty Wright leads a discussion about bourbon and bourbon cocktails during a recent class at Constitution.
"We only have room for eight people around our bar, which allows for an intimate experience," Camenisch said. "It gives you the opportunity to ask as many questions as you want and have a front-row experience to everything that's going on."
Private cocktail classes can also be booked upon request and tailored to a customer's preferences, she added. For example, a customer could request a deep dive into a particular type of spirit, its origins, and ways to maximize its potential through three cocktails.
The classes are good for business, too, she said, as people who take them -- some of whom sign up for more than one cocktail series -- feel more at home at Constitution.
"I think that when people come to our cocktail classes, they do start to fall in love a bit more with Constitution and get to know our bartenders a bit better," she said.
Head Bartender Rusty Wright primarily leads the bourbon classes, while Camenisch and other owners and bartenders have also led classes over the summer. For example, Camenisch and her husband, Ryan Camenisch, led a sold-out "Essential Summer Cocktails" class in June, which may have a fall sequel in the works. Co-owner Jesse Brasher led a mezcal class in July.
To ensure the classes are on point, follow-up surveys are sent out to attendees the following day, and every response is given careful consideration.
"Overall, the response has been very positive," Camenisch said. "Most people say it's exceeded their expectations."
Over time, she said, the format and pricing may be adjusted slightly.
Camenisch said the classes were designed to help people cultivate a reverence for the process and quality components essential in making a great cocktail.
The classes are also intended "to take away some of the apprehension people feel about making a good cocktail at home, which isn't true," she said. "You can make a fantastic cocktail at home."