Bridgeview Liquor

Join Sommelier Justin Blanford on exploration of agave spirits, covering tequila, mezcal, and more! The demand for another agave based spirits class is overwhelming and I couldn’t be happier to answer the call! I usually focus on just tequila or mezcal but in this class we will examine agave based products in general. I want to get to the roots of agave fermented beverage history and speak to its evolution throughout its long history in Central America. This freedom will […]

Join Evan Christie for an exploration of America's first cocktail guide, Jerry Thomas's The Bar-Tender's Guide. When it was published in 1862, Jerry Thomas’ The Bar-Tender’s Guide was (probably) the first cocktail book ever published in the United States. Before this, recipes were passed only from saloon keeper to saloon keeper, person to person, in the ad-hoc manner of a disorganized guild. Though intended as a manual for other bar professionals, The Bar-Tender’s Guide would prove popular with punter and […]

Taste and learn about wines for your holidays celebrations - whether to pair with a meal or for the perfect gift. Taught by Anita Bender. From Thanksgiving onward, the holiday season gallops on at a frenetic pace. Shopping, special events, and multiple gatherings crowd our schedules, sometimes seeming to leave little room for the celebration we intended in the first place. With this class, we hope to set that right in a couple of ways - first by providing a […]

Explore one of the most history sherry producers with Dale Johnson. The winemaking history of the Valdespino family in Jerez dates back to 1264, when Don Alfonso Valdespino was granted land after helping the Spanish crown reconquer the area. With commercial activity dating back to 1430, Valdespino is one of the oldest and most prestigious producers of Sherry. Their wines are produced with an exacting commitment to quality. They are also equally reverent of tradition and always willing to experiment […]

Taste and learn about Bourbons and how they are affected by changes in oak aging with Evan Christie. Oak aging is fundamental to the existence of whiskey; anyone who has ever tasted ‘newmake’ or ‘white dog’ - whiskey right off the still that has no influence of oak - will know this to be true. Bourbon in particular, with its requirement to be aged in new American white oak, leans heavily on the flavors extracted from oak to give it […]

Taste and learn to mix variations of the classic Tiki cocktail the Zombie. The Zombie was the drink that made Tiki a fixture of the American bar scene. For years its recipe was a tightly guarded secret, known only to inventor Donn Beach - not even his bartenders knew what all the secret ingredients they added were. This led to a proliferation of pale imitations, but eventually, through research and dumb luck, cocktail book author Jeffy Berry cracked the code. […]

Join sommelier Josh Voytek on an exploration of the many alcoholic beverages made from rice. Join Certified Sommelier Josh Voytek on an examination of Asian rice based beverages. While rice has long been considered a staple of Asian cuisine, you may not be aware that many East Asian countries also produce alcoholic beverage products from rice as well. While many in the US are aware of Japanese sake, did you know that Korea also produces a rice based beverage called […]

Discover the growing world of French Whiskey with Evan Christie. French and whiskey may seem an odd pairing of words at first. A country far more associated with brandy than whiskey, France has nonetheless developed a small but growing whiskey industry. It was a logical step - France remains an agricultural powerhouse with plenty of fields planted with grain and has long been a top export market for Scotch whiskey. French distillers are also free of traditional styles, handed down […]

Join Laura Botten to explore the wines of Spain and Portugal in broad survey of the Iberian Peninsula Jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean from the southwest corner of Europe, the Iberian Peninsula has been a home to winemaking since antiquity. Today, the nations of Spain and Portugal fill this region, and vineyards dot its many landscapes: the cool Atlantic coast of Galicia in the northwest corner, the warm Mediterranean shores of Andalusia in the far south, the Douro river […]

Join Evan Christie to taste and learn about Rum from all over the world. Rum is made almost anywhere sugarcane can grow. While its spiritual home may be the Caribbean, rum distilleries dot both North and South America, flourish on islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans, and operate in areas as far away as Australia and Japan. With few international rules to govern its productions, the styles of rum are manifold - as diverse as the regions that produce […]

Join Anita Bender on an exploration of lesser known, but never lesser flavored, wine grapes. Some wine grapes are household names like Merlot or Chardonnay. Others are at least well known by your average wine enthusiast like Grenache or Chenin Blanc. But in a world of around 10,000 unique wine grape varieties, most grapes languish in obscurity, whether that is justified or not. In this class, we will explore wine made with these unsung grapes.   Anita Bender will take […]

Join Certified Sommelier Joshua Voytek on an exploration of the Mediterranean wines of the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Join Certified Sommelier Joshua Voytek on an exploration of the Mediterranean wines of the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. While Italian regions like Piedmont and Tuscany get a lot of love and recognition for their wines, the warm island of Sicily off the southern tip of the boot of Italy contains many unique red and white varietals that flourish in the […]