By Joel Crabtree
Photographed by Clayton Simoncic
The pandemic sunk plans for the 25th-anniversary fundraising gala for Oasis Free Clinics, a Brunswick-based nonprofit that provides uninsured, low-income Mainers with free medical and dental care. To help fill the funding gap, executive director Anita Ruff started a monthly series of food-and-drink classes. Local pros donate their expertise, and participants pay $75 per Zoom session, with proceeds benefiting Oasis. James Beard Award winner Sam Hayward kicked off the series in January. Next up is Nikaline Iacono, owner of the Brunswick bar and specialty grocery Vessel & Vine. She’ll cover cocktail basics, such as ratios and technique, while mixing classics like Manhattans and martinis. “It’s pretty common to be uninsured or very underinsured when you work in the service industry,” she says. “For me, this is an important cause.”
Cocktail maven Nikaline Iacono, owner of Brunswick’s Vessel & Vine, will host her online class to benefit Oasis Free Clinics on March 27. cookingwithoasis.org
