Cheers to the end of 2025

Dear Reader,

“Fancy a drink?” “Let’s grab a drink sometime?” “Anyone up for a drink?”

We live in a society where drinking has become integrated in almost every kind social interaction. It’s a way that people bond, relax and unwind after a long day, or something that has simply become a cultural ritual in social settings like birthdays and holidays. Of course, it isn’t for everyone.  Some people may prefer to enjoy an ice-cold diet coke – where beads of water sitting on the rim, call to replenish their thirst.  But for others, there is something about a pint of beer or a glass of that red wine that just hits differently.

Being introduced into the drinking culture, especially at university, can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be

There is also a widespread misconception that drinking must be in extremes, getting drunk to the point where you “blackout”, waking up regretting your decisions, or piecing the night together through other people’s blurry retellings. Many look forward to the infamous ‘Warwick Circling’ on Wednesdays, which don’t come quickly enough in the week, excitedly anticipating the drinking games with large groups of friends, filled with a night of laughter or strange stories that follow them for the rest of term.

Being introduced into the drinking culture, especially at university, can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, a study by Oxford University investigated the health benefits for social drinking and found that it can actually improve wellbeing as well as social interactions with others. I found that this resonated most with that of the Warwick Cocktail Society. Their masterclasses are the perfect way to get involved in a social drinking setting without feeling like you’re being pushed to your limits, instead focusing on the creativity and enjoyment of crafting your own cocktail alongside meeting others for a more chilled experience.

The atmosphere was welcoming and supportive, especially for newcomers like me who were attending for the first time

After spotting one of their events on Instagram, I immediately bought a ticket to attend the Thanksgiving Masterclass in the Copper Rooms. The Warwick Cocktail Society wasn’t an unfamiliar name, and I had heard that their events sold out quickly due to its popularity and regular attendees.

Walking into the room, I was met with the sudden bursts of conversation and laughter where people greeted familiar faces across the room, smiling and waving as they caught up. I decided to take a moment to observe how the event itself was set up: three large tables arranged in different corners of the room into three distinct stations, each dedicated to a different cocktail. All the ingredients, mixers, and alcohol bottles were placed in the centre for easy access, while each person was provided with their own cocktail shaker and glass.

As I made my way to a free spot, each of member of the exec were at the head of the table, introducing themselves and then began to talk us through how to make each drink, demonstrating the entire process. It was then that I suddenly realised there was no disclaimer that a very good short-term memory was probably needed in this masterclass, as I seemed to have forgotten every step almost instantly. Nevertheless, this didn’t turn out to be an issue as I watched bottles being passed around the table, measurements were double-checked, a shot here or two shots there, as everyone helped one another along. The atmosphere was welcoming and supportive, especially for newcomers like me who were attending for the first time.

So sometimes, all it truly takes is one shaker, a shared table and the willingness to try something new. And in this case, that’s making a perfect cocktail

As it was a festive themed masterclass the room gradually filled with warm seasonal aromas of cinnamon, orange, pecan and sweet maple syrup. Once we had all finished making our drinks and taking the first sip to try and see how they were, everyone moved from the tables to the open space, introducing names and talking amongst themselves. The most frequent question was the simplest: “How is it?”, glancing over at other stations or peeking at each other’s drinks, judging presentations like we were all professionals and whether it looked appealing or not.

I proudly looked to my glass, deciding it was pretty impressive considering I had no clue what I was doing and had almost frozen my hands off from the ice in the metal shaker, leaving frosty fingerprints along the outside. More importantly, it was made alongside a lovely group of people I’d only just met, strangers at the beginning of the evening, were now swapping opinions of our drinks and our unfortunate mistakes turned into easy conversation by the end.

Although the masterclass was only three drinks, you were never forced to drink all of it. You had time to either enjoy your creation with a happy grin on your face, or, if it hadn’t quite gone to plan, pushing it slowly to the side and hope the next attempt would be better. Ultimately, it was not about how much you had drunk, but about the process of making the drinks. So sometimes, all it truly takes is one shaker, a shared table and the willingness to try something new. And in this case, that’s making a perfect cocktail.

P.S @WarwickCocktailSociety

From Her