From cheese pairings to cider fermenting, here’s your guide to cooking and beverage classes in Philly

Learning a new skill is rewarding, but there’s something extra special about creating a dish from scratch and tasting your success.

From beginner to advanced levels, cooking classes offer novices and home cooks the opportunity to explore their untapped culinary chops with the help of industry experts. Whether you’re looking to fold dumplings, know your cheeses, make cider, or mix cocktails, there are plenty of workshops awaiting you.

If you’re learning English, check out the free English Language Learning program at the Free Library’s Culinary Literacy Center. Flip pancakes and cook new recipes to practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English every week. The program is offered at the Parkway Central Library and neighborhood branches. Sign up for the course (virtual or in-person) online, via email or phone.

📍 1901 Vine St., 📞 215-686-5323, 🌐 libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/edible-alphabet

Fill and fold dumplings with your mom this Mother’s Day.

At the Dumpling Academy, holiday workshops bring your loved ones together for a three-hour cooking session. Prepare the dumpling filling for the handmade wrappers, cook the dumplings, and feast. The ingredients and supplies are provided, so you only have to bring a container for leftovers to take home.

Upcoming workshops are Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and July 4. Head to Walnut Street to make rose-shaped dumplings and fried chocolate wontons. Sign up for workshops, priced at $95 per person, online.

📍2401 Walnut St., Suite 102, 📞 267-213-6787, 🌐 dumplingacademy.com

Old City Kitchen is all about chef-led dinners and cooking classes. Roll and shape tagliatelle and pappardelle with chef Edward Strojan or make creamed spinach curry with chickpeas and wheat rotis with chef Chetna Macwan. Get your hands messy and dive into your creations at the end of class. Tickets start at $95 per person and can be booked online.

📍218 Market St., 📞 609-954-0488, 🌐 oldcitykitchen.com

Start with a knife skills demo to get confident with the blade. Then, let your chef instructor guide you through measuring ingredients and creating a dish from scratch. The hands-on classes offer recreational and instructional cooking for four to five people. Expect to stay in the kitchen for an hour and a half to two hours before dropping your apron to dig into your handmade dish — upcoming classes dive into topics as varied as steak, dim sum, and Italian cooking.

If you learn by watching, sign up for the chef competitions and chef’s table dining. Kids’ classes are offered, too.

Hudson Table experiences can range from $75 to over $100. Buy tickets online.

📍 1001 N. 2nd St., 🌐 hudsontable.com/philadelphia

Julia Birnbaum wants to share the magic of cheese with you. Enter the Philly Cheese School classroom in South Philly to become a cheese expert who can pair international slices with wine, cider, cereals, and potato chips. Public classes range from $50 to $75.

Or bring your friends or colleagues out for a private cheese 101 class for $90 per person. This option is for 6 to 16 people. Online private courses are also available for $170 per person, plus $80 for cheese selections.

Classes are BYOB and open only to adults 21 years and older. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required.

📍701 S. Ninth, 🌐 phillycheeseschool.com

In this Rittenhouse plant-based, gluten-free cafe, get your week in order with the meal planning class on the third Thursday of May and June. The two-hour workshop is guided by in-house pros and includes a planning template and organization tips. Tickets are $65 online.

📍1706 Locust St., 📞 215-985-1706, 🌐 puresweets.com

Enter the kitchen of this West Philly cafe for a hands-on empanada class. Using northwestern Argentine recipes and spice mixes, learn dough-making and cooking techniques, plus how to assemble them. Dough circles, filling for 12 empanadas, chimichurri sauce, veggies sides, and a dessert are included. Tickets are $95 per person for the June 4 class.

Also, on May 11, learn the art of making alfajores, Argentinean cookies, to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee for $50 per person. Plus, there’s a Mother’s Day empanada class on May 13 for you and your mom — it’s $180 per duo. Reserve your spot online.

📍206-208 S. 45th St., 📞 215-554-7380, 🌐 jezabelscafe.com

Sip on five City Winery wines during $15 (per person) wine tastings guided by wine expert Nasinne Campos, Wednesday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Campos discusses the basics of tasting, grapes, and vineyards, and answers your questions. Reserve your spot via Resy — but walk-ins are welcome.

Also, you can go behind the scenes and witness older winemaking methods and modern technology used to createthe wines at City Winery. While tastings don’t require reservations, tours are ticketed, timed events during harvest season or late September/October to November.

📍990 Filbert St., 📞 267-479-7373, 🌐 citywinery.com/philadelphia

Mural City Cellars opens the doors to its Amber Street winery for intimate wine tastings. The winery is all yours for an hour and a half to two and a half hours for parties of four to 12 guests. Sip on wines and munch on small bites as you take a tour of the space. Reserve barrel tastings and sneak peeks at yet-to-be-released vintage selections are included. Morning, afternoon, and evening tastings are $350 to $950. Sign up online.

Saturday wine classes are also offered, but April, May, and June classes are sold out.

📍2011 Amber St., 📞 215-240-1318, 🌐 muralcitycellars.com

Shake up a Thursday night out with mixology in Old City. Play with nontraditional glassware, garnishes, and ingredients for the Your Phone Drinks First class. Experiment with nonalcoholic spirits in the zero-proof cocktail class or try an intro class on bourbon and rye.

Learn to craft chocolate and espresso or Prohibition-era cocktails on Fridays. Dive into fresh fruity sippers or herbs and spice mixology on Saturdays.

Book online and pay $250 to $300 for two.

📍 16 S. 2nd St., 📞 267-702-3404, 🌐 cocktailculture.co

Beer class is in session with brewing and tasting events at Philly Beer School. Dive into an intro to brewing or venture into the history, styles, and flavors of beer. The classes and tastings are for all levels of beer lovers, from those looking to develop their palate to home brewers wanting to learn more. Upcoming classes include craft beer and cheese pairings on May 20 for $75 ($60 for school members). Tickets are online.

📍 109 S. 22nd St., 🌐 vinology.com/philly-beer-school

Cider enthusiasts, here’s a workshop for you. Right off South Street, this cidery and taproom offers three-hour workshops. Owner and cidermaker Kerry McKenzie walks you through the history, styles, apple varieties, and step-by-step process of starting a batch at home. You’ll also get to sip on cider selections.

Workshops are $150 for a single ticket or $250 for a double ticket (two people make one batch of cider). Sign up for the workshop email list for updates and registration for upcoming classes — the cidery plans to host the next workshop in the fall.

📍 613 S. 7th St., 📞 267-639-4334, 🌐 haleandtrue.com