At Edmund's Oast, Summer Cocktails Are A Breeze

A twist on a classic margarita involves cumin and cayenne pepper-seasoned salts along the rim.

Charleston is a city rife with drinkin' porches (note: drinking is what you do to rehydrate; drinkin' is what you do to unwind and have a little fun), and no one understands that more than Edmund's Oast, a brewpub which usually focuses on great in-house brews and house-cured charcuterie. Edmund's Oast recently expanded its offerings by hosting a summer cocktails class with head bartender Jayce McConnell. The class, held on one of Edmund's Oast's cool patios, featured New World spirits in Caipirinhas, Pisco Sours, Margaritas, Agave del Sols, and Palomas.

Head bartender Jayce McConnell explaining some of the liquors used in the featured cocktails for the class

Led by Edmund's Oast's head bartender Jayce McConnell, we started our class with the classic caipirinhas, Brazil's national cocktail made out of cachaca, a sugar cane-based cocktail. I imagine that the entire country of Brazil is still drowning their sorrows in barrels of caipirinhas after suffering the worst loss in World Cup history last month. Don't worry, Brazil: I, too, feel the disappointment of your defeat and will also gladly partake in a delicious caipirinha in solidarity.

Above left: the agave del sol, an original creation by head bartender McConnell; right: the Pisco Sour, a celebrated drink of Peru, features frothy egg white and agostura bitters dotted on top

The highlight of the class, besides the fact that we were served five full-sized drinks in just under 90 minutes, was the agave del sol, an original drink created by head bartender Jayce McConnell. Featuring a fresh sprig of thyme and a little bit of grapefruit juice, the drink was a great refreshing drink without too much sweetness. The beautifully presented Pisco Sour, a drink favorite in Peru made out of pisco and topped with agostura bitters, was also a class favorite.

Left: spiced nuts; right: delicious fries

Since I'm less of a late-night porch-drinker and more of an early-to-bed mom of toddlers these days, I was also pleased to see some delicious snacks offered alongside the main attractions. The spiced nuts were hearty and flavorful, and fries—well, I have a serious weakness for good fries, and these didn't disappoint. As I've come to appreciate about Edmund's Oast, however, nothing really does.

For more information about Edmund's Oast and their upcoming events, check out their calendar here.