A friend who went to a very posh public school claims that the most useful thing he learned there was how to make a decent gin and tonic. On a day to day basis, I can see how that would come in handy more often than knowing how to square a hypotenuse but it will still be a surprise if it makes it on to the national curriculum.

In Edinburgh, 5pm members The Living Room are launching a cocktail masterclass that will cover some of the more glaring gaps left by state schooling. Called Discover Your Palate, the idea is that The Living Room’s mixologists will teach guests how to create their own cocktails or how to tweak the classics to suit their own personal tastes.

According to head bartender Ryan Shulski: ‘Our new cocktail masterclasses are truly tailored to the individual, giving them the opportunity to tweak their favourite cocktail or even develop their own concoction from scratch.

‘Similar to a wine or a whisky tasting, we ask all participants to smell and taste different cocktail ingredients to find out what they like best and then create a cocktail from these.’

The Living Room’s Cocktail Masterclasses start from £25 per person and can be arranged flexibly for groups of four or more.

Other 5pm members in Edinburgh that know what to do with a Boston shaker include Amicus Apple, Blue and Oloroso.

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In Glasgow, Abode, Soba, Strata, One Up and The Living Room all bear closer investigation by the thirsty cocktail lover.