Step up your knowledge about all things whiskey with a hands-on class at Bourbon & Branch's Beverage Academy. Learn about the history, aromas, and (most importantly) flavors of Rye, Bourbon, Tennessee and other American whiskies. Learn to shake up some classic whiskey cocktails with direction from the nation's best mixologists.

Throughout the class we will be making, (and of course drinking) the Manhattan and other cocktails, and sipping through a flight of whisky intended to expand your palate. You'll find out how to modify your cocktails to fit your personal tastes and why we never, ever, shake our Manhattans.

Bourbon is the official spirit of the United States and, along with the rest of the American Whiskey category is experiencing a huge resurgence in artisanal production and styles. In this class you'll find out why.

The class will also cover the history of whiskey making in America, from The Revolution to its current renaissance. Through that lens we will see how history has changed American Whiskey and vice versa. We aim to improve your understanding of the category by answering questions, including:

• What defines bourbon vs rye vs the larger spectrum of Whisk(e)y.
• Who makes it and where?
• What is the mashbill, and how does it effect the final product?
• What do terms like 'sour mash', 'small batch' and 'single barrel' actually mean?