March 6, 2007
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This is possibly the best product I tried all day: a thick, semi-sweet, chilly sake with lots of tropical fruit and coconut flavors. It’s made by Momokawa Sake in Japan, but the product is owned and imported by SakeOne here in Forest Grove, Oregon. Hmmmm… sounds like yet another reason why Oregon is such a | Read More
March 6, 2007
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I met up in the middle of the show floor with the guys from my liquor store here in Eugene and we popped in at the ginormous Pernod-Ricard booth. As I already carry most of the products that they were showcasing, I was interested in tasting their Tezón tequila. Tequila often has a lot of | Read More
March 6, 2007
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Next I stopped by the Flor de Caña booth to sample a product I’d heard a lot about, but had never tried: Flor de Caña 18 Year-Old Centenario Gold Rum. Although the company is headquartered in Nicaragua, they own sugar cane plantations and distilleries all over Latin America. The company has been alive for seventy | Read More
March 6, 2007
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I met up with Marv Ali from the Angostura company at the show. We go through a lot of Angostura bitters at my bar – a lot – but I’ve never had the pleasure of trying any of their other products because my very controlled state doesn’t let us have them. First I tried the | Read More
March 6, 2007
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After waiting for the initial line to die down… oh, wait. We didn’t wait in line. Some people thought they’d just go to the end of the line, two blocks away, and wait to be let into the show. My associates and I? We just weasled our way up in front and were among the | Read More
March 6, 2007
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I’m waiting for them to open the doors to the show, as hundreds upon hundreds of people line up outside in the lobby. Coming up next, I’ve got tons of product reviews from inside the show, and a mixology competition with our friends Sean Bigley, Darren West and Zoltan Andahazy.
March 6, 2007
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9:30 in the morning is a cruel time to try to get 500 bartenders together in the same room, especially in Las Vegas. But the turnout was great nonetheless for two of mixology’s living legends, Dale DeGroff and Tony Abou-Ganim. They started out with a short video presentation hosted by Tony about the bar chef | Read More
March 6, 2007
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My night tonight was the best so far. No strip clubs, no chicken wings, just a big group of real cocktail enthusiasts and three amazing locations. I started my night at the Wynn hotel in a private suite fifty floors above the city, drinking Sagatiba Pura. It’s a brand-new cachaça here in the States, and | Read More
March 5, 2007
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Went to the Convention Center this morning and picked up my pass for the show, I think the real bar manager at Red Agave might be a little miffed if she sees this, but at least they spelled my name correctly.
March 5, 2007
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My friend Jimmy of Jimmy’s Cocktail Hour (see links at right) sent me to the Bellagio to find Darren West, but he’s not working at the Petrossian tonight. I’m going to finish the most incredible Negroni in the world and continue my search. Stand by!
March 4, 2007
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I’m at the Portland Airport this morning, at some “German” bar on the concourse. I walk up the bar and order a double shot and a beer. Now, mind you, I’m not doing this because I’m that into drinking at ten in the morning. I’m doing it because I’m terrified of flying. Anyway, the friendly | Read More
March 4, 2007
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Well, it didn’t work out. Go figure, I’m not much of a gambler. To tell you the truth, I don’t gamble at all. Ever. Personally, I’d rather spend a hundred on a bottle of wine. Just took a little walk through the neighborhood, stopped in at the dueling piano bar at New York, New York | Read More
March 4, 2007
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I haven’t been to Las Vegas in six years, and I’ve never flown on Southwest Airlines. Although the cattle-call seating arrangements that this airline favors are less than, uh, favorable, the good vibrations are palpable. Maybe it’s because I’m surrounded by the fun-loving staff of an Oregon City liquor store, or maybe it’s because everyone | Read More
March 1, 2007
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It’s a slow Monday night and my barback, Nathan, is getting frustrated. “Jesus, Jeff, when am I going to get to make some real drinks?!” “In time, Nathan-san”, I reply, “In time.” “You keep saying that, but all I’ve done for the past two months is make a bunch of old lady drinks! You make | Read More
February 28, 2007
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A while back I was contacted by Whit Whitley of Revolution X Mixers, a new brand of bottled mixers. He sent me some samples in the mail, and although I’m usually opposed to pre-made cocktail mixes, I was excited to try some new stuff. You see, at my bar, we make everything from scratch. Sours, | Read More
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