ICE LA Offers New Recreational Cooking Classes (Plus Holiday Cocktail and Wine Courses)
Good news, LA food and drink fans: ICE Culinary’s Los Angeles campus is expanding its recreational cooking class schedule and recreational mixology and wine course offerings.
The Institute has offered career culinary training for 50 years, and the school’s flagship campus in downtown NYC has a comprehensive recreational food, wine and cocktails program.
However, for ICE LA's campus, wine and cooking classes that are open to the public are something new.
“We ran a couple test classes to see how our recreational [program] should progress,” says ICE LA President, Lachlan Sands.
The response — particularly to wine and beverage classes — was encouraging.
Recreational Wine Classes in LA
ICE LA thus launched an Introduction to Wine Essentials course comprising six sessions of three hours each. Taught by Paul Sherman, Advanced Sommelier and ICE LA Lead Instructor of Wine Studies, the course's curriculum uses grape varieties and winemaking regions as an educational roadmap.
Attendees examine winemaking; wine tasting and selection; and wine labeling and legislation, then discern wine components and taste some of the world’s most celebrated wines.
The series spans two weeks, with classes held Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. Coursework is outlined below.
- Class 1 - Winemaking & wine tasting
- Class 2 - Essential wines of France
- Class 3 - Essential wines of Italy
- Class 4 - Essential wines of Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean
- Class 5 - Essential wines of California and the world
- Class 6 - Essential sparkling wines of the world
Fun Mixology Classes in LA
Mixology classes have also been amplified, specifically around holiday themes.
“Coming up for October,” says ICE LA's Director of Restaurant & Hospitality Management, Mishel LeDoux, “we're doing a spooky cocktails class. In November we're doing more of a fall holiday class, and then in December, it’s a celebratory Christmas-Hanukkah class.”
“They're designed to be ‘how to make a few really interesting cocktails,’” adds Sands, a sort of “fun Friday night thing that you do.”
Does your mom love a G&T? Take a mixology class with her (and learn to make a more exciting Gin mixer). Or maybe it’s date night, and you and your partner want to mix things up — pun intended. Take a mixology class together.
“That’s the idea,” says LeDoux, noting that unlike the Wine Essentials course, mixology classes are “one-time, two-hour sessions.”
Recreational Cooking Classes in LA
Perhaps the biggest addition to ICE’s recreational culinary classes in LA, is its Kitchen Essentials course. A three-class series spanning three successive Saturdays, Kitchen Essentials teaches attendees fundamentals and knife cuts, as well as preparing and making select dishes.
“It takes you through the basics,” says LeDoux, “but somebody that has [more experience] can still practice their knife skills. I mean, we all could do better cuts, right?”
“It’s a progressive course,” she explains, wherein knowledge is layered week over week.
The first Kitchen Essentials course launched September 6, and there is currently one three-class series offered per month through November.
LA Cooking Classes in 2026
Next year, ICE LA aims to both expand its Kitchen Essentials series — “Maybe Kitchen Essentials 2,” says Le Doux — and curate single cooking classes similar to those offered at ICE New York.
“When you're learning in a professional kitchen, it's a totally different experience,” says LeDoux. “You're actually collaborating with a chef, and you're working with other people side by side."
“It gives this whole richness to cooking and being part of a team,” she explains. “And that's really what it’s all about.”
Book your recreational cooking, wine and mixology class at ICE LA here.
