Hendrick’s Cocktail Academy @ Sutter Street Steakhouse

Everyone knows that no one knows how to put on a free liquor show like Unilocal,but this one really topped the charts. Took the cake. Um… it rocked.
If I knew that I were going to be treated to a nearly hour-​long presentation on Hendrick’s Gin, I might have declined to come, so maybe it’s a good thing that the only part of the invitation I read was, «Sutter Street Steakhouse.»
OH MY GAWD. THERE’S A Unilocal ELITE EVENT AT SUTTER STREET STEAKHOUSE. HOW SOON CAN I RSVP? *CLICK*
Since I’ve already gone on and on about how amazing their food is in multiple other reviews, on this occasion, I’ll let my one picture speak for me. Also, yum.
I got to sit at a table with Ashley P., Priya R., Dominique M., and some other super cool people. We tried to take pictures of Alex asleep at the table next to us, but none of mine really turned out. Darn.
The only thing I didn’t like about this event was that out of four tables, an entire table was occupied by women who get paid to have fake breasts and hand out alcohol. «I’ve accomplished so much by paying a plastic surgeon $ 5000, I now get to enjoy a night out with the finest Unilocal Elite.» Um… gross. I know Unilocal isn’t gonna stop paying their dry hookers, but it would be nice if they did. Women are worth more than tank tops, booty shorts, and going under the knife rather than working on their self-​esteem in esteem-​able ways.
The Hendrick’s Representative was probably literally bred by Hendrick’s to sell their gin. At least, this is the impression I got after he told us all about all of the amazing chemists and scientists that work at Hendrick’s. How else could anyone be so passionate about an alcohol? I mean, it really is THAT good, but still.
We got to make our own drinks with fresh blueberries, fresh squeezed lemons, and sweet and sour that we made ourselves. Our goodie bags included deluxe recipe books from Hendrick’s, along with the sweetest deck of playing cards I’ve ever seen in my life. Each one is basically a piece of art. I’m still super-​stoked about them. Thank you Hendrick’s!
The reason that I brought up the playing cards and the hand-​squeezed lemons is to make the point that Hendrick’s is painstakingly detailed about literally everything they do. And, even though I’ve never really liked gin much, and even though this night was one of the only three nights that I drank in the last twelve months, I’d say I am definitely sold on Hendrick’s forever.
On top of all of that, it was really cool for me personally to get to enjoy an exquisitely decorated room in a beautiful setting at a fine-​dining establishment. I’m a banquet server, so I’m usually the one setting this stuff up. It was really nice to be the one sitting at the table for once!
Thank you Unilocal!Thank you Alex! Thank you Hendrick’s!

I’ve loved a simple gin and tonic ever since I can remember… I especially remember knocking back a few during my summers crewing a J24 on Lake Michigan. Back then, I was a young whippersnapper, taking what my skipper gave me, and he drank Bombay Sapphire. The fact that it had Bombay in its name definitely had something to do with why I liked the drink! I’ve always associated a gin and tonic with lazy summer days out on the water, wearing white, and occasionally falling overboard.
I never knew how truly wonderful a great gin could taste until I tried Hendricks… just a little bit of Hendricks with lemon juice and simple syrup over ice could just very well be my new idea of summer heaven.
Mark knocked it out of the park again with his amazing gin knowledge and his smooth delivery of gin history, background and lore. The three cocktails we concocted this time around were possibly even better than last year’s academy (or I’ve improved in my cocktail making skills…) The presentation, the set up with the placemats, glasses, array of vials and jars and bottles made it a wonderful experience.
Sutter Street Steakhouse was a great host: their servers were quick and polite, they gave us the private glassed off area which led out onto the porch (which some of my group used frequently to clear their gin-​addled heads), and the overall feel was one of a tasteful, expensive, and discreet gentlemen’s lounge.
Bravo to Alex for another wonderful Unilocal experience. (You still look too much like your brother with the new hairdo. Just sayin’)

Mix. Mix. Mix Master Mark. ertch, ertch, err uhh ertchh.
Thank was my cyber attempt at scratching.
What a fun event! If only classes were more like this in college, I would’ve been valedictorian. Appetizers and drinks while learning about Hendrick’s history. Then the fun really begins when we get to DIY gin cocktails. How awesome!
Honestly, I was never a fan of gin. I’ve had awful experiences to the point that when I think of gin, I automatically think of the bad aftertaste it leaves in your mouth. However, thanks to the tasty recipes from this Hendrick’s class, I have now become a fan. Which is only befitting since I have gin in my name. Those spiked lemonades and teas will creep up!
Big thanks to MM Mark and his aided cucumber pointing stick for hosting the class. Of course to Hendrick’s for their clever promoting skills and Alex L. for letting us Unilocal folks in on the action. Shout out to Bri H. and my new Lyft driver friend! And thanks to Sutter Street Steakhouse for the venue, but no thanks to kicking up out so quickly after the class ended. That huge punch bowl was calling my name but I had to leave him behind. what a waste of booze. :(

Wow ! What a fun night !!! I have learned how to mix with gin lol better yet Hendricks Gin. Being my wife’s plus one, were invited for this occasion. I know I was going to be in for a supreme night. Well the setting is at Sutter Steak House at Folsom. A historic town near the old dam. The occasion was held in the small private room with the patio outside overlooking some of the Folsom streets and across is the old historic dam. Well the night started with a gin and tonic and then the hors d’oeuvers (appetizers) and they were delicious. Hamburger sliders, mushrooms cheese, and a variety of cheese, some fresh veggies and my favorite … The chicken skewers … Not realizing it had some peanut dips with it it was delicious. But this event was not about the food but learning how to mix the gin. Wow did I learn some thing … My oh my how you can make lemonade tasting gin … And blueberries? My favorite and I nailed it was the cucumber lemonade … It tasted like lemonade. I really appreciate the fact that Alex have us with the special instructor «mix master Mark». he took his time and knowledge, about the history of Hendricks Gin, how they cure and made their gin with special water back in Ireland. It was fun and we got to mingle with the other elites/​yelpers. We had a blast making our own «mix» drinks. The scary part but fun part was we all got together and made a bowl of Gin punch. We made that one a little strong LOL. I recommend if you ever think of getting Gin, get a special one called Hendrick’s Gin. Oh and by the end of the night we got our own recipes to take home so we can experiment and mix lol… another great Memorable Unilocal event …

Loving these Gin events! Since I am a Gin and tonic type of gal or as I say I love «old man» drinks, events such as these are perfect.

A group of us arrived to the event ready to mix! We were greeted by the assistant Hendricks’s ladies and given a nice large gin and tonic (I was very pleased). We grabbed some seats and quickly moved on to grabbing some eats! Sutter Street Steakhouse had a nice lay out of appetizers! My favorites were the Stuffed Mushrooms, Asparagus with a lemon sauce, Large Tiger Prawns and all the various cheeses! They had a number of other items such as chicken skewers, hamburger sliders and veggie trays. The lay out was great especially to help soak up the gin beverages soon to come.
Mark the Ambassador was amazing yet again. Sitting there watching him talk about Hendricks’s and its history, I admire and want his job! Once he was complete with the history it was time to get to mixing. Our 1^st drink was my favorite out of the three we made which was the Gin Cucumber Lemonade. This drink was very smooth and refreshing; I think this is going to be on my Memorial weekend drink list.
Yet another wonderful event put on by Alex, Sutter Steakhouse and Hendricks’s! I thank them all for the opportunity to join them, and I have to note the staff at Sutter was wonderful. Hubby and I are thinking of making that hike back to Folsom to try out the classy restaurant. Cheers! Here’s to Hendricks’s!

Out of all the Unilocal events I went to this one was the most relaxing and I didn’t feel I needed to get in line quick in order to try everything that was out.
This was almost one of the most fun events I went to. We made a total of 3 drinks and everything was hands on and we made everything ourselves.
I am definitely a hendricks gin lover now. I had never tried hendricks before that night and now that is all i will drink. I’ve tried a lot of different gins but this is the gin I will stick with for the current future.
All the food they brought out was great. The sliders were a bit dry but still tasty. The chicken skewers were juicy and had a slight kick to them. The stuffed mushrooms were one of my favorites they were absolutely delicious. The shrimp was also cooked perfectly. I didn’t try the asparagus since it’s not my favorite but my friend enjoyed it.

I learned that I can learn to like gin! Thanks to master mixer, Mark who hosted Hendrick’s Gin Academy at Sutter Street Steak House. This was a more intimate setting with less than fifty Unilocal Elite and guest in attendance.
Food:
*Stuffed mushrooms
*Colossal shrimp w/​cocktail sauce
*Asparagus spears w/​aioli
*Beef sliders
*fresh veggie plate
*Artisanal cheese plate
After we had our tasty apps, with Gin n tonics in hand, we were given a lesson on how to make the perfect gin drinks by Mark. Our tables were set with everything needed. We poured, squeezed, measured, and mixed! It was a hands on, mixing and mingling, fun experience.
Drinks:
*Cucumber Gin n Tonic
*Lemon gin cooler
*Blueberry lemon gin
*Gin punch (grand finale)
It was a fun, enlightening, evening for us Elites! Thank you Mark Stoddard, for an engaging and educational insight to the production and dedication of the Hendrick’s gin. With all the work that goes behind the scenes in making Hendrick’s gin, it’s no wonder why it’s a step above the rest. It was truly insightful. Thank you Alex L, for granting us another fun filled Unilocal event for us Elites!

You know it’s going to be a great event when you get handed a gin and tonic as soon as you check-​in! The Hendrick’s Gin Ambassador Mark and his beautiful assistants, the fine folks at Sutter Street Steakhouse, and Unilocal’s Alex L, worked in concert to make this hands-​on «cocktail academy» a fun and entertaining evening. An intimate group of Elites and +1s enjoyed an outstanding appetizer buffet with our welcome cocktail:
chicken satay w/​peanut sauce (delicious)
cheese, fruit, nut board (great selection of cheeses)
shrimp cocktail (but more like Hulk-​sized prawns!)
sliders (beef patties made from ground angus steak)
brie and bacon/​fig jam w/​sourdough toast (order this now!)
crudité platter w/​hummus mousse (so good I spread it on the toast)
whole asparagus spears (my absolute favorite)
stuffed mushrooms (yum)
breadsticks (went well in-​between cocktails)
Mixologist Mark then schooled us on the birth of Hendrick’s Gin and showed us how to make 3 perfect cocktails, using all fresh ingredients. That’s when the real lesson began! Everyone got up out of their seats and got their mixing on… and drinking… lots and lots of drinking! We ended the gin academy sharing a big bowl of gin punch, taking home a bag of Hendrick’s swag, and a cocktail lesson that will deservedly be put in the Unilocal history books!

Awesome mix master mark teaching us how to make awesome gin cocktails. He educate us about hendricks as well with teach us how to mix it and make a good gin cocktail.
the venue for this event was at Sutter steak house. it definitely was on the fancier side with great steak and other food and wines. the set up was inside a private room which ed out the balcony with a sunset view and cool breeze.
when we checked in we were offered a gin and tonic. we had the time to enjoy and mingle with others. we also had time to grab some yummy appetizers. talk about different variety of appetizers, including cold prawns with cocktail sauce, fruit platter, stuffed mushrooms, char grilled beef sliders. The only complaint was the food temperature were cold and made ahead of time. It wasn’t the freshest but it was good quality ingredients. Compared to red rabbit, RR was more simple and lower quality ingredients but temperature and texture was on point. The outdoor environment and table setting at the red rabbit was much more elegant than Sutter steak house even though SSH was in a nicer environment in old town Folsom. Speaking of old town Folsom reminds me of old Sacramento. The two event location has totally different vibes but if no comparison just rate it as is, SSH was excellent and organized but i would still have to knock the food off a bit on the food freshness quality, texture, temperature. Overall i have it was a transcendent event!
To summarize it up shortly is we learned how to make gin lemonade and blueberry delight and gin punch! I felt like i was a pro bartender when i was in charge making it for the whole table which was fun. The punch do require team work to help make it good. Overall YEE never disapoint me and a big thank you to Alex L. And Hendricks and SSH and the photographer Melissa and mix master mark and Unilocal elites for coming to the fun event. Thanks for reading and have a nice day. add me if you haven’t.

So much fun — MixMasterMark is the bomb! We attended the 8 PM «class», where we were treated to lots of hands on experience with mixing different cocktails featuring Hendrick’s gin — all concoctions were simple and delicious! Mark is the US brand ambassador for Hendrick’s and besides sharing delicious drink recipes, he also gave us loads of insight into the history of Hendrick’s and what makes it so damn unique and amazing! The food was scrumptious and plentiful — Sutter Street Steakhouse always serves delicious food! The venue was very comfortable. The only bummer was that since we were the second group that evening, they had run out of some ingredients — it wasn’t a huge deal, we made do, but it would have been nice if they had more of the ingredients for us to use. All in all, it was another fun event that was extremely informative and interactive — I love having the opportunity to interact with companies but especially other Unilocalers like this — THANK YOU ALEX!

There’s a first time for everything!
What a fun gathering at beautiful Old Historic Folsom! No rain, no cloud, just a sunny day with brisk breeze. We actually arrived a little early and met the first group enjoying their appetizers and house-​made cocktail drinks in the balcony. Sutter Street Steakhouse is on the 2^nd floor and has an underground parking. Elevator may be used coming from the parking garage or one can enter through the front of the building.
This was certainly my first time making a mixed drink with good old-​fashioned gin! I don’t really drink gin… well, I don’t even really drink alcohol but I did! I did! this time… before all that fun stuff we were treated to delicious food and yummy appetizers that included beef sliders, chilled prawn cocktail, warm brie with bacon jam, mushroom caps, a variety of cheese & crackers, veggie platter, chicken skewers w/​peanut sauce for dipping. There was plenty serving for all the guests.
Mark Stoddard, the guru and ambassador of Hendrick’s Brand gave us a brief history of divine oddities and tales and the peculiar past of the Hendrick’s Gin including how the family business started sometime in the mid 1800’s. The family distillery originated in Scotland. Now fast forward to the making of our own gin cocktails… «Mix Master Mark» first demonstrated how the cocktails should be prepared, explaining each ingredient in detail and how to properly use the lemon squeezer. The ingredients were prepared in each table and were simple ingredients including fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, sparkling water, cucumber, blueberry green tea syrup, and, of course, your Hendrick’s Gin. It was all hands on! We measured, we poured, we squeezed, we mixed… and TADA! we were able to prepare a Cucumber Lemonade and Hendrick’s Blueberry Delight (my personal favorite). The final session was making our own punch! There were only four of us in our table and Kae was our mix master in making the Tenured Punch. I thought she made a mistake in measuring the Hendrick’s Gin (uh, she filled the measuring cup to the rim when preparing the gin) and also gave a little more jolt on those bitters (like 5x!). We had the Mix Master (Mark Stoddard) give it a taste! He liked it and kept coming back for more!
The evening ended with mingling of Unilocalers all around and each Unilocaler receiving a gift bag. The staff was awesome! What great service! Once again, thank you to our CM, Alex, for including me and jR in this event. What a great venue! We had a fabulous time!
Here is a recap of how our evening went:

Other than my hands being super sticky, what an awesome fun YEE. Mix Master Mark walked the group through the history of Hendrick’s Gin, the making process, and, of course, the mixology of three tasting libations.
I’ve had gin but now I’ve had Hendrick’s gin; the gin bar has been set pretty high for my next cocktail. The setting in a back room with the rear balcony of Sutter Street Steakhouse with it’s brick walls and wood was a perfect backdrop for this academy of gin. The spread prepared by Sutter Street Steakhouse was divine. From sliders, to asparagus, to stuffed mushrooms, cheeses, fruit, shrimp, chicken skewers, and more. We were greeting with a gin and tonic at the door (Hendrick’s Gin, of course).
— Cucumber Lemonade (my favorite, not too sweet with a lemon bite and cucumber essence.
— Blueberry Delight… just as it sounds
— a group effort punch of some sort (by this time, I lost track and needed guidance to assist in the preparation of the table’s concoction)
Our table mastered the drink mixes and toasted to a fun evening.
Many thanks to Unilocal,Alex, Hendrick’s Gin & Mark Stoddard (aka Mix Master Mark), and Sutter Street Steakhouse House for this wonderful event.

Mix-​Master-​Mark & Hendrick’s Gin Academy Are God’s Answer To Thirst!
SITREP
Hendrick’s is one of the world’s most awesome gins. And at tonight’s Unilocal Elite Event (YEE), we thoroughly enjoyed an Elites-​only mixology and drink session at Sutter Street Steakhouse.
THE SETUP
Mix-​Master-​Mark (Stoddard) was our dynamic host & instructor for this Mixology Academy event, and I thank my lucky (gin) stars that this man is now in my universe of stellar alcohol instructors!
We got to not only experience, but PREPARE (as in «OURSELVES!») several cocktail variations on this delicious spirit in a private tasting personally hosted by Mix-​Master-​Mark (aka Mark Stoddard, Hendrick’s Brand Ambassador)!
MIXOLOGY
Ohhhhhhhhh, daddy likey the drinks we made! [And first props have to be given to the good people at Sutter Street Steakhouse for handing us their OWN crafted gin drink as soon as we walked in the door before the event even started!]
* We made a cucumber gin mix.
* We made a blueberry gin mix.
* And we had fun mixing a gin punch!
All concoctions were outstanding and combined BASICALLY the same ingredients:
(1) Hendricks Gin (about a jigger’s worth, tho I’m SURE mine had more… I’m sure)
(2) Fresh pressed lemon (about a jigger’s worth)
(3) A simple syrup (basically water & sugar) /​sweetener medium
(4) Bitters according to taste
(5) Other items added as desired to taste (ie. cucumbers, blueberries, cinnamon, etc.)
What was fun about the *mixing* and *stirring* part of the event was how just ONE ingredient could change the whole tone of the gin-​concoction! For example, instead of using the simple syrup in the 2^nd mix (as we did in the first), we used a blueberry syrup and *Sha-​ZAM!*, Mikey made his favorite drink of the night! Add in some actual blueberries, and I had MY version of a health drink (you know, cause blueberries are a dynamic antioxidant). :D
HISTOLOGY
And Mix-​Master-​Mark is a virtual encyclopedia of Spirits-​information! Things he set me on the «path of enlightenment» on included:
= The origins of Gin & other delicious spirits
= The difference /​similarities between Gin & Vodka
= The differences between these spirits & whiskey (which is much more time-​consuming)
= When is it ever appropriate to use «eye of newt» (answer: never) ;)
THE BITES!
I would be totally remiss, however, if I didn’t mention the outstanding food that Sutter Street Steakhouse provided us! It was an absolutely scrumptious affair that included:
A. Mushroom Caps! (Oh drool!)
B. Grilled Asparagus Spears! (I kid you not — this was probably the culinary highpoint for me — whatever Sutter Street Steakhouse does, they make absolutely superb asparagus spears!)
C. A delectable cheese spread — brie, bleu, yum! — with toasted breads!
D. Great veggie platter for eating & dipping!
E. Delicious Chicken skewers with an even tastier peanut sauce, oh yum!
F. A Spicy Hummus Dip for the bread, veggies, whatEV!; and,
G. Outstanding Angus Slider Burgers, grilled to perfect with melted cheese & bunned perfectly.
Honestly, this was a full-​on meal that scrumptious, highlighting some of the best cuisine that Sutter Street Steakhouse offers to patrons!
And special note: Gotta come back to that Asparagus! It was AMAZING — took me totally by surprise!
THE STAFF!
The Sutter Street Steakhouse staff are AMAZEBALLZ!:
And Mark’s executive assistant was as stellar as ever, since we last hung out at the Hock Farm event!:
Everyone was very attentive and constantly making sure we were taken care of., providing us with drinks, answering our Hendrick’s questions, and taking pictures with us, it was a great time!
HENDRICKS SWAG!
Getting their swag bag at the end of the session was the icing on the cake of a great evening!
KUDOS
Thank you, Mark Stoddard, for sharing with us the joy of your passion for gin cocktails
And a huge shout out to Alex L. for arranging another outstanding elite event, letting us push forward the boundaries of excellent (gin) taste.
THE LOWDOWN
An awesome time in Folsom at Sutter Street Steakhouse, enjoying delectable craft gin cocktails with great friends.