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Producer Masterclass Series: Behind the Barrel – A Blind Whiskey Tasting with Finger Lakes Distilling’s Brian McKenzie

Sunday November 8 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

The Producer Masterclass Series Continues

We’re pulling back the curtain.

New York Kitchen is thrilled to launch an exclusive new chapter in beverage education: the Producer Masterclass Series, bringing the brilliant minds behind your favorite bottles out of the cellar, out of the vineyard, and into the spotlight. These are the people who rarely leave their craft long enough to talk about it. Knowledgeable, passionate, and typically impossible to access…until now.


Behind the Barrel – A Blind Whiskey Tasting with Finger Lakes Distilling’s Brian McKenzie

You know the whiskey aisle. Rows of bottles, half of them claiming to be “small batch,” all of them daring you to have an opinion. Here’s your chance to actually earn one.
Join Brian McKenzie, owner and founder of Finger Lakes Distilling, for an insider’s look at how whiskey actually gets made, from grain to barrel to the glass in your hand. Brian’s been doing this since before “craft distillery” was a category, and he’s here to walk you through the real history and production methods behind the spirit, no jargon, no pretense.
Then things get fun: a blind tasting of 4 whiskeys, no labels, no hints, just your palate against the lineup. The group votes on a favorite, and here’s the twist: that winning whiskey gets bottled up just for this class. A few weeks later, you’ll come back to New York Kitchen to pick up your own 375ml bottle of the whiskey you chose, with the option to buy more if it becomes your new favorite.
What you’ll get:
  • A presentation on whiskey history and production, straight from a working distiller
  • A blind tasting of 4-5 whiskeys
  • A vote -your palate helps pick the winner!
  • A 375ml bottle of the winning whiskey, bottled for this class and available for pickup when it’s been bottled
  • The option to purchase more of your new favorite!
You’ll leave knowing more about how whiskey is actually made than most people who talk about it confidently at parties…and with proof in a bottle that your taste is exactly as good as you thought it was.

About Your Instructor

Brian McKenzie is the founder and owner of Finger Lakes Distilling, one of New York State’s pioneering craft distilleries. A Finger Lakes native and Cornell University graduate, Brian began his career in banking and finance before visits to distilleries in Scotland and Kentucky convinced him that making whiskey sounded considerably more interesting.
Since founding Finger Lakes Distilling in 2007, Brian has been an active advocate for New York’s craft spirits industry. He helped establish the New York State Distillers Guild and was involved in the creation of the Empire Rye Whiskey Association, an effort to define and promote a distinctive style of rye whiskey made with New York-grown grain. He has also been actively involved in economic development efforts throughout the Finger Lakes, with a particular interest in supporting entrepreneurship, agriculture, tourism, and the growth of locally owned businesses.

And because no great class is complete without great bites, Chef Pam Cecere will delight with one of her signature nosh boxes to round out the experience perfectly.

Seats are limited. You won’t want to miss this one.

$50.00
Event/Class Disclosures

Tickets

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Producer Masterclass Series: Behind the Barrel - A Blind Whiskey Tasting with Finger Lakes Distilling's Brian McKenzie - 11/8
$ 50.00
32 available

Details

Date:
Sunday November 8
Time:
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Cost:
$50.00
Event Category:

Venue

Wine Spectator Theater @ New York Kitchen
800 South Main Street
Canandaigua, NY 14424 United States
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Phone
(585) 394-7070

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Producer Masterclass Series: Behind the Barrel – A Blind Whiskey Tasting with Finger Lakes Distilling’s Brian McKenzie

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COOKING & BEVERAGE CLASS DISCLOSURES:

  1. If you wish to sit with a party who registered separately, please let us know in the notes section of your order. If everyone in your party has registered as part of one order, you will automatically be seated together and there is no need to reach out. We will do our best to seat groups together, however our space is limited and requests cannot be guaranteed.
  2. If you have a food allergy or restriction, kindly let us know in the notes section of your order. Please be aware that not all dietary restrictions or allergies can be accommodated. If you have a dietary restriction or allergy requiring significant modifications to the recipe, we ask that you reach out to us prior to registering at info.desk@nykitchen.com to confirm we are able to accommodate your request, unless otherwise specified in the class description.
  3. The minimum age to attend a general Cooking Class with an accompanying adult is 12; for Family Cooking Classes, children as young as 8 may attend with an adult. Guests must be at least 18 to attend a class without an adult, and all attendees must purchase a ticket to participate. Junior Chef Camps also require a minimum age of 12, but do not require adult accompaniment.
  4. You must be 21+ to consume alcohol. I.D. IS REQUIRED. New York Kitchen reserves the right to ask guests who are intoxicated, behaving in an unsafe manner, or who pose a risk to leave the classroom.
  5. By attending, you consent to media capture and usage by NYK for any purpose.

ADDITIONAL COOKING CLASS DISCLOSURES:

  1. Closed-toe, non-slip shoes are required for your safety.
  2. Each station accommodates 2 people. For this reason each station must prepare the same dish, with the exception of our Sushi Rolling classes.
  3. Recipes are developed using common ingredients which may or may not be specified in the title including flour, nuts, spices, fruits, vegetables, etc.
  4. To ensure the safety of all guests, we ask that class participants give their full attention to the Chef Instructor as they cover important knife skills and kitchen tips.
  5. With the purchase of your ticket, you recognize that this could present potential cooking hazards including but not limited to cuts, burns, slips, falls, allergic reactions, and other injuries. I release New York Kitchen, its agents, representatives, and employees from all damages causes of action, claims, and liability that might arise from participation.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

  • Class ticket purchases are non-refundable, and cannot be transferred to a different class for any reason. This is because New York Kitchen is a nonprofit organization that wants to ensure our educators are properly compensated for their time and plans for classes based on the number of participants registered. If you’d like to offer your seat in that class to a friend or family member, we’d be happy to welcome them. Patrons should use the original purchaser’s name upon arrival at check-in.
  • No-Show Policy: New York Kitchen will not refund for no‐shows if a guest books a class reservation and attendees do not show.
  • New York Kitchen reserves the right to cancel any class that fails to attract sufficient enrollment, or due to educator illness or inclement weather. We will contact you by phone or email and issue a full refund, or you may request to be transferred to another class of your choice (depending on availability and value).
  • We appreciate your support of our non-profit organization.

PHOTO DISCLAIMER:

  • Audio/Visual Release Policy and Acknowledgement: By registering and attending a class, seminar, program, conference, session, or other event (collectively, an “Event”) sponsored by New York Kitchen or any affiliated entity thereof (collectively, “NYK”), you acknowledge and agree that NYK has the right at the Event to record, film, photograph, or capture your voice and/or likeness in any media now available or hereafter developed and to distribute, broadcast, use, or otherwise globally to disseminate, in perpetuity, such media for any purpose whatsoever without any further approval from you or any payment to you. You further acknowledge and agree that all such media and all rights therein are the sole property of NYK. Without limiting the foregoing, the foregoing includes the right to edit such media, the right to use the media alone or together with other information, and the right to license others to use or disseminate the media.

DISCLOSURES:

  • There will be two people per station. For this reason, every two people in your party must prepare the same dish.
  • All guests must wear closed toe shoes when attending a class in our Hands-On Kitchens.
  • Guests must be 21 years or older to consume alcohol. I.D. IS REQUIRED.
  • Recipes are developed using common ingredients which may or may not be specified in the title including flour, nuts, spices, fruits, vegetables, etc. If you have a food allergy, please call the Front Desk to discuss your options BEFORE registering for a class. Adjustments to recipes cannot be made.
  • To ensure the safety of you and those around you, all guests are asked to give their full attention to the Chef Instructor as they cover important kitchen cooking skills and tips.
  • NYK reserves the right to ask guests that are intoxicated, behaving in an unsafe manner or that pose a risk to leave the classroom.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

  • Class ticket purchases are non-refundable or exchangeable for any reason. This is because New York Kitchen purchases materials and plans for classes based on the number of participants registered. However, if you’d like to offer your seat in that class to a friend or family member, we’d be happy to let them take your seat. Patrons should use the original purchaser’s name upon arrival at check-in.
  • No Show Policy: New York Kitchen will not refund for no‐shows if a guest books a class reservation and attendees do not show.
  • New York Kitchen reserves the right to cancel any class that fails to attract sufficient enrollment, or due to educator illness or inclement weather. We will contact you by phone or email and issue a full refund or you may request to be transferred to another class of your choice (depending on availability and value).

PHOTO DISCLAIMER:

  • Audio/Visual Release Policy and Acknowledgement: By registering and attending a class, seminar, program, conference, session, or other event (collectively, an “Event”) sponsored by New York Kitchen or any affiliated entity thereof (collectively, “NYK”), you acknowledge and agree that NYK has the right at the Event to record, film, photograph, or capture your voice and/or likeness in any media now available or hereafter developed and to distribute, broadcast, use, or otherwise globally to disseminate, in perpetuity, such media for any purpose whatsoever without any further approval from you or any payment to you. You further acknowledge and agree that all such media and all rights therein are the sole property of NYK. Without limiting the foregoing, the foregoing includes the right to edit such media, the right to use the media alone or together with other information, and the right to license others to use or disseminate the media.