The Science Behind It - Seminar Series
Spring 2024 Theme - A Focus On Spirits
Join us on Fridays from 6-9 p.m. for observation, discovery, and immersion into some of the most cutting-edge science topics. Participants will have an opportunity to hear from widely acclaimed experts in their fields, across a variety of topics—a truly interactive, small-group experience.
*All series sessions will take place in the MCC Scot Room and Culinary Lab (Building B). Each session is limited to 32 participants for maximum immersion.
Molecular Mixology: Dilution 101
Friday, March 15, 2024 | 6–9 p.m.
Registration: $65/person I $120/couple
Chicago’s own Machine: Engineered Dining & Drink brings its expertise to McHenry County College’s campus for its very first offsite workshop. Join expert mixologist and Beverage Director, Aneka Saxon, in a totally immersive, scientific approach to making the perfect cocktail. Learn how to dilute mixed drinks to obtain maximum flavor and enjoyment. Begin Dilution 101 by making the perfect Old Fashioned, considering surface area, proof, and ice melt rate. Next, delve into sweetness perception and ice size to create the most flavorful Mai Tai. Use flavored ice and progressive dilution to achieve the peak flavor of a Red Sun. Finally, advance from classic cocktails to your own innovative original using your new knowledge and techniques. Let Aneka teach you to wield the power of chemistry so your drinks truly pack a punch.
Winetasting: Flavors and Red Blends
Friday, April 5, 2024 | 6-9 p.m.
Registration: $50/person | $80/couple
Join restaurateur, wine connoisseur, and sommelier Andy Andresky for a night to remember. Immerse yourself in the heady aromas and taste sensations of three reds and a white. Learn the chemistry behind flavor–the sometimes bold, sometimes nuanced effects of tannins, pH, fermentation, aging, and grape varietals. (Can wine really taste like bacon or Band-AidsTM? What causes mouthfeel? Which chemicals make wine velvety, silky, and grippy?) Test and challenge your senses with the aromas, overtones, weight, texture, and structure of Andy’s hand-picked wines. Then, daringly blend your own unique vintage to bring to the Connoisseur’s Table for judging. This experience includes epicurean delights to further enhance and ignite taste buds and olfactory receptors.
Winetasting: Chards and Charcuterie
Friday, May 17, 2024 | 6–9 p.m.
Registration: $50/person | $80/couple
Experience Chardonnays - a uniquely American white wine with amazingly different aromas and flavors that come from: our native soils; indigenous (wild) yeasts; malolactic fermentation; and barrel, stainless steel, or cement aging. Andy Andresky, restauranteur, wine connoisseur, and sommelier, will guide you through the different chardonnay regions in a hands-on workshop that challenges your senses, teaching you to detect and analyze the rich overtones and subtle undertones of some high-quality chards, including a special 1992 chard straight from Andy’s own cellar!
Crystal Lake’s Fork It Foods will help bring out the best in your favorite chard. They will instruct you on the best pairings of meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, olives, and more, and lead you through the construction of your own customized "grazing platter" to enhance your chard's impact and create an explosion of flavor. Once you’ve developed an expert’s nose and taste, share your masterpiece with the rest of the group and enjoy delectable desserts provided by MCC’s Culinary Management program.
If you need an accommodation or a sign language interpreter, contact the Access and Disability Services department at (815) 455-8766 or disabilityservices@mchenry.edu.