April Wachtel shows us two methods for making a fresh simple syrup with your favorite herbs and makes a delicious Basil Daiquiri.

For more from April, check out her upcoming classes at Astor Center:

Bartending 201: Techniques & Tips for the Creative Process
Ready to ‘shake’ your dependency on recipes and develop the confidence to create delicious custom cocktails off the cuff? This is the perfect class for students who have a basic familiarity with proper tools and technique, and want to expand their repertoire and explore a range of flavor combinations. We’ll start with a review of basic cocktail-making guidelines and techniques to get you shaking and stirring just like the pros. We will then introduce you to common ratios, which are endlessly more useful than recipes when you want to get creative with your cocktails. We’ll apply those ratios to stirred and shaken cocktails and taste the results side by side to see what works and why. Finally, we will get down and dirty and make our own custom cocktails. Students will have a chance to experiment with spirits, juices, bitters and modifiers, receive feedback on their cocktail, and walk away ready to concoct their own variations at home.

DIY Home Bar: A Hands-On Cocktail Workshop
Do you want to build your home spirits collection but don’t know where to start? Want to wow your guests with your creative cocktail creations? Want to get your home bar up and running without spending a fortune?

DIY Home Bar is an introductory crash course that will teach you everything you need to know to start making both classic and original cocktails at home. We will discuss cocktail history, tools & techniques, and how to build a smart and diverse spirits collection without breaking the bank. Most importantly, we will make (and drink!) a variety of cocktails in class as we discuss methods and ratios for proper balance. Finally, we’ll send you home with 10 classic recipes and the resources to have you making beautiful cocktails in no time, and on any budget.