Cocktail Intensive with J.M. Hirsch
Cocktail Intensive with J.M. Hirsch
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Discover the uniquely curated brand of culinary and lifestyle learning offered at Eastman House Va., an enchanting home located in the heart of Appalachia.
Join J.M. Hirsch for:
- Five In-Depth, Hands-On Cocktail Sessions covering a vast range of cocktails and spirits.
- Opportunities to sample local chef-driven foods including: A Welcome Reception, an irresistible Lawn Party Lunch, and a magical musical Appalachian Feast.
- Exclusive Mountain Distillery Tour and Market /Farm Experiences
Event Price: $1300. Limited to 12 Attendees. Shuttle Provided.
Lodging is Separate. Special Lodging Rate Available at The Bristol Hotel. Ask for Eastman House Workshop Rate.
See Full Details Below.
July 23rd—26th, 2026
The Eastman House
1660 Lee Highway,
Bristol, Virginia 24201
Your Host
J.M. Hirsch
Join J.M., the former national food editor for The Associated Press and editorial director of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street. His social media featuring creative “trashy good” cocktails and liquor reviews has amassed millions of views.
Your Host
Nancy Hopkins
Meet Nancy Hopkins—curator of culinary creativity. With over 30 years of expertise in the Food & Entertaining arena, Nancy brings a wealth of experience and passion to Eastman House events. She is the visionary for all events and draws on her illustrious career with Better Homes & Gardens magazine and brand.
Thursday
5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Eastman House “Play” Party and
Welcome Reception; J.M. Meet & Greet
(A play party is the Appalachian name for a lawn party where music and dancing are involved. Indeed, there could be a show of modern-day fiddling and two-stepping.)
Friday
10:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M.
Eastman House Culinary Cottage
Session one: A hands-on deep dive into cocktail architecture, including the importance of ingredient selection, ice, dilution, bitters, even the language we use to describe it all.
12:00 P.M. – 1:30 P.M.
Eastman House Lawn
Country croquet & tastemaker box lunch
1:30 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
Eastman House Culinary Cottage
Session two: We cover the basic bottles, tools, syrups and techniques needed for a versatile home bar. We'll garnish, muddle, infuse, fat wash and talk texture.
6:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M
Squabble State Hard Cider & Spirits
Will Payne, Squabble State owner, introduces us to hard cider and teams up with J.M. to use it as a mixer. Dinner with mountain views.
9:00 P.M. – Midnight
State Street, Bristol VA/TN
Live music night; cocktails
Saturday
8:00 A.M. - 9:30 A.M.
Hattie House, Downtown Abington, VA
Finding flavor in the field. Lori Briscoe discusses how to use regional ingredients, wild flavors and seasonal sourcing.
9:30 A.M. - 12 P.M.
Abingdon Farmer's Market and Urban Farm
While exploring the market and farm, participants will select ingredients for the class to use in their own creative cocktails that afternoon.
12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Abingdon Commons
Maker lunch, take your pick, including: Delta Blues BBQ; Pakalachian; Tumbling Creek Cider Co.; Kel's Corner.
1:45 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.
Eastman House Culinary Cottage
Session three: Time for improv. J.M. helps participants transform their market and farm finds into delicious cocktails, with a focus on balance, flavor and style.
6:30 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
Eastman House Lawn
The evening begins with the announcement and service of the winning Eastman House cocktail competition and is followed by a magical dinner under the stars with table stylings by Nancy Wall Hopkins, cocktails by J.M. Hirsch; menu by Travis Milton, Beard nominated chef; music by Country Music Museum.
Sunday
9:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.
Eastman House Culinary Cottage
Session four: J.M. and Nancy show you how to rethink brunch cocktails, with emphasis on sparkling drinks, mimosas, spritzer-style builds and DIY bars.
11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Eastman House Culinary Cottage
Session five: Time for chaos mixology. We'll break the rules and give in to the fun of "trashygood" cocktails, where the mixing and drinking are easy, fast and fun.
3:00 P.M. - ONWARD
Afternoon Departures
From Tri-Cities; Asheville; Knoxville