edible notables
MIXOLOGY MASTER
Explore your inner bartender with craft cocktail classes at Fun & Feng Shui.
WRITTEN BY CHRISTINA NELLEMANN
PHOTOS BY CANDICE VIVIEN
Daisy Bankofier, owner of Fun & Feng Shui, mixes a cocktail inside her Gardnerville shop
Creativity and good vibes flourish in a former Gardnerville stable from 1901. Surrounded by handmade driftwood art and elaborate macramé, groups can learn how to create their own craft cocktails with guidance and hosting from an event specialist and feng shui consultant.
“People like to come here because it’s an eclectic, unique thing, and each group gets its own bar,” says Daisy Joy Bankofier, owner of Fun & Feng Shui.
Bankofier has lived in the Carson Valley for 13 years, and her gift shop and creation studio recently began offering mixology classes. They are hosted by her and occasional guest bartenders. They include not only interactive instruction on craft cocktails, but also the history of mixology and the importance of cocktail presentation. In each session, up to 14 attendees create four craft cocktails over the course of two hours and have access to several themed bars that range from rustic to contemporary.
Each cocktail can then be enjoyed while paired with an appetizer provided by Carson Valley restaurants and caterers such as Overland Restaurant & Pub and Sharkey’s Casino. All alcohol, ingredients, equipment, and even antique glassware are provided. Bankofier provides organic and natural ingredients and arranges for diet-conscious, gluten-free, and dairy-free items as well. Attendees have the freedom to add their own flair to their drinks and can make them as light or as strong as they want. If the night gets a little too amusing, Fun & Feng Shui employees will even arrange for taxis and rideshares home.
“The event is progressive, so we start with a lighter drink and appetizer,” Bankofier says. “By the end of the event, it’s a dessert and a dessert drink, usually a shot. It’s such a fun evening.”
One of these dessert drinks is a key lime shot in a glass rimmed with sweet milk and Graham cracker crumbs. Adding candy and unusual ingredients to rim the glasses is part of the instruction.
Bankofier also can host theme nights such as margarita night, Sex in the City (complete with costumes and cosmos), pajama parties, and evenings that center on specific spirits such as bourbon. Attendees can request specific cocktails, spirits, or themes. The classes are popular for bachelorette parties and anniversary celebrations. Additionally, Bankofier provides the mixology classes in private homes.
A sugar plum martini made at Fun & Feng Shui
“We have a great base of recipes that have been used for years, but some big crowd pleasers include anything with prickly pear or muddling with fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, and mint,” Bankofier says. “I’ve also started using essential oils, such as lime, which have become very popular.”
In addition to craft cocktail classes, Bankofier offers creativity classes and personal crafting sessions. Visitors can learn how to create dreamcatchers, driftwood planters, rock art, or terrariums. Of course, any creative project goes a lot more smoothly when paired with a mixed drink, which Bankofier gladly will serve, including her favorite cocktail: a blackberry, lime, and mint mojito.
Local writer Christina Nellemann needs to go back to Fun & Feng Shui for a custom cocktail and a little lesson in macramé.
Fun & Feng Shui
1400 U.S. Hwy. 395, Ste. A, Gardnerville
775-430-4895 • Funandfengshui.com
