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SHOW

The Everyday Guide to Spirits and Cocktails: Tastes and Traditions

Trailer

01: Vodka and Gin - The Cocktail Spirits

First, Ms. Simonetti-Bryan offers you some pointed tips on how to make the most of learning with these interactive lectures. Then, begin your exploration with a closer look at vodka and gin. Both clear spirits are very mixable and usable for making classic cocktails such as Bloody Marys and Martinis (which you learn how to make here). But in order to truly appreciate the tastes and versatility of these popular spirits, you have to take a closer look at how they were discovered and how they're distilled.

35 min

02: Whiskey - The Complex Spirit

Here, shatter the myth of whiskey as a purely rough and rugged drink and uncover some of the incredible flavors, textures, and taste sensations to be found in single malt scotches, bourbon, fine oak scotch, and other intriguing whiskeys from around the world. Discover how the malting process works, why a whiskey's age is so important to its taste, the history of whiskey in Europe and America, and more. Also, watch a bartender make popular whiskey cocktails, including a mint julep and a Manhattan.

30 min

03: Rum - The Versatile Spirit

A darling to mixologists, spirits connoisseurs, and the average cocktail drinker alike, rum has one of the widest ranges of styles of any spirit. In this lecture, taste everything from rhum agricole (based on sugar cane juice) and white rum (based on molasses) to rums from Barbados and Jamaica. You'll train your nose and palate to recognize the distinct aromas and tastes of these delicious spirits, learn the terminology of rum to make shopping easier, and perfect the art of making daiquiris, Mojitos, and classic rum punch.

30 min

04: Tequila and Mezcal - The Ancient Spirits

Often considered to be the "bad boy" of spirits, tequila and mezcal are actually just as complex and beautifully sophisticated as whiskey, rum, and other spirits. How is tequila harvested and cooked from agave plants? Where do better tequilas come from—the lowland or highland regions of Jalisco? What are the taste differences between tequilas that are classified as joven, reposado, and añjeo? Is the myth about the "worm" in tequila bottles true? And how can you make the perfect Margarita just like a seasoned bartender? Find out all this and more here.

27 min

05: Brandy - The Luxury Spirit

Finish your journey through the tastes and traditions of spirits with a look at brandy, a wine-based spirit long associated with royalty and sophistication. You'll learn how French brandies such as cognac and armagnac are distilled and aged; compare this process with other brandies from Spain and South America; learn tips and tricks to getting the right kind of brandy to suit your personal palate; and get the secrets to making two classic brandy cocktails: a Brandy Alexander and a Sidecar.

29 min

06: Liqueurs and Cordials - The Flavored Spirits

Explore the sweet side of spirits with liqueurs, which serve as a veritable spice rack for enhancing the flavor of cocktails and meals. Ms. Simonetti-Bryan guides you through the distinct tastes and traditions of Amaretto, Drambuie, Cointreau, Angostura bitters, and more. Conclude the lecture with tips on making three iconic cocktails that feature liqueurs: Cosmopolitans, Champagne cocktails, and Black and White Russians.

35 min

07: The Mixology Toolkit and Classic Recipes

Jiggers. Shakers. Strainers. Muddlers. Learn why these and other bartending tools are so essential—and how to use them. Also, discover tips for using the right type of ice (such as shaved, cubed, or crushed) and the right type of glass (Martini glasses, cordial glasses, snifters) for your drink. Then, get expert recipes for seasonal cocktails, including sours, fizzes, and toddies.

30 min

08: The Home Bar and Seasonal Recipes

What does a fully stocked home bar look like? The kind that makes entertaining both fun and a breeze? Find out in this bonus lecture that covers the right selection of spirits, mixers, and garnishes to always have on hand. In addition, Ms. Simonetti-Bryan reveals the secrets of exceptional food and spirit pairings, techniques for making your own flavored spirits, popular seasonal recipes, and ways to make your cocktails more figure-friendly.

36 min

Overview Course No. 9144

Scotch sipped from a tumbler on a cold evening. A shot of gin adding a pleasantly sharp bite to an after-work cocktail. The satisfying sweetness of aged rum enhancing a homemade punch. Regardless of where, when, or how you enjoy them, spirits offer a nearly limitless array of tastes, aromas, sensations, and traditions. Yet despite their varying degrees of sophistication, spirits can be understood and enjoyed by anyone. Knowing the secrets of tequila, cognac, whiskey, cordials, and more—their history, their production, their varieties, their uses—can offer endless rewards for both you and others. It can transform you into someone who knows how to make parties exciting, unique affairs; someone who can easily pick the perfect gift to impress a cherished friend or important business client; someone who knows how to order the best drinks to match specific occasions. In the six interactive lectures of The Everyday Guide to Spirits and Cocktails: Tastes and Traditions, join acclaimed expert Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, a Certified Specialist of Spirits, as she demystifies the world's most popular spirits and shows you how to

discover your own personal preferences,
make classic cocktail recipes just like a master mixologist, and
use little-known insider tips and techniques for tasting and shopping for spirits.

Taking you around the world from the comfort of your living room, these dynamic lectures feature fun and interactive tastings, illuminating interviews with industry experts, engaging footage that captures expert bartenders in action, virtual tours through the production process of spirits, and much more.

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About

Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan

Working on each of The Great Courses series has been one of most enjoyable and fulfilling projects in my career. While an easy process, the content, video, filming, and editing teams are some of the most professional I've worked with, they are a complete joy to work with.

INSTITUTION

Institute of Masters of Wine

Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan is among a small number of people to have received the highest credentials in the wine and spirits industry. She is one of only a few hundred people in the world to have achieved the Master of Wine (M.W.) title from The Institute of Masters of Wine in London, England-the highest and most difficult title to achieve in the industry. She also has a Professional Certificate in Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and is a Certified Specialist of Spirits from the Society of Wine Educators. Ms. Simonetti-Bryan has taught courses for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, has trained thousands of professionals in the wine and spirits industry, and has judged international spirits and wine competitions, including the Ultimate Beverage Challenge in 2010 and 2011. She has also hosted seminars with Food Network stars such as Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, and Mario Batali. In 2008, she won the Wiesbaden Tasting Trophy from The Institute of Masters of Wine. Ms. Simonetti-Bryan is a frequent guest on television programs, including Fox Business, Fox News, and Bloomberg TV. Additionally, she has been featured in publications such as Fortune, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and Wine & Spirits Magazine.

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