MasterClass – Lynnette Marrero & Ryan Chetiyawardana Teach Mixology

Award-winning bartenders Lynnette Marrero and Ryan Chetiyawardana (aka Mr Lyan) bring their unique philosophies and backgrounds together to collaborate in a MasterClass on mixology. They share their insider tips and techniques to teach you how to create the perfect cocktail for any mood or occasion. From developing your palate and mastering classic cocktail structures to building your home bar and pairing drinks with food, youll learn everything you need to delight and impress your friends and family with delicious, original concoctions.

Lynnette Marrero is a proud Nuyorican who draws on her Puerto Rican roots for flavor inspiration and a dedication to hospitality. Shes been at the forefront of the New York City-based craft cocktail movement, and she was recognized as one of Americas Leading Female Mixologists by the James Beard Foundation in 2009. Lynnette was also named one of Food and Wine with Fortune Magazines Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink in 2015 and Wine Enthusiasts Mixologist/Brand Ambassador of the Year in 2016. She is currently bar director at Llama Inn and Llama San in New York City and is a cofounder of Speed Rack, an all-female high-speed bartending competition designed to highlight up-and-coming women in the cocktail industry and give back to those impacted by breast cancer.

Better known as Mr Lyan, Ryan Chetiyawardana opened his first bar, White Lyan, in London in 2013 as the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishables. He went on to found Dandelyan, named the worlds best bar in 2018, Silver Lyan in Washington, D.C., Super Lyan in Amsterdam, and Lyaness and Cub in London. He was named Person of the Decade by Time Out in 2020, Spirits Communicator of the Year in 2019, and Personality of the Decade in 2017. Ryan is the author of Good Together: Drink & Feast with Mr Lyan & Friends, and hes a founding member of P(our), which organizes an annual symposium that brings together bartenders, baristas, sommeliers, brewers, winemakers, distillers, and drinks manufacturers, as well as people of other disciplines, to discuss the past, present, and future of drink.

Lesson Plan

1. Meet Your Instructors: Lynnette Marrero & Ryan Chetiyawardana
   A leader in the New York City–based craft cocktail movement, Lynnette Marrero is the bar director at the Llama Inn in Brooklyn. Nicknamed “Mr Lyan,” Ryan Chetiyawardana has opened award-winning bars around the world.
2. Lynnette’s Perspective on Craft Cocktail Culture
   Lynnette shares the origins of the craft cocktail movement and how her experience working in the restaurant industry informs her drink-making style. She also discusses the importance of mentorship and empowering women in the industry.
3. Mr Lyan’s Philosophy on World Class Cocktails
   Ryan believes cocktails can boost your mood by bringing people together. World class cocktails aren’t about obscure ingredients or fancy equipment, he says—they’re about the people and the occasions you’re making them for.
4. Get Behind the Bar
   Lynnette and Ryan discuss the essentials for a home bar. Ryan encourages you to work with the spirits you love, Lynnette covers which spirits are the most versatile, and they agree that it’s best to make use of what you have.
5. Exploring the Palate
   Your individual palate should guide you in building cocktails that balance sour and sweet flavors. Lynnette and Ryan demonstrate their preferred lemonades and then add seasonal ingredients, resulting in perfectly balanced non-alcoholic drinks.
6. Solo Starters: Mojito and Whiskey Smash
   Ryan and Lynnette demonstrate some cocktails to relax with on your own after a long day.
7. Intimate Classics: The Old Fashioned
   Lynnette teaches you her riff on the Fancy Free, a quicker version of an Old Fashioned. Ryan demonstrates a more advanced version by infusing bourbon with beeswax and bottling it for a fun gift.
8. Shared Sours: Clara Bow, Margarita, Siesta, and Cosmopolitan
   Sours are a favorite of Lynnette’s, and she explains what they involve and demonstrates three different drinks. Ryan shares his recipe for the often-misunderstood Cosmopolitan.
9. Silky Egg White Sours: Panacea, Pisco Sour, and Morning Glory Fizz
   Egg whites make for silky-smooth sours. Lynnette and Ryan show you how to incorporate egg whites into drinks using citrus (which “cooks” the whites), with whiskey and pisco as base spirits.
10. Shared Classics: The Martini
    Learn a new take on the vodka Martini from Ryan, who also demonstrates a classic gin Martini. Lynnette makes a Bond-style Vesper and a Martinez, a Manhattan/Martini hybrid that originated in the late 1800s.
11. Dinner Party Classics: The Negroni
    Lynnette’s riff on the classic Negroni swaps gin for aged rum, resulting in a toffee-flavored cocktail. Ryan shows you how to use the microwave to infuse spirits with fresh herbs and fruit.
12. Dinner Party Refreshments: Sherry Spritz and Queen’s Park Swizzle
    Ryan creates a savory spritz using basil and bell peppers. Lynnette explains her swizzle technique and how rum can be brightened up with mint and Angostura Bitters.
13. Party Starters: Tiki and DIY Highballs
    Lynnette creates an island party in a glass. Ryan teaches you how to keep guests entertained by batching a base and laying out garnishes and mixers so everyone can make their own custom highballs.
14. Celebratory Libations: Pre-Batched Cocktails and Punches
    Impress a crowd with a champagne cocktail you can batch ahead of time with Ryan’s bottled fizz. Lynnette shares a recipe for a punch called the Llama del Rey, which includes a variation of a traditional Peruvian drink.
15. Raucous Drinks: The Lyan Mary
    Ryan demonstrates his signature interpretation of a Bloody Mary. Learn which spices and flavors are ideal and why you shouldn’t overload the glass with garnishes.
16. Pairing Cocktails With Food
    Lynnette’s version of a Barracuda holds up against the savory meat and pungent cheese of a charcuterie board. Ryan’s Portland Calling is a refreshing complement to a light berry and custard tart served for dessert.
17. Creativity and Craft
    Lynnette and Ryan talk about what they’ve learned from each other and why they love collaboration. They encourage you to get creative, collaborate with friends at home, and concoct your own original drinks.

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