Drinkin’ Whiskey and Rye at Kitch
Drinkin’ Whiskey and Rye at Kitch turns three whiskey standards into a hands-on mixology lesson on Friday, September 11, as spirits educator Anthony Caporale leads participants through a Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned, Perfect Rye Manhattan, and Craft Scotch Sour.
The two-hour class runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at Kitch in Olde Mistick Village and costs $65 per person. Rather than simply tasting the drinks, participants will learn how to build each cocktail and then experiment with ways to adjust the recipes to suit different tastes.
The class is designed as a sequel to Caporale’s World of Whiskey tasting class, but you don’t need to have taken the earlier course. Newcomers can use Drinkin’ Whiskey and Rye as an introduction to mixing with whiskey, while returning students get an opportunity to put what they’ve learned about the spirit into a glass.
Three Whiskeys, Three Classic Cocktails
Bourbon, rye and Scotch all fall under the broad whiskey umbrella, but their different flavor profiles can produce remarkably different cocktails.
Drinkin’ Whiskey and Rye puts each to work.
The Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned starts with one of the oldest templates in cocktail making: spirit, sweetness and bitters. Bourbon typically brings vanilla, caramel and oak characteristics to the drink, while maple provides a seasonal variation on the traditional sweetener.
Next comes the Perfect Rye Manhattan. Rye’s character tends to be spicier and drier than bourbon, making it a natural partner for vermouth. In cocktail terminology, “perfect” has a specific meaning rather than being a judgment on the bartender: a Perfect Manhattan traditionally divides the vermouth between sweet and dry.
The final drink moves from American whiskey to Scotland with a Craft Scotch Sour. The sour family is built around a simple balancing act between spirit, citrus and sweetness. Using Scotch introduces the flavors of the whisky itself into that equation, which can range considerably depending on its origin and production.
The point isn’t simply to memorize three recipes. Caporale will use the drinks to demonstrate how their individual components work together and how changing those components can shift sweetness, acidity, strength, aroma and the overall character of a cocktail.
Meet Anthony Caporale
Anthony Caporale has spent his career at an unusual intersection of bartending, education, science and entertainment.
He’s Director of Spirits Education at New York’s Institute of Culinary Education, where he has been a member of the Culinary Management faculty for more than a decade. His courses have included Professional Mixology, Whiskey, Bourbon and Scotch Tasting, Molecular Mixology, Bartending 101, Culinary Mixology and beverage-focused restaurant management.
His restaurant career came first.
Caporale began as a server before moving behind the bar and eventually into management, ownership and consulting. He has been involved in opening or operating more than two dozen restaurants and food-service businesses, including working as beverage manager at chef Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in New York.
There’s another part of his background that helps explain his approach to cocktails: Caporale studied Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke University.
That scientific background eventually became part of the way he teaches beverages. Rather than treating cocktail recipes as instructions that simply need to be followed, Caporale explores why ingredients behave the way they do, how balance works and what happens when a bartender changes one variable.
He’s also been an early figure in bringing cocktail education online. Caporale created and hosted Art of the Drink, one of YouTube’s earliest series devoted to cocktails and bartending, and later created Broadway Bartender. He also wrote and hosted a Mixology 101 video series for Spoon University.
Caporale authored the cocktail chapter of the Institute of Culinary Education’s Cognitive Cooking with Chef Watson: Recipes for Innovation from IBM & the Institute of Culinary Education and has served as managing editor of Chilled Magazine.
For Mystic audiences, however, his connection goes beyond visiting town to teach classes. Caporale calls Mystic home.
From the Bar to Off-Broadway
Caporale’s background in theater eventually collided with his career behind the bar.
He created The Imbible, a series of Off-Broadway musical productions built around the history of alcohol and cocktails. The original production combined theater, music, science and drinking history while audiences sampled cocktails connected to the story.
The series ultimately ran for six years and more than 600 performances, becoming one of the longer-running Off-Broadway productions of its period.
Caporale has also appeared as a cocktail and spirits expert outside the theater. He was featured as a mixology historian on the Smithsonian Channel’s Searching for Secrets: New York and has given two Talks at Google.
His connection to Mystic’s history is particularly appropriate. Caporale curated Temperance and Trade, an exhibition for Mystic Seaport Museum examining alcohol, commerce and the temperance movement.
Drinkin’ Whiskey and Rye takes all of those strands — bartender, teacher, historian and scientist — and puts them into a considerably smaller classroom at Kitch.
Spirits Selected by Spencer & Lynn
Participants won’t be working from a generic lineup of bottles.
The spirits used during the class are being provided by Spencer & Lynn Wine and Spirit Merchants, an independent bottle shop at 17 West Main Street in downtown Mystic.
Spencer & Lynn specializes in organic and natural wines, small-batch spirits, craft beer and cider, with an emphasis on smaller independent producers. The shop says nearly everything on its shelves comes from producers who farm organically and make what they grow.
Education is also part of its business. Spencer & Lynn regularly hosts tastings and special events, including its own programs with Caporale.
For Drinkin’ Whiskey and Rye, the shop is supplying a selection of unique spirits for participants to use as they explore the differences among bourbon, rye and Scotch cocktails.
About Kitch
Kitch is more than a kitchenware store with a classroom tucked into the back.
Owners Dan and Lynne Price built the Olde Mistick Village shop around their shared interest in cooking, entertaining and finding culinary products that aren’t necessarily sitting on the shelves of a big-box retailer.
Dan Price brings his interest in cooking and culinary education to the business, including teaching classes and demonstrating equipment for customers. Lynne Price handles much of the merchandising and curation that shapes what appears in the store.
The selection emphasizes American-made and locally produced goods, ranging from cookware and handmade cutlery to spices, specialty foods and small-batch hot sauces. There’s even a hot sauce bar where visitors can sample dozens of varieties.
Classes and culinary experiences have become another part of Kitch’s identity. Its schedule ranges from cooking instruction to beverage programs like Caporale’s mixology series, allowing participants to work directly with the techniques and ingredients being discussed.
Make the Drinks, Then Shop the Store
There’s also an after-hours perk attached to the September 11 class.
Registration includes an exclusive Last-Call Shopping Spree after the lesson. Participants receive 15% off purchases made at Kitch following the class.
Class size is limited to 24 participants, and registration must be paid in advance. Because alcohol is being served and prepared during the program, participants must be at least 21 years old.
Kitch requires at least 24 hours’ notice for cancellations to qualify for a refund or credit toward another class. No-shows and cancellations without the required notice forfeit the class fee.
If enrollment is too low for the class to take place, participants can receive a full refund or move their registration to a future class.
Details
Event: Drinkin’ Whiskey and Rye at Kitch
Date: Friday, September 11, 2026
Time: 6–8 p.m.
Location: Kitch
Address: 27 Coogan Blvd., Unit 19A, Mystic, CT 06355
Instructor: Anthony Caporale, Director of Spirits Education at the Institute of Culinary Education
Cost: $65 plus tax
Age Requirement: 21+
Class Size: Limited to 24 participants
Format: Hands-on whiskey cocktail class
Cocktails: Maple Bourbon Old Fashioned, Perfect Rye Manhattan and Craft Scotch Sour
Spirits: A selection provided by Spencer & Lynn Wine and Spirit Merchants
Registration: Advance payment required; first come, first served
After-Class Shopping: Registered participants receive 15% off Kitch purchases made after class
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours in advance to receive a refund or credit; no-shows and late cancellations forfeit the class fee
Class Cancellation: If Kitch cancels because of insufficient enrollment, participants may receive a full refund or transfer to a future class
Phone Registration: 860-980-3384
More information is available at the Event Website link below.
To purchase tickets, click the Event Ticketing link below.
Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.