What does an ancient band of Arab alchemists, a charming dyspeptic, and a fistful of c-notes get you? It gets you a night with bestselling Boozehound author Jason Wilson and a crate full of luxury brandies (how could one deny such an evening!).
This Friday, Oct. 28 from 7:30 – 9:30 pm, Jason is teaching “XO,” the signature brandy tasting class at the Wine School of Philadelphia. This event focuses on the three French classics: Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados. As the host reveals, “brandy is so underrated in this country. Yet, whenever I give someone a taste of the real thing, they invariably fall in love with it.”
This class is offered only twice a year and is part of the school’s “Sauced Education” series. Their policy of “Zero Endorsements” from the multi-national booze companies means one thing: you get an uncensored evening with one of the top spirits writers in the country and a brilliantly curated selection of brandies.
What really is brandy, you ask? It is the heart of wine caught in glass and aged in oak. It is the most luxurious and ancient of spirits: distilled in the deep past (by those Arab alchemists), and perfected during the French Renaissance.
The Wine School of Philadelphia is the largest and oldest independent wine school in America. Since 2001, the school offers a full array of professional and consumer programs; the school is located in the historical Rittenhouse neighborhood in Center City, Philadelphia. Their monthly “Sauced Education” is perfect for a cocktail cognoscenti, a spirits’ shaman, or just a happy tippler. The series of classes is essential coursework for any and all aspiring Boozehounds roaming the wilds of America.
It is with pure delight that Jason Wilson will teach the latest “Sauced” course, as he is a notable local – a restaurant critic for Philadelphia Daily News and the spirits columnist for the Washington Post. Plus, even Anthony Bourdain had impressive things to say about him, that he is “superbly informative, entertaining, and yet deeply subversive.” More on the evening’s guest teacher is available by clicking here.
Tickets can be pre-purchased online for $54.99 at vinology.com or at the door for $75 per person. Limited seating available, so secure your spot today. The course will take place in the school’s Franklin Classroom, located at 127 S. 22nd Street in Philadelphia.
Click here to receive more information on the Wine School’s upcoming courses. We particularly have our eye on another course coming soon, as hosted by Jason – an ultimate pre-prohibition cocktail class, Wine Cocktails, hosted on Nov. 18.
