Shake Up Date Night: Behind the Bottle at MetroLagoons
While my husband and I can absolutely appreciate a night out on the town complete with dinner at a nice restaurant and drinks served barside, we also know there’s something so special about an experience-based, interactive date night.
If you’re looking to shake things up for your next Friday night with a date that’s a little more hands-on, I highly recommend checking out the Behind the Bottle Series happening at MetroLagoons locations. This series gives you the chance to go “behind the bottle” and learn the steps that go into creating some of your favorite cocktails.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Kahla, my cocktail-making skills go about as far as liquor, club soda, and lime.” To that I say, “SAME.” Luckily for us, these weekly classes are hosted in partnership with Tampa Bay Mixology, who happen to be mixology maestros.
There are a few reasons why I really love this collaboration. First, the crystal-clear water views at the lagoon make you feel like you’re literally on a cruise. Add in the expertise of Tampa Bay Mixology to help you craft a few cocktails to sip along the way and BOOM, you’re practically on a mini vacay. Plus, cocktails just taste better waterside, ya know?
September’s spirit spotlight is Patrón Tequila, and anyone who knows me knows I love a good spicy Paloma. So you can bet this cocktail-making class was an immediate “yes” for us.
When my husband and I arrived, we were seated at one of the front tables. I could see all of the details laid out in front of us: different types of glassware for the cocktails we’d be creating, a variety of garnishes and sweeteners, and, of course, a bottle of tequila. It truly felt like a pour-’em-up playground, and I was excited to get into it.
The drinks we would be crafting were a Spicy Paloma, a Honey Repo Sour, and a Pineapple Margarita. Each recipe called for a different type of Patrón Tequila. Along with the mixologists, there was also a Patrón rep on-site who walked us through the different flavor notes and pairings. He even poured out a little history and background on how their tequila is made. Even with a class our size, the hosts were extremely attentive and helpful.
One by one, we worked our way through each drink. Between the pours, garnishes, and taste tests, there really were no dull moments. The Tampa Bay Mixology team kept the experience lively while walking us through each step of creating the cocktails. It’s the kind of experience that really makes you appreciate the details and thought that go into each drink.
I also loved that there was a little “choose your own adventure” element to it, with the option to add more spice or sweetness depending on your preference. Let’s just say all of the jalapeños in our garnish bowl were definitely used.
Of the drinks we created, I found myself loving the Paloma and Pineapple Margarita the most (likely because I made them extra spicy). Although I typically lean toward silver tequila, the Honey Repo Sour was a strong contender for my taste buds. I really loved the tartness the lemon added to the drink. Each tequila that we used complimented the cocktail so well. The Patrón 100 was the feature for the margarita round and it was incredible. That one will likely be added to our bar hutch selection at home soon.
As a girl whose cocktail-making skills only go as far as liquor, club soda, and lime, I was shocked that I was able to whip up a few craft-worthy concoctions. While I love being served at the bar, there was definitely a nice little garnish of accomplishment in knowing I had created these drinks with my own hands (and with the excellent guidance of Tampa Bay Mixology, of course).
The entire cocktail-making class felt so approachable, and getting to do it with a gorgeous sunset backdrop made it even better.
Make sure you check out the MetroLagoons website for their next event and upcoming featured spirits! Thank you so much to MetroLagoons for having us out for this experience.
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