Going Colonial with Cocktail Concoctions

A little bit of cucumber in my life,
a little bit of of ginger on the sides,
stir in some chilli for more delight,
it'll surely take you to an all-time high!
(to tune of Mambo #5)

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I always thought I had a deep seated talent for songwriting, but not to digress, let me keep with my day job just talking and blogging. But the limerick is in essence how The Living Room's Colonial Cocktail workshop turned out last Saturday, 20th March.
Our event partner: One Rochester.

Three delightful cocktails concocted in just over two hours, some with calm overtones, some sharper, but all with zesty flavours that had tongues wagging. Not big on anything alcoholic, I'd never expected chillies and ginger to be used in creating cocktails, but they won me over with the way they seductively courted my tastebuds. Under rain-emptied clouds, our participants started arriving as early as 3.20pm. Like the cocktails to be made, our crowd was itself a colourful mix - married couples, dating sweethearts, buddies from forever (kindergarten?!), friends from wherever (clubs?!), ex-colleagues and a mother-&-son.

Alongside the cocktails that were to be the talk of the town that day, the crew at One Rochester did a fine job ensuring the session ran with such fluidity (no pun intended). Kudos to mixologists Ivan Fernandez and Jill Bellah (left) for the show-and-tell. Their larger than life personsas and their chirpy disposition ensured no one in class was ever lost or distracted from the instructions they were dispensing. Adding a dash of comic relief to the event and playing cheerleader role was One Rochester Group's Operations and Marketing Manager Juwanda Hassim (below) who also ensured the seamless flow from one cocktail to the other.

The two-plus hour workshop turned out to be a good alternative to heading to the gym on a Saturday afternoon. With all the slicing, dicing, stirring, pounding and shaking, our listeners would have surely broken out in sweat if not for the air-conditioning in the black-&-white 2-storey bungalow. Those who wore flat heels probably took the session better, having had to stand throughout the workshop. But everyone was game to be on their feet and concocting their first ever cocktail for themselves. Now this is what I call 'reaping what you sow'. I caught sight of some participants adding more than the recommended shot of gin or vodka into their mix, but the staff never batted an eyelid. As long as everyone was happy, learnt something and enjoyed their handiwork.

The workshop came to a close with a flaring performance (not for the faint-hearted or butter-fingered) by Neil. On a side note, I can't help but wonder if One Rochester makes it a point to hire only good lookers. But hey, beauty's a bonus if your staff know their stuff!

After some delectable nibbles laid out at the courtyard, the happy campers made their way home.

I was asked by some of the participants what our next event will be. Well let me just say that....

It'll be in May and it'll be crystal clear when we get closer to the date. All I can leak at this point is that it's going to be a hot and fiery affair!

Watch this space and stay tuned to The Living Room on 938LIVE!

Meantime, CHEERS from us to YOU!!!