Jonathan greets every guest with a Mai Tai and spends a few minutes explaining the history of cocktails. Before wine became the trendy new drink of today's sophisticated young professionals, our ancestors enjoyed flamboyant, creative cocktails prepared by the celebrity bartenders of their day.

Jonathan showed us great black and white photos of these bartenders with their handlebar mustaches from the 1890s in old postcards and books, proudly showcasing their icy, delicious creations. Then Jonathan demonstrated the basics (cutting lemons, the all-important "shake" of the cocktail mixer, the importance of shaking away from your guests so they don't get splashed) and left us on our own.

I would like to report that I made an excellent cocktail on the first go. However, the bartenders in Manhattan's trendiest restaurants have no fear of losing their job on my account. Making a drink is much, much more difficult than pouring a glass of wine. Pouring wine in an elegant fashion is an art (and I'm a certified sommelier, so I should know). Creating a good drink is something else, and paying $20 for a true high-end cocktail seems fair given the work involved.

Even though making drinks was part of the Court of Master Sommelier program, and we did have to tell the Masters what went into certain drinks on our very intensive exam, making impressive looking (and tasting) drinks is quite difficult. These high-end bartenders are not called "mixologists" without a reason. They are scientists, first and foremost. After the science part comes their secondary role as "entertainer" (but you already know that if you go to trendy clubs, or if you caught that Tom Cruise Cocktail movie on DVD).

If you live in NYC, check out the classes Jonathan teaches at The Astor center or visit his web site, The Cocktail Guru, to see when he will be in your town.

P.S. If this $95 class seems expensive for you, consider this: Jonathan gives out a goodie bag that is worth far more than that and contains every utensil you will ever need to make a cool drink, including mini-bottles of high end gin, vodka, and whisky.

The Astor Center
399 Lafayette St. (at East 4th St.)
NY, NY 10003
(212) 674-7501