Gold Bar Whiskey

Crafted in the heart of the San Francisco Bay, Gold Bar Whiskey has been creating award-winning whiskey since 2013. From its home on Treasure Island, the distillery double-matures its whiskey in former wine barrels, bringing distinctive character to every bottle.

When the tasting room opened in 2023, the team began serving cocktails with new flavors, giving guests a taste of what they could create beyond sipping them neat. That sparked an idea: why not let guests get behind the bar and mix their own? In late 2024, Gold Bar launched its cocktail-making classes, inviting guests to shake, stir, and learn alongside a team of bartenders and hospitality pros who love sharing their craft.

Today, you can sample Gold Bar spirits, pick up new bartending techniques, and make three full-size cocktails of your own, all with the team’s friendly guidance. Housed on the ground floor of a historic 1930s Pan Am Airport terminal, you'll enjoy Art Deco vibes and sweeping views of the SF skyline. Whether you're planning a date, celebrating with friends, or simply curious about cocktail making, you can get creative with drinks in a setting that's anything but ordinary.

What we love most about teaching cocktail-making classes is…

“There’s something incredibly rewarding about watching someone make a great cocktail themselves, especially when they arrive thinking they don’t know anything about it. For us, the classes are about more than learning recipes. They’re about great drinks, hospitality, connection, and giving people a memorable experience together.”

Come to one of our cocktail-making classes and you will…

“Taste three to four Gold Bar spirits and then get hands-on making three full-size cocktails yourself. Instructors demonstrate each cocktail step by step, help you with your technique, and share stories about our spirits, Treasure Island, cocktail history, and other parts of the Gold Bar story. There’s plenty of time for questions, photos, conversation, and, of course, enjoying each drink together.”

Some of our favorite class moments happen when…

“After guests finish making each cocktail, we’ll often pause for a few minutes so everyone can enjoy their drink, take photos, talk with their date or friends, and get to know the people around them…Some of our favorite moments actually happen after the class ends. Rather than immediately sending everyone on their way, we’ll often encourage guests to grab a table and finish their cocktails together. We’ve watched people who arrived as complete strangers two hours earlier sit around talking and laughing like old friends.”

One of the most creative cocktails we make in class is…

“Our take on the Bee’s Knees, a classic Prohibition-era cocktail made with gin, fresh lemon juice, and honey syrup. We wanted to add a little theatricality to it, so we created something one of our lead instructors affectionately calls the ‘pollen puff.’ We wrap bee pollen in a small piece of thin paper and place it over the finished cocktail. Guests ignite it, creating a dramatic burst of flame above the glass. As the paper burns away, the bee pollen falls into the cocktail, adding one final thematic touch to a drink built around honey and bees.”

Making a drink feels like a creative ritual because…

“It naturally creates little moments where people slow down and become completely engaged in what they’re doing. Making an Old Fashioned is a perfect example. Once the ingredients are in the mixing glass, guests spend about 20 seconds simply stirring the drink over ice, allowing it to chill and dilute slightly. We also build playful, memorable touches into our classes. Guests might fold an actual paper plane while making a Paper Plane cocktail, ignite the oils from an orange peel over a finished drink, or learn how to properly shake a cocktail tin.”

If we could only teach you to make one cocktail, it would be…

“The Paper Plane. You get sweetness and citrus, some bitterness and complexity from the amaro, and plenty of character from the bourbon. Bonus points: it was named after M.I.A.’s ‘Paper Planes,’ so your cocktail already comes with its own soundtrack.”