One of my favourite places in Clitheroe to meet for a coffee or even a cocktail , is the warm and welcoming Escape Coffee & Cocktails in the centre of town. This attractive bar with it’s industrial yet cosy interior runs Cocktail Making Masterclasses for groups of 4 people or more, upstairs in a private bar space. When my friend Fi suggested a girly get together to celebrate ‘Galentine’s Day’ ( Yep thats a thing!) , I jumped at the chance to develop my somewhat non existent cocktail making skills. 🙂

Upon arrival we were treated to prosecco bellinis in the bar upstairs where our instructor Ben introduced himself and handed us our Cocktail Menus. We would each be making Five cocktails over the course of the evening, three classics and two that we had chosen beforehand. I must admit to feeling dubious about drinking five cocktails. But I was willing to try!

First cocktail on our list ‘The refreshingly popular Mojito!’ as modelled by Ailyn and Fi. According to the Masterclass menu ( which someone helpfully slipped into my bag, thank you 🙂 ), Mojitos first became popular in Cuba, where rum was in abundance. Add Lime juice,Crushed Ice, Mint and Sugar syrup and hey presto…the most refreshing combo ever. Our friendly Bar man demonstrated how to make every cocktail first of course, and even gave us a brief history of each. I’m afraid to say my memory is a little hazy. I totally blame the alcohol !
My favorite Cocktails of the evening were two, designed by ‘Escape Mixologists’ themselves. The ‘Happy holidays’ is a refreshing blend of Gin, Rose Liqueur, Grenadine,cranberry juice and freshly squeezed lemon juice. A sugared rim and lemon soaked strawberry added to it’s celebratory vibe. The ‘Delightful Trifle’ is actually a pudding in a glass. No pictures sorry but imagine a heady combination of strawberries, blackberries, salted caramel vodka and creme de mure , capped with fresh cream.
And a cocktail that everyone loved equally was The ‘Porn Star Martini’. Unfortunately it also gave me heartburn. 😦 But rest assured, I was swiftly created a heartburn cure. It worked and I was able to continue with the rest of my night. 🙂


At some point in the evening we were given a quick fun quiz on some of the cocktail related facts we had learnt along the way. A bottle of prosecco was our prize, which we decided to share after the Masterclass finished. That was not before we made our fifth and final creation ‘ The long Island Iced Tea’ , probably ( according to the Masterclass Menu) first concocted in NY to resemble an Iced Tea, when in fact it contains Rum, Vodka, Tequila, Cointreau ….and Coca-cola.
The Cocktail Masterclass at Escape costs £35 per person and includes five cocktails, tuition to make the five cocktails, a welcome drink and a fun quiz. It’s the perfect evening for getting together with friends. Just book the following day off! 🙂
Book a few days off, I would after all those cocktails!!! Sounds a fun night though. 🙂
It was great fun. It just took ages for me to recover! Not used to big nights out anymore…x
What a fun night!!! The happy holidays cocktail sounds the yummiest to me, although I might sub vodka for the gin. My husband loves Long Island iced teas, though I don’t care for them personally. Mojitos, though, I love!!
Mojitos remind me of beach holidays. Im not to fond of the Long island iced tea mostly because I don’t really like coke. But the Happy Holidays was divine.:)
Same for me with the Long Islands! I just don’t like Coke with alcohol.
Oh what fun! I’m a fan of mocktails my fav is a Shirley temple ! 😊what a lovely place!
They do lovely mocktails too. And the best hot chocolates.:)
Oh now you have me…. yum ! It is definitely a hot chocolate kinda day!
WOW! What a lovely experience. You had me immediately googling local cocktail making classes. Love the idea of a cocktail that’s a pudding in a glass – that might even be better than knitting! 😉
Of course its better than knitting. You should indulge in a cocktail making/ knitting class. Might be dangerous though!
Steady on! Not sure I’m ready to admit anything’s better than knitting. But forget the danger, cocktail making/knitting classes sound an excellent idea. I’m sure I’d make an excellent knitting mixologist – move over Tom Cruise 😉
Ha yeh Knitting Mixologist! Good plan.X
What a wonderful evening you had! Looks like great fun! Cheers!
Cheers! 🙂
Looks like you had a nice time..
Amanda x
Thanks it was a fun night out with the girls. 🙂
Such a fun night!! Cheers!!! ☺
Love, CLAIRE UNVEILS
Thanks! It was a top night.X
Sharon – you lead the most amazing life!
Oh Thanks. 🙂 X