April 21, 2008
See more Ingredients / Techniques
I own a small library of books on the subject of bartending. Some of these books are geared toward the professional bartender, while others are written for the home mixologist. But regardless of the intended audience, almost every book I own heartily recommends that we use paring knives for cutting fruits and garnishes. The Art | Read More
April 14, 2008
See more Recipes
When I found my first bottle of St. Germain elderflower liqueur last year, I was – like many of you – inspired by its unique flavor and wanted to use it in a cocktail. I mixed it with vodka, I mixed it with gin, I mixed it with lemon juice, and I sweetened it with | Read More
March 28, 2008
See more Techniques
The Sazerac has been making a big comeback over the past year. It’s popping up on cocktails menus, bartenders are recommending them to their customers, and it’s even being suggested as an official state drink. But after being served a warm shot of rye with a drop of Peychaud’s last week at a restaurant here | Read More
March 24, 2008
See more General
One interesting fact about nature is that there are hundreds of near-Earth asteroids hurtling through space right now as we sit here and play on our computers. What is of particular concern, though, is that if one of those asteroids had landed on the Teardrop Lounge on Saturday, Murray Stenson would have had to teach | Read More
March 10, 2008
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Hey Bartender I have a question for you, do spirits (rums, bourbons, whiskies, gin, etc.) improve with age in glass bottles? Is it possible for the spirit’s taste to change over time after being bottled? Or, is it the case that after being taken from the wooden barrels that, that is it, the spirit won’t | Read More
February 14, 2008
See more Techniques
I found this video on the DrinkBoy forum this weekend, posted sometime last year. Those of you who have been reading for a while will know that I always love a good instructional video, as I’ve remarked upon time and again. To recap, here’s the recipe: 1. Chill an 8-ounce cocktail glass. 2. Pick your | Read More
February 11, 2008
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There are a few reasons why I’m more excited than ever for Mixology Monday this month. First of all, I’m beside myself because our host is Jimmy Patrick, who is a fellow bartender and a good friend. Bartenders are a surprisingly rare breed in this little cocktail blogger community of ours, so he and I | Read More
January 31, 2008
See more Ingredients
I don’t drink vodka. Most of you know that by now. I don’t care for spirits that strive to taste more like nothing than their competitors. I don’t care for drinks made with vodka, which taste merely like alcoholic versions of whatever fruit juice has been added to the glass. It’s boring liquor for boring | Read More
January 29, 2008
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Last month, I followed seven other bartenders into the Teardrop Lounge on a cold December afternoon in Portland, Oregon. The eight of us had previously spent a lot of time talking online about our common interest in craft bartending, advanced techniques, housemade ingredients and specialty spirits, but this was going to be a different sort | Read More
January 15, 2008
See more Recipes
Well, here we are at Mixology Monday time again. Our host for this round is Marleigh over at Sloshed! and in my mind she’s picked a real winner of a theme: brandy. I love brandy. I love to consume it, I love to sell it, and I love to mix with it. A few months | Read More
January 10, 2008
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A couple of months ago, my friend Kevin from The Scotch Blog sent me a bottle of Pig’s Nose scotch in the mail. As an aside, I highly recommend making friends with people who do things like, say, run the world’s biggest blog on scotch whiskey. Really. Anyway, Pig’s Nose is a fun, easy-to-drink, everyday | Read More
January 5, 2008
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It’s official! Starting on Monday, January 7th, my co-bartender Scott Butler and I will be officially heading up the bar at Bel Ami, located in the Midtown Marketplace at 1591 Willamette Street here in Eugene, right across the street from the bar where I learned to mix cocktails all those years ago. This is a | Read More
December 28, 2007
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One of my favorite things about the holidays is getting to spend a lot of time in airports. Since I’m usually stuck safely behind a bar five nights a week, it’s nice for me to get right in there with a swarming throng of people and be corralled through a series of lines for an | Read More
December 21, 2007
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Yes, these are the words that I hear ringing in my ears as I find myself reading the news that Forbes Traveler has sympathetically chosen to include me in its very illustrious list of Cocktail Movers and Shakers this year. Another drink-slinger who’s putting the Pacific Northwest on the cocktail map is Jeffrey Mortgenthaler[sic], bartender | Read More
These are the books and tools I use every single day to make drinks at home and behind the bar. Clicking on a product takes you to Amazon, which helps me keep this site running, so thank you in advance!
