The Cocktail Lab: Fall Flavours Edition

A 90-minute, hands-on cocktail workshop built around one advanced technique: infusion. Build two seasonal drinks from scratch with warm autumn spices and aromatic bitters. Leave with a shopping list and a party plan ready for fall hosting.

What this class is

The Cocktail Lab is a seasonal workshop series from Fine Art Bartending. Each cocktail-making class is 90-minutes. You'll learn one advanced technique from our professional bartending curriculum, and two finished drinks you build and drink yourself.

This edition is all about fall flavour. The technique of the night is infusion, the single cheapest way to make any home bar feel custom. You'll learn how professionals steep chai, cinnamon, and orchard fruit into syrups and creams. You'll learn when to use a hot infusion versus a cold one. Then you'll finish your drinks the way a bar chef would, with a few drops of aromatic bitters.

Every drink is poured zero-proof in class. Real spirit profiles, real technique, all the craft of the cocktail with none of the morning after. Every recipe also works both ways. Your take-home cards include the zero-proof build you made in class and the full-proof version for your home bar.

The two cocktails on the menu

• The Chai Colada · a spiced twist on the Piña Colada, built on your own chai-coconut infusion
• The Pumpkin 95 · a sparkling French 75 gone full autumn

What you'll learn

• Infusion basics: hot vs. cold, what each is for, and shelf life.
• How to build a spiced infusion from scratch, ratio by ratio.
• Bitters as a finishing tool. Two or three drops can shift a whole drink.
• How to jigger, shake, stir, and strain the way professionals are taught.
• A fall theme, a ready-made seasonal shopping list for hosting a cocktail party at home.

What to expect

• 6:00 · Arrive, welcome sip, and station intro
• 6:10 · The technique: infusion theory and a live demo, ratio by ratio
• 6:25 · Build your first cocktail
• 6:50 · Build your second cocktail
• 7:10 · Turn it into a party: hosting tips, seasonal shopping list, and the instructor's recommendations
• 7:25 · Wrap-up, recipe cards (both versions), and photos

Who this is for

Anyone. No experience required, just an interest in making genuinely great drinks. A natural fit for date nights, friend groups, sober-curious drinkers, and anyone hosting this fall. Every build starts from the core ratios taught in our Commercial Bartending Course. This class is for everyone, and it's also a great way to extend your knowledge if you've trained with us.

What's included

• 90 minutes of hands-on instruction with a professional bartender.
• Both drinks you build, you drink in class!
• Take-home recipe cards for both drinks, in zero-proof and full-proof versions.
• A seasonal shopping list and hosting tips so you can run the whole night yourself.

Logistics

• Date: Monday, September 21 · 6:00 to 7:30 PM
• Location: Fine Art Bartending School, 319 Pender St W Unit 10, Vancouver, BC
• Price: $69 · Class size capped at 12
• Age: 18+. Every drink poured in class is zero-proof.

The rest of the series

The Cocktail Lab returns Monday, October 26 (Halloween Edition: layering and colour-changing theatre) and Monday, December 14 (Holiday Edition: silky foams and festive texture). Each class stands alone. Take all three to build a full seasonal repertoire.