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Ask Your Bartender: Protestant vs. Catholic Whiskey

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Hey Bartender My South Side Irish Chicago Dad always told me that Jameson was the Catholic whisky and that Bushmills was the whiskey made by “the damn Protestants”. Now this character I met at the bar is trying to tell me it’s the other way around. Help! Who do I believe, the man who raised | Read More

Elements Eight Rum

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The list of increduble experiences I had last fall while attending (and speaking at) the Bar Convent Berlin is a mile long, but up near the top of the list is the afternoon chat I had with Andreas Redlefsen, owner of St. Lucia’s Elements Eight rums. Elements Eight is virtually unknown in this country, but | Read More

How to Make a Caipirinha – The American Bartending School Way

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Speaking of great cocktails made with cachaça, let’s take a moment before the weekend and see what our old friends at the American Bartending School would do when confronted with a bottle of the stuff. In this segment, we’ll learn how to make the Brazilian classic, the caipirinha (kai-peer-EEN-ya) 1. Announce to your friends that | Read More

Caneflower

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With my recent move to Portland and consequent adjustment to a new work environment, new living situation and new selection of great bars and restaurants to explore, I’ve been a little lax on the new drink recipes. Fortunately I have my cruel taskmasters at Boca Loca Cachaça to keep me toiling away, day and night, | Read More

I’m Bored, Give Me Something to Do

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I’m a big fan of my friend Eric Tecosky and his company, Dirty Sue. So when he asked me to judge the upcoming Dirty Sue Cocktail Competition, I accepted without hesitation. Also, he’d just said some nice things about me on the internet, so I felt obliged. Anyway, here’s the deal. Grab yourself a bottle | Read More

Back in Black

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Portland, Oregon is the best, as everyone knows. The city is largely unhindered by the cruel oppression of the sun’s toxic ultraviolet rays, which keep skin cancer and unnecessary happiness at bay. Mount Tabor, a dormant volcanic “cone” lies within the city limits, which is in no way absolutely terrifying. And a large near-sighted Amish | Read More

Ask Your Bartender: Buybacks

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Photo Credit: Zach Lewis (www.zachmlewis.com) Susan writes: I am a frequent bar customer. I need an explanation of the concept behind buybacks. One bartender who I was friends with would not let me pay for my drinks, ever. He said they were on him. One day when it was very slow in the bar I | Read More

Repeal Day in Washington, D.C.

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You guys don’t realize how good you’ve got it. See, when I was a young blogger, we didn’t have all these new, fancy blogs that you guys have got nowadays. There was none of this Kaiser Penguin business, and certainly not the Scofflaw’s Den. Hell, Boudreau was probably still in Canada back then, for all | Read More

Keepin’ It Repeal

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The world is gearing up for Repeal Day this Friday and I couldn’t be more pleased. My good friend Kevin Erskine over at The Scotch Blog has a big summary of Repeal Day history and events posted – thanks for the kind words, Kevin. How’s Your Drink author Eric Felten devoted his weekly column in | Read More

What Are You Doing on Repeal Day?

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A few years ago I posted some thoughts about why Americans should celebrate the anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition, and since then people from all over the country have written to tell me about the events they’re organizing, the celebrations they’re planning, and the parties they’re throwing. I’ll be in Washington, D.C., celebrating the | Read More

Martin Miller’s Gin Master’s Competition, New York City

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Update: I’ve been given permission to use some of Silamith Weir’s photos that she shot over the weekend, so you’ll see some new/better pictures interspersed in the post now. I landed in New Jersey a day after the competitors arrived in New York, so upon arrival I was immediately whooshed away to the beautiful home | Read More

Heading to New York

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I’m packing my backs, loading up the camera with virtual film, charging the phone and (possibly) the laptop for New York city tonight after work. I’ll be there witnessing the first Master’s Competition put on by Martin Miller’s Gin, and pitting some of the best bartenders in the United States against some of the United | Read More

The Most Important Day in American History

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No, not Election Day, you chucklehead. I’m referring, of course, to Repeal Day, the day that Americans decided to call bullshit on Prohibition and repeal the Eighteenth Amendment to the constitution, giving many of us the ability to have a beer at a picnic, crack open a bottle of wine with dinner, work as a | Read More

Le Lion, Hamburg

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After attending and presenting at the Bar Convent Berlin in September, I felt like taking a few days off and not blogging. I know it sounds like whining, but I needed a break even if it meant that I didn’t get to write up the tail-end of my trip to Germany. So I’m going to | Read More

My Five Favorite Guilty Pleasure Drinks

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I’m not really much of a writer. It takes me a long time, I have to constantly erase and re-write huge passages, and I’ve always, always, always got a case of writer’s block. So I was thrilled to come up with my latest-and-greatest blog post last week while I was in Germany : My Five | Read More