The 1. 2 Best Cooking Tasting Classes In NYC Gothamist. At some point in your twenties, it becomes apparent that in order to survive without decimating your bank account, youre going to need to learn how to cook. And along with that, you want to develop your palate and become a more sophisticated taster and drinkerso that you can enjoy the things you cook, and also appreciate the meals out that you do choose to splurge on, rightBut looking at the wide array of food and drink classes around New York City, the options can seem daunting, not least because theyre typically quite expensive. To help you all out, Ive done some research, taking classes around the city in order to further my own food and wine writing. Here are my recommendations for the citys most worthwhile and engaging opportunities for gastronomic education. MURRAYS CHEESE The educators at Murrays Cheese are serious professionalsthey include sommeliers at the citys best restaurants, and Certified Cheese Professionals disclosure during the process of researching this article, I applied to be a wine instructor at Murrays and got hired. IN VINO Keith Beavers is a hilarious, wineobsessed nerd who will make you feel right at home in his cozy East Village restaurant that serves Italian food. Brew the best iced coffee at home with these tips from Consumer Reports. You can create a drink that stands up to ice and milk. How To Make The Best Tasting Coffee' title='How To Make The Best Tasting Coffee' />At the most basic level, pourover brewing involves pouring water over and through the grounds to extract the coffee flavors into your cup or serving vessel. Seems. Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Cold brew has given the coffee industry a joltretail sales surged 580 percent. How to Make Coffee. There are lots of ways to make coffee, but there are a few tricks you can use to make a really good cup of coffee. If you dont have a coffee. The Murrays Wine and Cheese 1. Youll not only come out of the 9. With these super nerdy instructors guiding you, the pairings will be adventurouslike a juniper smoked cheese from Catalonia alongside a nice full bodied Rioja. But above all, the classes are fun and relaxed. There are themed classes as well. Murrays Wine and Cheese 1. Bleecker Street, 8. BROOKLYN KITCHEN If youre getting into cookingor are a natural in the kitchenthen I cannot stress enough how important it is to know basic knife skills. The Brooklyn Kitchen is the place to get schooled on how to properly select and hold a knife, chop and dice vegetables, and do more advanced techniques once you have the basics down de bone a chicken, why not. These are serious cooks and butchers who love sharing knowledge. Take their Knife Skills class 7. Plus, theyll give you a beer toward the end of the workshop. Brooklyn Kitchen is located at 1. Frost Street, Wiliamsburg, 7. LEAGUE OF KITCHENSLeague of Kitchens launched in early 2. These workshops are about much more than knife skills or learning classic French sauces they are for people who want stories, culture, and authentic, unguarded interchange alongside instruction. And the instruction itself is meant for the home cook, rather than the professional. The idea behind League of Kitchens started when New York City resident Lisa Gross realized that her familys Korean American culinary heritage was at risk of disappearing. Currently, League of Kitchens employs eight instructors who were recruited through extensive outreach, via nonprofits, community organizations, language schools, and so on. They are all exceptional home cooks and completely self taught. League of Kitchens is located in peoples homes throughout Queens and Brooklyn. Ginger Tea here. IN VINO Keith Beavers is a hilarious, wine obsessed nerd who will make you feel right at home in his cozy East Village restaurant that serves Italian food and wine. Over delicious wine and cheese, youll taste through wines, hear stories about the regions they come from, and discuss the basics of wine tasting. Beavers offers a different theme each weekOrange Wine, A Tale of Two Montepulcianos and Italian Wine 1. But whats more, theyre totally casual and they have that classic East Village vibe, almost as if Beavers was the fourth Beastie Boy who got kicked out for drinking too much Chianti. In Vino is located at 2. East 4th Street, 2. Classes are held on Tuesday evenings. CHELSEA WINE VAULT For just 2. Chelsea Market. Its a pretty nice way to spend a weekend afternoon. The classes are themed, such as American Wines, but they are also designed to provide a general overview of wine and how to taste. Youll taste four wines, and be given a hand out with information about each bottle and space to take notes. You can sign up in advance, or get a seat same day if you show up early enough the class fits 3. Perhaps the best way to take advantage of these classes, since they are short and relatively cheap, is to go to one per month, and in between taste on your own and read introductory wine blogsthats a recipe for developing some serious wine knowledge. Chelsea Wine Vault is located at 7. Avenue inside Chelsea Market, 2. CORKBUZZ For more structured wine education, look to Master Sommelier Laura Maniec, who offers a wide array of classes at her two Corkbuzz wine bar locations. In my opinion, everyone who wants to learn more about wine should try a blind tasting at some point. Doing this in Corkbuzzs classroom would be the ultimate learning experience, because Master Somms are trained to really understand the mechanics of tasting and identifying wines blind, in whats called the deductive process. Youll develop a sense of how experienced tasters perceive a grapes flavor profile and a wines uniqueness, and learn a sophisticated vocabulary for discussing these variants. Although this 7. Corkbuzz has four levels of classes, and recreational is the most introductory, it would also benefit people who have some wine knowledge already. Oh, and there will be a cheese plate. Corkbuzz is located at 1. East 1. 3th Street 6. Chelsea Market at 7. Avenue 6. 46 2. MILK BAR If youve always wanted to wear one of those cute little kerchiefs that Christina Tosi is sporting in all her cookbook headshots, now is your chance youll get your own patterned headscarf when you step into the educational kitchen at Milk Bar in Williamsburg. Although you will walk away from these 9. Bake the Book classes 9. Milk Bar style cake, what happens here is more about assembling than actually baking. Youll be given a cooked cake, and then the materials with which youll build a cake according to the Milk Bar template lots of cream, a liquid soak, and crunchy bits, all layered together in a round mold. The energetic instructor will tell you all about Milk Bars history, and what makes their baked goods so damn irresistible. The best part about the class is that youre encouraged to snack the entire time. Plus, youll get to make truffles as a side project. Its a super fun way to get inspired about baking. Milk Bar is located at 3. Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg, 3. THE FLATIRON ROOM Bourbon vs. Bourbon is made with at least fifty one percent corn, there is still worlds more to learn about the cultures of these two incredibly important spirits. Let the good folks at the Flatiron Room help you understand what distinguishes these two grain spirits from each other and more during the American Whiskey 1. Youll probably be the most impressive person at the bar or party next time when youre able to say, Oh, thats made with a Prohibition era recipe, using a pot still. Expect to develop an expensive Bourbon habit after taking this class start saving up now. The Flatiron Room is located at 3. West 2. 6th Street, 2. ASTOR CENTER Mezcal fever is full on and its time to get in the know. Try Astor Centers Mezcal vs. Tequila tasting class 7. Tess Rose Lampert, who will explain the differences between the two spirits and talk about how to taste and evaluate spirits. Lampert will talk about the different histories of these agave based spirits, and how they are made differently today. The two hour class takes place in Astors impressive tasting facility, and includes a welcome beverage, six tasting pours, and a cheese plate to soak up all that booze. As well, Astor offers a Tequila Cocktail class for people who want to learn how to play bartender. Astor Center is located at 3. Lafayette Street, 2. BITTER AND ESTERS If youre into beer but lack the vocabulary to talk about it, or even have a hankering to dive right into making your own, look to Bitter and Esterss Brewshop 1. Prospect Heights. You can walk into one of these classes knowing nothing about beer, and walk out three hours later as an accomplished brewer.