You Be The Judge :

A practical how-to guide for blind tasting spirits like a pro -with Robyn Cleveland

Forget the labels, marketing hype, and what you heard or saw. It’s time to strip everything away and decide for yourself! Learn from an award winning bartender turned Distiller as you’re guided through the techniques associated with tasting spirits across multiple categories. The model followed will be similar to blind taste judging that takes place at international spirits competitions. Your senses will be challenged, your skills will be honed, and you may even be surprised by the results.

Topics include:

What your eyes can tell you

The importance of smell

Stages of tasting

Mouth feel and texture

Checking your work

Cleansing your palate

Picking a winner!

 2.5 drink equivalent will be served across 3 rounds of judging. Un-aged/ and "nuetral"spirits, Botanical Spirits, and Aged spirits.

 *** Prizes awarded for exceptional abilities***

Light snacks included

More About Robyn Cleveland: Originally from Berkeley Ca, Robyn Cleveland spent his early 20’s in Brooklyn, NY where he got his start behind the bar. Upon moving to Ann Arbor, MI in 2008 he founded the Greater Detroit Chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild for which he served as president for 2 years.

He has been featured in numerous local and national publications for both his recipes and ‘customer-service first’ philosophy of bartending. In 2015 He was honored by thrillest.com as one of the top 21 bartenders in America.

Between being a proud husband and father, Robyn continues to create new and exciting ways to experience the art of the drink with strong inspiration coming from classic recipes and traditional methods. While leaning heavily on the seasonal and artisanal, his drink style is simple, straightforward, and fresh with the ingredients acting as the stars.

With a love for travel and interaction with history, he seeks to explore the world one bottle at a time forging new friendships along the way. As an avid student of the beverage world it is of the utmost importance to Robyn to share his knowledge and contribute to the ever-evolving landscape that is the cocktail.