Mayor Oscar Goodman teaches a Community College of Southern Nevada class on how to make a martini Tuesday at Palo Verde High School. Photos by K.M. Cannon. Mayor Oscar Goodman poses Tuesday with Carol Przybycien, left, and Diane Hawley of Las Vegas during a class the mayor taught on how to make a martini. The one-night class was not for credit.

It wasn't the first time the mayor talked about his love of gin in front of a class. This time, though, the students weren't in elementary school.

"It's a pleasure speaking to a class above the fourth grade," he said, referring to the kerfluffle created when he told tots in a 2005 classroom visit that his hobby was drinking, and he'd take a bottle of booze to a deserted island.

Professor Oscar Goodman, who also serves as Las Vegas' mayor and carnival barker, taught his noncredit class on drinking Tuesday night to a capacity crowd of 41 students, all of legal drinking age.

The class, titled How to Make a Martini with the Mayor, was at Palo Verde High School and sponsored by the Community College of Southern Nevada.

Participants got a brief history lesson on martinis from a "spirits educator," received a bobblehead doll of the mayor (the one with him holding a martini), and minifridge-sized bottles of gin. Then, they got a full-sized martini.

But the real reason the crowd paid $15, plus $5 for materials, was apparently the chance to be in the presence of Goodman. Call them the cult of the Big O Show.

"I wanted a picture with the mayor," said Jo Ann Barfield, a 65-year-old Las Vegan who has lived here since 1962.

Goodman and two of his city liaisons passed out casino poker chips with his caricature on them. For Barfield, that was the icing, or, in this case, the olive. "That's the bonus," she said.

Alonzo Gilbert, 56, said he came because he admired the mayor. "He's a good guy, easy to relate to," he said. "He says what he means, and you can't beat up anyone for that."

When Goodman asked for questions, one of the first was: "Can I have your autograph?"

Goodman spent over an hour signing autographs and taking photos with fans.

Many in attendance were long-time Las Vegans.

"He fits the town," said Richard Roush, 60, and a Las Vegan since 1973. To him, Goodman represents the earlier days of Las Vegas.

"Too many people want to change Las Vegas to some town back East or in California. He has a good time, doesn't take himself too seriously."

Community College of Southern Nevada President Richard Carpenter was also on hand. He dismissed concerns that the class diminished the mission of the college. Part of a community college's mission, he said, is to engage the community and get people to classes who might not otherwise.

"Judging from the line, there's plenty of interest," he said, before Goodman's fans entered he classroom.

But, and here's the scandal, the mayor doesn't really drink martinis. At least that's the expert opinion of Armando Rosario, the spirits educator with Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada that Goodman brought in as a ringer for the class.

Hizzoner's recipe calls for a plastic glass filled with a large helping of gin, some ice until the drink overflows -- "Spilling a little is good luck," Goodman said -- and two garlic cloves removed from the inside of a green olive.

Rosario informed the class that the only true martini is gin and dry vermouth.

Those apple martinis and pomegranate martinis -- any martini made with vodka, for that matter -- are cocktails.

And Goodman's "martini"? Well, it's just a big plastic glass of gin and ice.

The mayor rolled his eyes at the expert's edicts.

But for just about everyone who paid the fee and attended the class, it seemed the drinks were a side show to the main attraction of Oscar.

Like Paul Bunyan recalling his first sapling, Goodman started off telling stories of his early drinking.

He told how, as a high school baseball pitcher, he drank a bunch of beers before a game because he didn't think he'd have to pitch. When he showed up, he had to start.

"I set a record," he said. "I threw 24 consecutive balls, and was yanked right away."

From beer, he moved to scotch, then to gin with a drop of scotch, then to his current recipe.

The bobbleheads and liquor Tuesday night were supplied by Southern Wine and Spirits. Goodman volunteered to pay a designated driver company to drive anyone home. Photos were gratis, taken by the city liaisons.

And don't worry: Goodman was driven home by city marshals.

As for whether Goodman still thinks he can call himself a martini drinker after Rosario questioned his nomenclature, Goodman said, "I don't care what the experts say. I never listen to them anyway."