Ahh, cocktails. Sitting down with friends and coworkers over a great drink is one of the little things we enjoy the most, whether that drink has alcohol or not.
And while making expertly crafted cocktails might seem like a skill reserved for trained mixologists, there’s a way everyone can get in on the flavorful fun – with a virtual mixology class.
Here’s the thing: raising a glass and celebrating the good times is important, as is finding ways to unwind, laugh, and enjoy small moments with friends and coworkers.
That’s why heading to the bar after work, or the coffee shop during lunch, are favorite past-times for so many.
But in the era of remote work, we don’t get that same face-time with our coworkers that we used to, and it’s much harder to get everyone to drop by the local bar when they’re already home. I mean, if we’ve had slippers on all day, why get all dressed up and leave the house now?
Of course, we think beloved happy hour traditions will always live on. But for remote and hybrid teams, they can live on in the form of a virtual mixology class.
Forget whatever go-to you usually make because it’s two ingredients (vodka soda lovers, we’re looking at you). With a virtual mixology class, your team will learn how to make next-level cocktails using simple ingredients, and they’ll get to hang out and bond with one another while they’re doing that.
Now that’s definitely something to raise a glass to.
Wait A Second, This Isn’t Bartending School
When you’re looking for team bonding ideas, it can be a little tricky to decide what to do with your remote team. You have to rethink your team bonding playbook, which is why we’ve come up with plenty of awesome team bonding ideas for remote teams.
But one of our favorite go-to teamwork activities for virtual teams? A virtual mixology class.
Yeah, yeah, this is the workplace, and a virtual mixology class might seem like something better suited for those in bartending school. But if you’re anything like us, and you enjoy sipping delicious drinks, you’ve definitely wished you had sharper drink-making skills. And we’re sure your team feels the same way.
Virtual mixology classes are great for teams who love happy hours, getting together for coffee, or who enjoy anything creative (like cooking).
They’re also perfect for those who don’t drink alcohol – you can simply swap out the base spirit for an herbal tea. And if your team has already held plenty of virtual happy hour events, and you’re looking to re-energize your group with a new activity, virtual mixology classes are a great choice.
Aside from all that other good stuff, virtual mixology classes are one of those memorable team building activities that promote camaraderie, and that can revitalize your remote team.
You have to remember that across the board, teams are suffering with communication, passive knowledge sharing, and staying connected as a team, thanks to the abrupt shift to remote work. Virtual mixology classes are fun for everyone, and will get your team laughing, creating, and hanging out together.
How Does This Whole “Virtual Mixology Class” Go Down?
You might think you need complicated ingredients or fancy tools to make mixologist-worthy drinks, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, in a virtual mixology class, you learn how to make delicious, flavorful beverages, with simple ingredients and tools already laying around the house.
But let’s start at the beginning: here’s how a virtual mixology class works.
First of all, it’s possible to organize this team building activity for your people on your own (especially if you or someone you know is a pro when it comes to making craft cocktails). But a great way to organize this event is with the help of some team building professionals (like us, cough cough).
When you choose a professionally-led virtual mixology class, you can expect a knowledgeable craft bartender to be at the helm of your activity.
Beforehand, everyone will get a list of basic ingredients to bring, like fruit, spirits, and sweetener. This means you don’t have to worry about organizing cocktail kits, or making sure they arrive on time.
We think the best virtual mixology classes are accessible, and easy to understand. That’s why when you do a virtual mixology class with us, your team won’t need any fancy tools or previous experience. Your team will simply need fresh produce, and will learn no-heat syrup making techniques.
On the day of the class, your team will have already gathered the necessary ingredients, and will join in through Zoom from the comfort of their own home.
Then, your world-class bartender will guide your group through making the perfect cocktail, step-by-step.
These classes aren’t just designed to teach your people how to make a good drink. They’re also designed to be engaging, memorable, and interesting. For example, you might learn how to properly taste alcohol, how alcohol is made, and why we use citrus in cocktails. At the end of the event, you’ll be surprised how much your team has learned about bartending, and about the science of cocktails.
How To Get The Party Started
Yes, we agree: virtual mixology classes are pretty awesome. As we mentioned, in order to organize one, you can either plan it on your own, or bring in some virtual team building professionals to help. Organizing a virtual mixology class on your own is completely do-able, but you need a few things.
Firstly, you need someone to teach the class. This should likely be someone who is knowledgeable about cocktails. If no one in your organization comes to mind, one of your local bartenders might be a great option. Then, you need to decide which cocktail your team will be making, and organize the ingredients. As we mentioned, we recommend using fruit and other easy-to-find ingredients. Lastly, you’ll need to organize the technical logistics, such as the video call itself.
On the other hand, if you want to organize a virtual mixology class but you’d rather have the experts take care of it, that’s where we come in.
Our DIY Cocktail Class is one of our most-loved virtual team building activities, for good reason. We have world-class mixologists ready to lead this virtual activity for your team, and we take care of all of the details before and during the event. All your team has to do is show up, and have fun.
Ready to plan an awesome virtual mixology class for your team? Schedule a demo with us to learn how we can help your team have an incredible virtual mixology class experience.
