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
January 2, 2005
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Here’s a good one for the season – the complex flavors of it make it one of the few citrus cocktails that would be truly appropriate on, say, Christmas Eve. I had a drink by the same name years ago in San Francisco, and tried to recreate it when I got back home. This is | Read More
December 22, 2004
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This one was named after a band that my business partner, Tony Figoli was in a long time ago. I thought the name was absolutely brilliant, so I decided to do up a drink to commemorate the band – and my favorite spirit at the time. I think the creme de cassis really works well | Read More
August 13, 2004
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Marche restaurant was rocked by celebrity once again, as Democratic hopeful (let’s face the facts, we’re all pretty hopeful at this point) John Kerry and his enormous entourage of Secret Service agents, aides de camp, press corps peeps, and well-wishers descended upon Marche tonight. And I have the photos right here! I know that the | Read More
August 2, 2004
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This one goes back to the days of the Vet’s Club in Eugene, when I came up with it one night. The drink is good, but fairly unremarkable. What really gets you is the name. My friend Rob came up with the name one night when I told him about the new drink that tasted | Read More
July 30, 2004
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There’s been a lot of loss around me lately. My dog moved away, my ex’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, my college department head died of Alzheimer’s, and now this. Of all the people… John Davis was the guy that you always had something good to say about when he was alive. Now that he’s | Read More
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