February 17, 2006
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The origin of the Margarita is lost to history, but there are several stories vying for the title. The one I like involves a showgirl named Marjorie King, who was apparently allergic to grain alcohol. In 1938, Marjorie was visiting the Rancho Del Gloria Bar in Rosarita Beach, Mexico, when she asked one of the | Read More
February 16, 2006
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Whoa, what a shocker to find this in the paper today: Gays Lose a Gathering Place, Performance Space I used to go to Perry’s when I was in college, a lot of us did. When Neighbors opened, it just wasn’t the same. It’s in an old McDonald’s, which is just plain bad right off the | Read More
February 16, 2006
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Okay, just one more, I promise. I just can’t believe there are people out there reading this crap sometimes! It’s great! Dear Jeff Since you enjoyed being contacted by the Tiki Bar guy (because you like tiki stuff) perhaps you might also enjoy being contacted by an ex-Apple guy (because you seem to like Macs). | Read More
February 16, 2006
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Gee, look, it’s six in the morning and I can’t sleep a wink. I’ve gotten some interesting emails through the site lately and I thought I’d share one of them. By the way, I love getting email through here, so keep ’em coming. Hey Nartender I am a bartender in Wildwood, NJ. Someone asked me | Read More
February 2, 2006
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One of my favorite blogs, Waiter Rant, has a cute little list of drinks and what they say about you. I agree with a lot of these (“Chardonnay – You know what you like. Boring. Predictable. The Missionary Position of White Wine.”) but I think a few are way off track (“Vodka Martini – Sophisticated. | Read More
January 31, 2006
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Dear Wine Distributors and Wine Shops Okay, here’s the deal. Your company names are atrocious. I can’t take you seriously any longer! I’m sorry. The Tannin Booth just isn’t going to cut it. No way. Same goes for you, Grape Expectations. You’ve lowered yourselves to the level of mall haircut places, like Shear Delight or | Read More
January 30, 2006
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The Manhattan allegedly has a documented history. When Samuel J. Tilden was elected Governor of New York in 1874, socialite Jenny Jerome threw a party at the Manhattan Club in New York to celebrate his victory. The bartender created a special drink for this occasion; one half ounce bourbon, one quarter ounce each sweet and | Read More
January 17, 2006
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The Sidecar is rumored to have been invented at Harry’s American Bar in Paris some time in the early teens, and must have taken a popular turn very quickly, as it was a well-established drink by the time Prohibition arrived in the United States. Arguably the greatest cocktail of all time and the basis for | Read More
January 16, 2006
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There’s a long-running joke behind the bar that goes like this: “It’s not called ‘Complicated Syrup’!” and it’s just about every bartender’s go-to joke when one of our coworkers screws up the simple syrup. There’s a reason why it isn’t called “Complicated Syrup”. If you can heat water on a stovetop, you’re on your way | Read More
December 18, 2005
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This cocktail has no history. Sara Willis, owner of Red Agave and Vaquero, came to me with a vision of a simple drink that used these three ingredients, so I came up with this. It is light and refreshing, and a wonderful alternative for drinkers accustomed to Cosmopolitans and Greyhounds.
November 29, 2005
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I was quoted in a Register-Guard article yesterday about Garth Marriott’s Coolest Shop. Read the story, my blurb is near the end on the last page. You can find it here.
October 22, 2005
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The Bon Vivant’s Companion of 1933 credits Jerry Thomas at the Planter’s Hotel in St. Louis around 1840, for creating this drink. The charm of the Planter’s Punch is its refreshing mellowness – not to be interpreted as sweetness. I updated it for Vaquero with a touch of unsweetened passionfruit puree in place of the | Read More
September 22, 2005
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El Vaquero opened today to the public after months and months of work and planning. I have some construction photos I took with my cell phone that I’ll try to put up. We’re located in the Fifth Street Market, where Bamboo used to be, and we’re serving tapas and steaks. The food is amazing. The | Read More
July 21, 2005
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I just checked my web counter tonight (something I tend to do when I get home from work) and the count is at 39,995 – since February 4, 2004! That means that today – actually, in a few minutes – I’ll hit 40,000 visitors. Thanks, suckers!
March 10, 2005
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Eugene bars cater to classic tastes. By Vanessa Salvia (reprinted without permission) I don’t drink much. Between being a student and a parent, I can’t bring home the bacon or fry it up in a pan if I’m soused half the week. But when my editor told me to taste and write about popular cocktails, | 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!
