Joaquín Simó

Teaches at Leisurely

Joaquín Simó, 41, originally from Ecuador, was raised amongst Cuban family in Miami and grew up eating fruits and vegetables fresh from his grandfather's farm and helping his father at his French bakery. With his epicurean roots firmly established, he sought out new seasons in New England, graduating from Boston University with degrees in English and religion. Through college and beyond, Joaquín tended the bar in crowded college dives, raucous rock n' roll joints, neighborhood restaurants and trendy hot spots until becoming a part of the opening staff of New York’s acclaimed cocktail bar Death & Company.

His encyclopedic knowledge of all things food, spirits, beers and flavor combinations makes him the perfect guide when teaching a fledgling group, a new list or infusing a fresh sense of energy and excitement into a more experienced staff.

Joaquín served as deputy editor for the Food & Wine Cocktail books, contributing the Latin Drinks chapter, front and back matter, as well as recipe-testing both books. He has also worked on several food-cocktail pairing dinners with underground supper club NY Bite Club. He was awarded BAR Ready status following his completion of the BAR Five Day Intermediate Certificate Program in September 2009 and named one of Playboy's Top 10 Mixologists in 2009. He has served as a panelist at Tales of the Cocktail, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, the Copenhagen Spirits & Cocktail Conference and the Gourmet Latino Festival.

A finalist at the 2011 Spirited Awards, Joaquín was awarded the coveted 2012 Spirited Award as American Bartender of the Year at Tales of the Cocktail.

(5 Reviews)

Mixology Essentials

Reviewed by Abdou D. on 2/20/2020
Mixology Essentials

Reviewed by Vivian B. on 6/4/2019

CourseHorse partnered with Leisurely to coordinate this event, which was more of a lecture than the mixology class that was anticipated. The bartenders were not prepared for the number of people in the class (there were about 15 in the group), and communication was poorly executed. Everyone in the group was very confused on what we could and could not do. For instance, director at Leisurely instructed our group not to get any drinks, but the bartenders of the actual event said it was an open bar. We basically paid $125 per person to have a 2 hour open bar, which is far more expensive than going out to a regular happy hour. As for the course itself, the instructor spent an hour and a half giving a lecture on basic techniques that should come with common sense. The class covered simple techniques such as how to use a lemon squeezer properly, and how to make simple syrup. The instructor spent a good 20 minutes on explaining how to squeeze a lemon, and there was nothing hands on about this class. Overall, I think there was poor communication with the bar, Leisurely, and the attendees and this left a very disappointing experience.

Response from Fouad ElAmir: Verified Educator

Thank you so much for your note.
We continue to see positive experiences had by attendees at Pouring Ribbons’ mixology classes, so I am sorry to hear that your experience didn’t match expectations.
To be clear, the class you booked was open to the public and not bookable as a private event, which I believe is partly where the confusion stems.
We also had Leisurely team members on-site as you mentioned, and we’d never dissuade a customer from drinks they’re entitled to as part of the open bar. It’s not our call to do so, and as you could imagine, would be bad form on our part.
We’re also sorry to hear about the confusion you and your group experienced. For certain partners and for larger parties, we like to be on-site as an extra hand, and help ensure a smooth initial experience. We ensured to greet everyone, and give them a recap of what to expect. Furthermore, we encourage them to order drinks and partake in the light bites. Ultimately, we do everything we can to make sure our customers are comfortable and excited.
We did speak with the rest of the attendees, and hadn’t received any complaints. We also noticed that your group was seated at the tables behind the bar as opposed to being seated at the bar like the rest of the group.
Regarding the $125 price point, we believe you may have had a better experience seated at the bar as opposed to behind the other attendees, as the instructor is teaching from the bar throughout the experience. Aside from full open bar to top-shelf cocktails from a highly awarded bar, this is a fantastic experience for those who want to learn about the foundations of mixology from someone who’s well known and respected within that industry. Costs such as his time, expertise, access to plenty of drinks, and food should be thoughtfully considered. They nor us like to cut corners when it comes to crafting and introducing these experiences.
We understand you booked their Mixology Essentials class which is geared towards beginners, enthusiasts, and those looking to set up a home bar. As simple as some of these techniques may seem, it’s important to understand the foundational elements to build off from. We’re not sure of your background in mixology, but their 201 class do offer more advanced techniques if perhaps that would’ve been a better fit.
This is not a hands-on class, but certainly is interactive, as the instructor shares stories and anecdotes related to the topic he’s discussing, as he builds multiple cocktails from scratch. Of note, there are far more techniques and topics covered that were not mentioned in your review.
We apologize if the description provided did not translate as a demo-style class.
Please let us know if we can be of further help to assist.
Mixology Essentials

Reviewed by Daniela C. on 5/30/2019
Mixology Essentials

Reviewed by Dina L. on 2/5/2019

Entertaining and educational! Loved the experience.
Mixology Essentials

Reviewed by Alex K. on 1/31/2019

Great instructor. But the class felt a little rushed and was too expensive for what it was.