Tonight: Shake Up Some Tequila Cocktails at Beretta

Lou Bustamante

The cocktail mise-en-place at Beretta

When: Monday, June 13th, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Cost: $85; for reservations call 415-695-1199 or email info@berettasf.com

The rundown: Tonight, Beretta bar manager Ryan Fitzgerald continues his cocktail education series with a focus on tequila. Beretta might seem like an unlikely place to find an exceptionally well-curated tequila list, but not when you consider how passionate bar manager Ryan Fitzgerald is about the stuff.

"I got interested in tequila when I opened Tres Agaves with Julio [Bermejo, of Tommy's Mexican Restaurant] and his passion for the spirit is infectious," says Fitzgerald. "It only made sense that this spirit would captivate me." Now taking regular trips to tequila distilleries in Mexico, Ryan is one of the most knowledgeable tequila professionals behind a bar. Having just returned from Mexico a few months ago, he also no doubt has some good stories up his sleeve.​

The class kicks off with the easiest part to learn about tequila: Enjoying it in an aperitif cocktail with some snacks. A presentation on the production and brief history of tequila will follow, along with choosing the right one for the cocktail you want. The hands-on portion of the class includes stirring and shaking basics introduced by making (and drinking!) one classic and two modern tequila-based cocktails (recipes included).

Lou Bustamante tweets at @thevillagedrunk. Follow SFoodie at @sfoodie, and like us on Facebook.