Mixing It Up at the Reitz:Vodka

A fellow student shakes it up at the Wednesday Vokda class 

Oh what a night! The “oh” is for the mini-hangover I woke up with this morning after week three of bartending class. I had a feeling this week would be a little intense. Our teacher, Wonton, whom you can spot hitting up Gator City after our “alcohol lesson,” pulled out vodka bottle after vodka bottle, giving us a little background about where each came from, how many times it was distilled (all vodkas are distilled at least three times before it is considered a true vodka), and offered his opinion about each one’s quality factor. To be honest, I don’t remember much of the historical aspect, but I can give you the lowdown on our multiple taste tests.

Wonton showed us how to make a Bloody Mary, the second drink ever made using vodka. He added ingredients a little out of the ordinary, including 1 1/4 jiggers of vodka (he used Level), tomato juice and swigs of Worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, horseradish, salt and pepper. The concoction tasted like a seafood dish or a cocktail sauce you would use to dip shrimp in. 

My favorite alcohol was Vincent-Van Gogh Pineapple Vodka, mixed with pineapple juice and a splash of cranberry juice. If you like fruity drinks, this is one to try. I also really liked the chocolate martini. I made it with 1/2 a jigger of vodka (we used Pravda, one of Wonton’s favorites aside from Level, ZYR, EFFEN and Stoli Elit – all in the $25 to $30 range) and Dark Crème de Cacao cocktail mix.  It tasted similar to Serendipity’s frozen, hot chocolate with a splash of alcohol. Delicious!

Next week, we have a break from class (probably to subside our poor livers), but we thought it would be a great idea to gather everyone together for a little happy hour in the Reitz Union basement. If you want to see me practice my bartending skills or in Wonton’s words, “do my homework,” let’s just say I’ll see you there.

--Brooke Aronoff

Mixing it Up at the Reitz: Whisky, Beer and Wine

Who ever said the Reitz Union wasn’t the cool place to be, or the best place to get drunk?? That’s right. Wednesday was night number two of my long-awaited bartending class, a course offered as part of UF’s leisure program.

Each semester, students scramble to secure a spot in this purely for fun, non-credit bartending class, where drinking is pretty much the assignment of the night. The class is offered on Tuesday or Wednesday nights from 7-9 pm in the Reitz Union basement. About 30 students come together to learn some slick bartending skills, how to mix cocktails and of course DRINK (the best part, obviously).

Last week was beer and wine. Our teacher, who goes by the name of Wonton, unveiled more beers than have ever touched the premises of the Reitz Union. Beers from Belgium, Ireland, Germany and Mexico were featured, and we had the opportunity to sample each of them. 

My favorite was Hoegaarden Original White Ale from Belgium. It tasted lighter than Blue Moon, with a crisp flavor. Too bad they don’t offer this in the bars at Midtown.

I wasn’t totally looking forward to last night because I am not a whisky fan, but I decided to be a little adventurous. It isn’t every day that you have the chance to try 45 different whiskeys. I couldn’t pass this up.

I tried the traditional whisky and sour, using Canadian Club Classic 12, a whisky with a similar taste to Crown Royal, but cheaper. Yes...shocking. A whisky better than Crown? Who knew? I have to say this is one of the perks of the class. You learn little secrets like how to save money on liquor, an extremely important fact to college students on a budget.

My favorite drink was the Bourbon Meyer (yes, for Urban Meyer). The Gatortastic recipe called for a shot of any type of whisky (we used Maker’s Mark) and sweet tea. It was delicious, especially if you are not a whisky lover.

As the clock struck 9pm, I was semi-buzzed and ready to rage at Gator City. Next week is going to be interesting because it’s vodka night, which could get kind of rowdy. Stay tuned.

--Brooke Aronoff