
Ovelia Akademia
Join us for our hands on Tuesday evening cocktail classes in Astoria!
Learn cocktail history and technique from award winning cocktail educator (and Astoria local) Jena Ellenwood while you enjoy a welcome cocktail and light snacks from our kitchen, before using your own cocktail class station to perfectly create (and enjoy) your very own cocktail!
You’ll leave our cocktail class with the skills and knowledge to craft delicious cocktails at home, plus every recipe featured in class and a recommended reading list compiled by our cocktail class curator.
After the cocktail class, we invite you to mix and mingle over drinks!
What to expect:
1 welcome cocktail
Delicious Ovelia snacks
2 cocktail samples
1 cocktail you make yourself
Feb 11th- Sexy AF Cocktails For Valentine’s Day
ATTN lovers, singles, and all galentines: Kick off Valentine’s Day week by learning how to make sexy AF cocktails in our highly anticipated first ever cocktail class! Sip on a French 75 while our cocktail educator, Jena Ellenwood, takes you through cocktail history and technique (with cocktail samples!) before using your new skills to perfectly shake up an Espresso Martini. Stay after your cocktail class to mix and mingle with the other guests over drinks!
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Feb 25th- Island Time: Tropical Recipes for when it’s cold AF
You know we love crystal clear water and the sun on our face, let’s spend an evening on island time without leaving Astoria! Our tropical cocktail class will transport you out of the cold from the first sip of your welcome Mojito, while our cocktail educator, Jena Ellenwood, breaks down the history of tropical cocktails and the techniques and tools needed to make them! From the Margarita to the Daiquiri, the Paloma to the Caipirinha, rum to rhum, tequila to mezcal– we’re going to talk about it all before making your very own Pina Colada to enjoy while you mix and mingle!
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March 4th- Cocktails of New Orleans for Fat Tuesday
Laisse les bons moments rouler Astoria! In honor of Fat Tuesday, our cocktail class is all about New Orleans cocktails! Join our cocktail educator, Jena Ellenwood, on a historical journey to the Big Easy while sipping your welcome cocktail and enjoying snacks from our kitchen, before learning all the techniques to make your own cocktails at home! Put your skills to use by making your very own Ramos Gin Fizz with Jena, and then stick around after your cocktail class to mingle! *this class will be using egg whites, please alert us if you would prefer a vegan substitution
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March 11th- Cocktail Basics
Ever wondered why some cocktails are shaken and some are stirred? What on earth is a jigger? Explore bar tools and techniques while getting acquainted with the building blocks of cocktail families in our Cocktail Basics cocktail class! Our cocktail educator, Jena Ellenwood, will take you through the history of the cocktail, the techniques behind making the perfect drink , and then help you mix up your very own cocktail to enjoy!
Jena Ellenwood is a globally award-winning bartender, cocktail educator, and writer based in Astoria, NY. Her cocktails have been featured on menus throughout NYC, highlighted for events such as Cartier’s annual gala and in publications like A Quick Drink, Liquor.com, Imbibe, Punch, and Wine Enthusiast. She has written for 50 Best Bars, Food & Wine, Vine Pair, Bon Appetit, Thrillist, The Vintner Project, SPILL Guest Check, and The Crafty Cask, among other publications. She is an Executive American Whiskey Steward, a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, BarSmarts grad, is studying for her Certified Specialist of Spirits and holds a certificate in Scotch from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy. Jena is also the co-founder of Spirited Ladies NYC. For more information on Jena and the cocktail classes she teaches at Ovelia, Dear Irving, and the Astor Center, please visit her website www.jenaellenwood.com, and for cocktail photos, videos, and the occasional picture of her cat @jena.lane on IG.
