Latest Drink Recipe
In my opinion, one of the greatest triumphs of the cocktail renaissance is the rediscovery of the classic Old Fashioned. I’ve often spoken of how at some point after the repeal of Prohibition, the Old Fashioned became lost and possibly confused with a long-forgotten drink called a Smash (basically a tarted-up Mint Julep covered in fruit), a mere husk of its former, glorious self.
For decades, bartenders just like me served a limp, weak concoction consisting of a half-muddled sugar cube, a mashed-up neon red cherry and orange, a splash of whiskey, and some soda water drowning the results.
With a little luck, and a lot of hard work, that’s all changed with the renewed interest in classic cocktails. Now at any given night at my bar you can find literally a dozen people sipping on two ounces bourbon touched with a teaspoon of sugar and two dashes of bitters, garnished with a simple orange twist over a couple big ice cubes.
But don’t try to pull that bullshit with the good people of the Great State of Wisconsin, where the Brandy Old Fashioned rules supreme. It’s not the same drink as above, it just shares a name. And if you make it right, really right, it’s a damn delicious cocktail and worthy of examination.
Being located in a hotel, we’re used to serving folks from all over the world. And the first time I witnessed a guest from Wisconsin stare blankly as one of my bartenders handed over two ounces of Cognac touched with a teaspoon of sugar and two dashes of bitters and garnished with a simple orange twist over a couple big ice cubes, I knew some further training was in order.
So in the name of making cocktails – all cocktails – with as much of our hearts as we can offer, I present to you what I believe to be the perfect Brandy Old Fashioned… Wisconsin-style.
I start with an old fashioned glass I’ve chilled in the freezer. Call it a tumbler, call it a double rocks glass, or call it a bucket, it’s a glass you’re familiar with. To that I add two dashes of Angostura bitters and a teaspoon of sugar. If I’m in a hurry I use a 2:1 simple syrup, but if I’m going to spend some time, I use a sugar cube. The sugar cube is preferable here because it’s going to add some friction to the muddling we’re about to do. Brace yourselves, cocktail “nerds”.
Next I’ll take a thick-cut orange wedge, and a cherry. The usual suspect here is a grocery store maraschino cherry, but I always choose a brandied Amarena cherry. Remember, you’re going to get out what you put in, so a quality cherry is going to make the drink that much better.
I muddle the sugar, bitters, orange wedge and cherry into a thick paste, careful not to touch the orange peel too much as it’ll bring unwanted bitterness to the party – just work around the peel and pulverize that orange meat.
Your standard Brandy Old Fashioned brandy of choice is Korbel: cheap California brandy. Considering the hundreds of thousands of cases they ship to Wisconsin every year, it might be considered sacrosanct to use anything else. But if you want to do this right, really right, then do yourself a favor and use some good Cognac. I have my preferred brandy, you have yours.
At this point your typical Wisconsinite barkeep is going to add ice and finish the drink in one of two main ways: sweet or sour. Those who take it sweet will ask for a splash of Sprite or 7-Up, those who take it sour get a dose of Collins Mix or Squirt. To me, it’s just a way of watering down the drink, so I leave out the soda and take a more… cocktail-y method.
Crushed ice is a must for me whenever I whip up a Brandy Old Fashioned. I always skip the soda and let the tiny shards of ice do the work, taming those strong, sweet flavors and turning this into a drink you can sip slowly.
As for a garnish, most will throw a “flag” of an orange wedge and a cherry spiked through with a wooden toothpick, but my take here is that those things are already in the drink, so I skip ‘em. Besides, how pretty does that look without the goofy fruit salad perched over the top?
You know, it’s something to enjoy sipping on while you cook up some bratwurst and onions in a boiling kettle of beer before everyone comes over to watch the Packers game. Drink accordingly.
Brandy Old Fashioned
1 sugar cube or 1 tsp 2:1 simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 orange wedge
1 cherry, preferably Amarena or Maraska
2 oz brandy or Cognac
In a chilled old fashioned glass, muddle the sugar, bitters, orange wedge and cherry into a thick paste, careful not to work the orange peel. Add brandy or Cognac, stir, and fill glass with crushed ice and serve.
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About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the bar manager at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.
I've been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. I started tending bar while getting my degree in Interior Architecture, and slowly I came to the conclusion that bartending was what I really loved, and that I might as well drop everything and focus on being a professional bartender. Over the years I have strived, both behind the bar and with this website, to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
23 Mar 2007 at 1:12 PM 1. Mark Fleser
I’m not even 21 yet and I know that, that is NOT a Mint Julep. What she made was a Mojito with bourbon instead of rum. The Wikipedia article does say it is similar to a Mojito because they both use muddled sugar and mint and take a spritz of seltzer at the end,but that’s about it.
23 Mar 2007 at 1:28 PM 2. Jason!
Words. Fail. Me.
People shouldn’t be allowed to do that. Ever. Not even with cheap bourbon.
23 Mar 2007 at 1:30 PM 3. Jeffrey
I’ll grant you that a Mint Julep and a Mojito are in the same drink family, but that’s very different from saying that a Mint Julep is just a Bourbon Mojito. Very different.
23 Mar 2007 at 1:38 PM 4. Jason!
Pretty much everything on the DrinksTV website seems to be an abomination. The Woodford Reserve Apple Martini is another such unforgettable drink.
23 Mar 2007 at 5:47 PM 5. jimmy
Wow!
Sugar, Rose’s, Sour mix AND SPRITE! It makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it.
24 Mar 2007 at 3:25 PM 6. Scooter
That is vile and disgusting. The drink I mean. She could have at least shaken it longer.
25 Mar 2007 at 8:53 AM 7. Vast Majority
Not only was it a poor recipe but there was no flair! Sheesh!… Everyone knows that if you don’t juggle the bottles you just are NOT an accomplished bartender.
25 Mar 2007 at 11:01 AM 8. MrBaliHai
Andrea is obviously all about serious bartending, you can tell because she a) uses very precise measurements (“..a little bit, like a teaspoon or so”), and b) has her blouse unbuttoned to her navel.
25 Mar 2007 at 6:40 PM 9. RickJamesBitch
Um. this is also no way to make a mojito!
25 Mar 2007 at 7:04 PM 10. Dan
Oh. My. God.
Terrible, just terrible.
26 Mar 2007 at 4:21 AM 11. Sean Bigley
I’m sure if the people at Woodford saw this, they would get an injuction to stop this video immediately! The horses at the Kentucky Derby could shit a better Mint Julep than this! I can’t even believe I wasted two minutes of my time watching this. I’m sure that I won’t be able to sleep tonight having nightmares of this “cocktail”. Please kill me!
26 Mar 2007 at 10:12 AM 12. Dan
I’d also like to mention that DrinksTV is a terrible website which offers bad recipes and techniques.
26 Mar 2007 at 2:39 PM 13. Jeffrey
Dan
You don’t say. Here’s another wonderful concoction by our friends at DrinksTV:
Yikes.
26 Mar 2007 at 9:18 PM 14. Lindsey Mitchell
My personal favourite was her ‘muddle’ which was really more like her sharpening her eyeliner – if it had a sound effect it would ‘ehn, ehn, meh.’
c’mon lady – put some elbow grease in it!
29 Mar 2007 at 5:23 PM 15. Smach
I think she forgot the grenadine and chambord. She also forgot to blend it. Mmmmm…
30 Mar 2007 at 10:05 PM 16. John
All the drink videos on the website looks cool (www.drinkstv.com).
Whats with the “competition” section? Looks like Drinkstv has an American Idol for bartending!
this one was done by a pro
http://www.drinkstv.com/channelvodka.aspx
31 Mar 2007 at 2:31 AM 17. Jeffrey
Mysterious Commenter, you reek of comment spam, but I like you. Maybe it’s the whisky I had after work tonight.
The Breakfast Martini you linked to doesn’t look that horrible. And, yes, she had the poise and skill of a pro. She’s a Brand Ambassador for Belvedere, she’s got to be talented.
And I actually saw the Competition section of DrinksTV, and I voted. I gave everyone five stars for Personality and Hot Factor, and one star for Cocktail. Great peeps, bad drinks.
31 Mar 2007 at 2:52 PM 18. Scooter
I watched this again, and I now want to make this drink at work EXACTLY her way to see how gross it really is. Next time someone says “surprise me,” THIS is what they’re fuckin’ getting! Wooo Hooo! Yeah…that’ll learn ‘em.
14 Apr 2007 at 11:26 PM 19. Darryl
That’s nothing – you should see the drink vids at WatchMojo.com. I never thought it was possible to fuck up a Gin & Tonic, but somehow they did it. And their version of a Mojito makes this one look practically refined.
I wouldn’t mind a Wet Pussy right about now, though.
04 May 2007 at 7:58 AM 20. Michael
oh
my
God
16 May 2007 at 2:36 PM 21. Anonymous
The real star of this video: cleavage.
01 Jun 2007 at 4:42 PM 22. Kevin
You are not taking into account that Andrea has nice tits.
And the way she over-enunciates “Mint Julep”.
Hot.
05 Jul 2007 at 11:31 AM 23. Marleigh
Chase is my new favorite bartender. I couldn’t understand most of what he was saying, but he’s wearing a sleeveless t-shirt. That means his drinks MUST be good.
09 Aug 2007 at 9:27 PM 24. LT
In memory of my mom, an awesome Kentucky lady:
Derby Day Mint Julep
1 10 oz. sterling silver Julep Cup (chilled)
2 cubes of ice
2 oz. Kentucky Bourbon (dads choice)
a sprig of mint (for the essence)
“Hey, where’s the sugar?. Who cares, enjoy your bourbon and shut up.” :)
17 Aug 2007 at 1:16 PM 25. mru
to be honest i do not wanna watch this video, i might forget my own standards LOL ewwww they su*****ks
31 Aug 2007 at 5:26 PM 26. Ali
Its not Brooks, its Bricks nightclub Haahaha and I know the head bartender there I just text him right now to tell him how retarded his staff is! But knowing Miami standards, all you need is a pair of tits to get behind a bar!
31 Aug 2007 at 5:34 PM 27. Anonymous
I just looked through those videos from DrunkTV…thats just poor representation!!! There ARE quality bartenders in South Florida, I’m going back next month and I’m looking these guys up to point that out to them.
13 Sep 2007 at 11:59 PM 28. Kat
Well for the love of Baal…
I no longer doubt the existence of the human soul because I just felt mine shrivel and die. I thought that by reading the entry and comments, I’d be prepared. No such luck. I yelled and startled my pet rabbits when she plopped in the limes.
My rabbits are MAD, cruddy drink-makin’ lady! Live with THAT!
14 Sep 2007 at 12:47 AM 29. Jeffrey
Hey, Kat, at least she didn’t say, “It’s similar to rabbit stew, only it has rum in place of onions.”
Could’ve been worse, right?
28 Oct 2007 at 5:21 PM 30. Shelby needs her juice!!!
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit!!
03 Nov 2007 at 2:19 AM 31. kikithewondermonkey
i thought that i had something to say but i find myself speachless.
27 Nov 2007 at 10:53 PM 32. arthur
wow,
i am gobsmacked.
remind me never to drop into that bar for a cocktail,might be safer to order a bottled beer.if those guys spent as much time learning drinks than looking hot,then they can tend bar.ive had bar backs that i have worked with have better cocktail knowledge.
maybe the cleavage and sleeveless shirt was a distraction for people to not pay attention at how their drinks are being made.
thanks for the much needed giggle
01 Dec 2007 at 11:17 PM 33. Shawn
Oh. My. God. This video makes a good old Kentucky guy like me cringe. I’ve had better juleps at sorority parties.
Where to begin? Perhaps with the limes? The Rose’s? The sour mix? The
Sprite?
I think that she needs one more step to the recipe, right after the mint sprig…toss the whole thing down the drain before anyone sees you.
06 Dec 2007 at 1:24 PM 34. Evan
I would laugh about this, but I’m too busy crying. Poor Woodford, what has she done to you?!
17 Dec 2007 at 11:16 PM 35. Christine
As a Kentuckian, I’m offended.
21 Dec 2007 at 1:42 AM 36. Tom G
Oh goodness gracious… what a train wreak….
29 Dec 2007 at 8:41 AM 37. Brad
Hey Jeffrey,
I stumbled on your site a couple months ago and enjoy stopping by from time to time. Heres my Mint Julep story: I currently tend at a bar called CRU Martini Bar in Mandeville, LA but before that managed a restaurant Annadeles Plantation(annadeles.com). A couple years ago. The movie, Dreamer starring Kurt Russel and Dakota Fanning was filming in our area. Kurt Russel and a couple others came in for dinner one night. Everthing went well and they thoughrouly enoyed themselves. Not until after they left did the waitress inform me that his first drink request had been a Mint Julep and we had been completely out of fresh mint. (Something we never really had on hand.) Well, a week later they came back! This time I sent one of the backwaiters to the store for some mint and offered Mr. Russel one on the house. He enjoyed the drink and the experience at the restaurant so much he actually had us cater the movies wrap party for them.
02 Jan 2008 at 1:35 PM 38. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Brad
That’s a great story, nice work.
25 Jan 2008 at 4:48 AM 39. Temptin
Ok all you experts!
I can’t believe with everything else, no one noticed that she is holding the muddle upside down!
The really sad part is she seems so confidant that what she is doing in right.
25 Jan 2008 at 12:35 PM 40. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
I just re-watched the video (I did post it almost a year ago, after all) and you’re right! It’s very easy to miss, as she only uses it for about a half second.
If any of you haven’t seen the video in a while, I do recommend watching it again for the first time. Yeeesh.
29 Jan 2008 at 3:08 PM 41. Colin Kimball
Since we started producing The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess I constantly search the web trying to find our competition. DrinksTV were early on the scene and always laughable. We are shooting more episodes of our show this weekend. Included is the Mint Julep and there will be no Rose’s or Sprite!
Here’s to fresh!
30 Jan 2008 at 1:27 AM 42. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Amen, Colin. If any of you reading this haven’t checked out The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess yet, do yourself a favor and head on over.
I’m looking forward to seeing the Mint Julep episode, Colin, and as you said, “Here’s to fresh!”
27 Feb 2008 at 11:46 PM 43. Chris
I must say, as someone born below the Mason Dixon line, that video hurt on a visceral level. And I bet she makes a really crappy Mojito as well.
Jeffrey, nice website by the way!
04 Mar 2008 at 9:20 AM 44. Orlando (machete)
wow.
limes………
17 Apr 2008 at 12:50 AM 45. bdkollker
All I can say is “OH MY GOODNESS!!”
27 Apr 2008 at 8:21 AM 46. Peter
The winner!
05 May 2008 at 12:17 PM 47. Tiare
The worst i`ve ever seen..
05 May 2008 at 3:01 PM 48. Phil
Asides from a litany of sins, she also holds the shaker the wrong way – whenever I happen to see that I duck. Just another reason to stay well away…
14 May 2008 at 7:21 AM 49. Ian
What was that thing? Not a mint julep by any stretch of the imagination.
Wow.
23 May 2008 at 4:11 AM 50. Steve (Plymouth, UK)
I actually laughed out loud watching that at my desk at work (should have been do something else!) What’s with the Bonsai dead palm tree at the end? It looked altogether hideous, I would never, COULD never, serve something that looked so unappetising.
I can’t believe that people put this rubbish out for public consumption and cause the majority of people to think good bartenders are idiots for not knowing how to make ‘proper’ drinks; you know excessively sweet ones with tons of ingredients.
Simple is best. Noilly Prat, Plymouth Navy Strength, a feint lemon oil ’spray’ and 2 olives will suit me everytime.
23 May 2008 at 4:16 AM 51. Steve (Plymouth, UK)
Sorry! I should have introduced myself I’m Steve, Naval Architect by day and cocktail bartender at ‘Lavish’ by night. Bartending for me was a student job that I enjoyed so much that it’s become my hobby!
I now run a small cocktail bar in nightclub ‘Lavish’, I shall use that clip to do exactly as you suggest, show my staff how NOT to make a Mint Julep!
26 May 2008 at 1:06 PM 52. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Steve, welcome to the website, and thanks for contributing!
13 Jun 2008 at 9:17 AM 53. Ryan Clayton
im 18 and have been bartending for less than a year and i cannot believe this woman. lime juice …
mint juleps are very nice drinks , especially if using a good quality bourbon such as woodford. but this girl has just ruined it
16 Jun 2008 at 9:44 PM 54. Chris
Holy mother of God that was terrible. Not only was her recipe completely screwed (even if she’d substituted Bacardi to make a mojito it would’ve been wrong) but her technique was awful too. Remember kids, always use the wrong end of the muddler to just sort of poke at the limes and mint to make sure they’re dead. And be sure to use a two-second cerebral-palsey shake to mix it all up after you’ve topped it off with SPRITE. A nice pair of tits is no substitute for knowing what you’re doing.
05 Jul 2008 at 5:43 AM 55. Pål Hatlem (Norway)
Oooooh nooooo.. thats a “bad boy” indeed
29 Jul 2008 at 11:40 AM 56. Brendan P. Bartholomew
What with all that liquid and the pulpy mass of decomposing plant life floating around in there, I think that drink would be better referred to as a “Swamp Julep.”
12 Aug 2008 at 2:15 PM 57. Eli C
Lime? Rose’s? Powdered sugar? Canned.. anything? SPRITE?!?
Not in my pewter cup, thank you.
I’ll just have a water.. no, make it two so I can throw one at whoever wrote this recipe.
03 Oct 2008 at 6:33 AM 58. Edward Hamilton
If you think that was bad, imagine the competition that didn’t make the cut on the audition.
26 Oct 2008 at 10:45 PM 59. Andrea B.
Hi Guys,
This is Andrea, with Bricks Nightclub? Just want you to know, I really do know how to make a GREAT mint julep, but DrinksTV’s last paycheck to me kind of bounced, and my boss was being a douche lately, so when they asked me to do the mint julep for a webisode? This is what I made to get even.
I can’t believe they actually posted it! And now I’m like totally embarrassed I dragged Woodford Reserve down, too. Oopsies.
Okay, in fact this is not Andrea, but I like to think that’s what’s going on this video, because I hate thinking that any woman can be so willfully ignorant, or that anyone could come up with this drink for any reason other than revenge.
-Bob C.
27 Oct 2008 at 9:26 PM 60. MA
I am an atheist and I just called the pope on my cellie to ask if he might spare a f-cking exorcist for me. I cannot believe the liquid genocide I have just witnessed.
please please…..puleeeeze tell me this girl is pregnant from one of her barflies that stupidly encouraged her to keep bartending.
Kharma is a great scorekeeper. I hope a woodford reserve ninja jumps out of the bourbon bushes and clubs her to death with some muddler numbchucks (and shows her how to use them properly as well)
I must.. go on…(sniff)
13 Nov 2008 at 5:10 PM 61. Kimberly Patton-Bragg
I needed a good laugh. I initially was crying over the waste of good bourbon. Then once it got to the “oh, and don’t forget the Sprite!” I lost it. And the bartending Ox with the Wet Pussy. My god, that is why I left Florida. I don’t need to see armpit hair when you’re making my drink.
13 Nov 2008 at 8:32 PM 62. Brendan P. Bartholomew
This video is like an Evan Williams single barrel or a bottle of A.H. Hirsch: One can’t help but revisit it from time to time, tempted always by the knowledge that every sip allows the manifold subtleties of the experience to reveal themselves anew.
For instance, this time around, I am especially appreciating the way Andrea says, “…mix that bad boy up!”
The next time I yield to this video’s irresistible siren song, it may be the soulful-yet-unchallenging blues-guitar being plucked in the background, or perhaps it will be Andrea’s habit of referring to everything with possessive pronouns:
“Now you’re gonna take your sour mix, and you’re also gonna take your Woodford Reserve,”
“…pour it into your highball,”
and of course,
“Don’t forget to add your Sprite!”
Ahhhh….
So many nuances to savor, so little time.
04 Dec 2008 at 1:46 AM 63. Danny
Oh god………….
05 Dec 2008 at 6:31 PM 64. Jaime
Jeffrey,
Brilliant find.
Fantastic example of the worst in bar tending. The sad thing is we have all seen a confident young idiot like this behind the bar.
When you do encounter this type of bartender don’t be pissed at the management for putting someone like this behind the bar–just take advantage of the situation. I’ve done it and so have my bar tending friends. Pick a drink,say-a Black Russian-ask her how much it costs then tell her what glass you prefer it in-say-a chimmney or pint glass. Tell her to grab the premium vodka and the Kahula.
Just say,
“Now start pouring the vodka, ok stop, now fill it up with Kahula. Great.Good job. Wow that deserves a good tip.”
She will not know.
05 Dec 2008 at 9:20 PM 65. Bob
Nice site, Mr. Morgenthaler.
What can I say that hasn’t been said above? What an abomination!
I’m NOT from Kentucky and I’m offended.
Some kind of Bricks Bimbo Rickey?
16 Dec 2008 at 4:59 PM 66. Alex
oh god no
all that beautiful bourbon… wasted…
*cries*
17 Dec 2008 at 2:48 AM 67. Merlin Griffiths
…and a margarita is made with tequila and roses lime, built over ice in a poco grande and served with a salt shaker on the side…
“Excuse me while I get my coat.”
17 Dec 2008 at 3:31 AM 68. Phill
Wow. I read the recipe first, so
I shoulda been prepared, but good gravy that was excruciating! I think I my have thrown up a little in my mouth.
08 Jan 2009 at 9:31 PM 69. Grimmy
WTF!!!! That goes into the history books.Did no one notice she kept the boston glass on the bottom when shaken.Where I’m from I fire staff for doing that basic shit.Can’t believe tits & ass still get you a good job these days!!!!
Grimmy. Brisbane AUS
22 Jan 2009 at 6:10 AM 70. Ben
Fuckin’ awesome. Just rad. I really enjoyed this video. I needed the laugh.
Bar managers of the world, this is what happens when you hire tits and ass over experience and skill: a slow moron who can’t use a shaker properly and wastes your precious liquor on drinks so shitty they literally makes dozens of people laugh.
Thanks Jeff. Badass site. I tend bar in Dubai right now but I went to school in Eugene.
05 Feb 2009 at 12:29 AM 71. two,,
…You think thay hired her to pour drinks I`ll put her to work the bar,,What about the 2nd video ,, do you want this guy working your bar
09 Mar 2009 at 5:14 PM 72. Churba
I’m not going to say anything about this Andrea woman as a person, as I know nothing about her, but I’ll join mob here, and say what I thought was technically right and wrong here.
- A Mint Julep is similar to a Mojito, this is true. However, The recipe she gives is practically a Mojito with Bourbon, as she stated, which is not a Mint Julep – It’s a Mojito with Bourbon substituted. You can put two more wheels on a motorbike, but that doesn’t make it a car.
- The recipe she states is very imprecise, however, the recipe is given in measurements in the subtitles. Only a half point off there.
- I am not of the belief that she’s using her muddle upside down. It looks to me as if she’s using a baseball bat style muddler, complete with the nub on the top, and she’s holding it by the narrow, nubbed end.
- Her muddling was weak and brief. A little more effort would not go astray.
- Credit for not scooping her ice with the glass.
- Her shaking was the most limp-wristed, pissweak shaking I’ve ever seen. She shook it like she was mixing nitroglycerin instead of a butchered Mojito. Go on, ma’am, give it some mongrel, It won’t hurt you.
Over all commentary on DrinksTV -
They do have some good ideas, and the people they have in their videos do seem to have at least a decent idea what they are doing, but for the most part, they all have some terrible technique going on, and many of their recipes are, while not terrible, certainly not something I’d be serving in that form to a customer.
23 Mar 2009 at 1:05 PM 73. Nicole
AAAAhahahahahaha this is absolutely hysterical! It really is amazing what people will do to make a few bucks. I also read the recipe before watching the video and it made me squirm just thinking about it, especially putting all of that together with Woodford. This definately put a smile on my face so i guess not all is lost. Yikes
23 Mar 2009 at 2:21 PM 74. Brendan P. Bartholomew
There’s got to be some sort of product-placement-kickback deal here. I can’t see DrinksTV specifically specifying that it should be a Woodford Reserve Mojito Monstrosity unless Woodford was in some way compensating them for it.
I wonder if the Woodford people feel they got their money’s worth?
Wait…
Maybe it’s a protection racket:
Somebody from DrinksTV shows up at the Woodford distillery and says, “You know, it’d be a real shame if we had to shoot a video on how to make a Woodford Reserve Lawn-Guyland Iced Tea!”
02 Apr 2009 at 3:11 PM 75. Mike Robertson
Sad but true that you see way too many owners or bar managers hire for looks instead of talent. A guest at the bar I was working years ago told me his theory on holding the muddler one way or the other. He insisted that inexperienced female heterosexual and gay male bartenders hold it with the “head” up and that heterosexual male and gay female bartenders hold it with the head down. It has been years since he told me that and 9 times out of 10 he is correct. The gay male and straight female will treat the muddler gently and the gay female will punish the limes and mint. Sorry if it’s not PC but it’s funny as hell.
22 Apr 2009 at 1:40 PM 76. Eva Tweed
I suddenly feel so much better about my bartending skills!
25 Apr 2009 at 5:27 AM 77. Chris
That was the most horrible thing I have ever seen. This is why I have grown to despise the “hot chick” bartending trend. So what if their drinks suck? At least their tits are hanging out and they talk to lonely losers for the whole 20 seconds it takes to make an atrocity like this. After all, that’s what truly counts in this biz.
30 Apr 2009 at 7:40 PM 78. Laurie
“Mint Julep is like a Mojito, but with bourbon…”
Famous last words of every server I’ve ever ordered from on a cruise ship. Funny thing is, one ship we sail on has a themed nightclub where the Mint Julep is a featured drink. As soon as you leave that lounge, though, nobody can make one. If I get another Mint Julep with lime in it I’m going to lose it. I’m carrying the recipe with me on my next cruise.
03 May 2009 at 4:59 PM 79. Kyle
AHHHHHHHHHH.
Wow. So wrong.
05 Jun 2009 at 9:30 AM 80. Todd Appel
That is one of the funniest things I have ever seen!…it is real serious…including the bursting cleavage…That is why it is so funny
If ever there was an all en capsuling pinnacle and acme for stupid drink “making” by dumb chicks with nice tits…that is it!
There is the opposite with the guy version too…understood
I tink they meant
The Woodford Reserve Spring Break Cabo Diabo Mint Julep!
05 Jul 2009 at 10:12 PM 81. Bob
Oh man, “don’t forget your Sprite” gets me every time. I always forget it’s coming and then WHAM–the video goes from horrific to sublime.
06 Jul 2009 at 12:20 AM 82. Brendan Bartholomew
Thank you Bob; it’s nice to know that I’m not the only masochist who watches this over and over again.
Hey, I just had a grotesquely beautiful idea:
I think I’ll throw a viewing party in which everybody is obliged to watch this video on a big screen and then I serve my guests “Mint Juleps” made exactly according to Andrea’s instructions.
As long as my guests are raging alcoholics or totally inexperienced drinkers, I’m sure it will go over quite well.
I will not, however, be showing off quite as much flesh as Andrea does.
03 Aug 2009 at 6:07 PM 83. GC
Mojito but with bourbon? If you put sour mix or Sprite anywhere near my mojito, you’re liable to get popped.
If you put any liquid that isn’t bourbon in my mint julep, you’re also liable to get popped.
Dumb bartenders and dumber people are the bane of any good lush’s existence.
22 Aug 2009 at 2:29 AM 84. Bernhard
Sour Mix?
NO GO !!
but in fact a nice t-shirt..
My advice order a bottled drink there….better save than sorry
And the poor Woodford was spoiled…she’ll never make it into heaven.
22 Aug 2009 at 8:40 PM 85. Brendan Bartholomew
You don’t think Andrea could mess up a bottled drink? You doubt her powers?
I say order a bottled beverage and watch the lady work:
“This is an Anchor Steam beer; it’s served warm just like a Corona, except that in stead of a slice of lime, you put anchovies in it! If you don’t have fresh anchovies, feel free to substitute a dash of your Clamato mix or a piece of barbecued eel sushi!”
27 Aug 2009 at 4:16 PM 86. Steve
Who cares about the drink? That chick is totally hot.
27 Aug 2009 at 4:25 PM 87. Brendan Bartholomew
Bernhard, I think Andrea could find a way to mess up even a bottled beer.
29 Aug 2009 at 9:22 PM 88. Jorge F. Reyes-Spindola
That must be the vilest swill ever concocted by one of those trendy, hipster bars where even the waitresses smiles seem to be made out of stainless steel.
Thanks for the site. Very useful to an amateur bartender like me.
11 Sep 2009 at 3:35 PM 89. lauren mote
i just want to punch myself in the face for watching those… holy crap, we need to make sure they get a bartending course or two, can we teach ‘em how to SHAKE a cocktail too??? haha… hilarious, entertaining, but super disappointing…
16 Nov 2009 at 8:09 PM 90. Laura Cathrine
Didn’t this chick win some award in some “best bartender” contest somewhere? I could almost swear that artofdrink.com said she actually WON a best ‘tender contest at some point.
When I first watched it, I wanted to stab myself in the eyeball with my own cork screw… and that was before I had ANY experience at all.
Watching it now that I know my way around a little bit just makes me want to stab HER in the throat for 1-wearing that stupid shirt, 2-wasting perfectly good liquor, and 3-reminding me why it was I was looking so fondly at my cork screw.
UGH!
18 Nov 2009 at 3:24 AM 91. Grant
Fail
Both of them just fail
08 Dec 2009 at 6:22 PM 92. jono
she used the muddler upside down
08 Dec 2009 at 7:51 PM 93. Brendan Bartholomew
Jono, it appears you haven’t read any of the previous comments. Andrea’s muddle use has been hotly debated and thoroughly analyzed here.
23 Dec 2009 at 12:41 PM 94. THE Primatebuddy
The final drink looks like someone urinated in the bourbon.
23 Dec 2009 at 6:46 PM 95. Brendan Bartholomew
Hah, hah! She couldn’t possibly make the drink worse even if she DID pee in it!!!
23 Dec 2009 at 9:23 PM 96. THE Primatebuddy
She is kinda cute (if you look directly at her cleavage) and I kind of feel bad for her. She is so proud of the mint pee-julip, Sprite and all.
26 Dec 2009 at 5:30 PM 97. Drea
Ha!! That’s where they got it from. This first and second/last time I attempted to order a mint julep in Portland they added lime juice and sweet and sour. It made me want to cry.
31 Dec 2009 at 8:15 AM 98. Tom Hilfiger
That couldn’t be a less appetizing looking drink if she squatted on the bar and shit in the cup. I hope to god woodford reserve didn’t sponsor this, and we all know they didn’t.
16 Jan 2010 at 11:29 AM 99. Chad
Jeffrey, I just recently started following your website and please keep posting these vids! What I have learned is to forget everything I have worked on to make myself a better bartender by researching, trial and error, countless hours creating different cocktails, learning the classics and reworking them over the last 2 yrs and all I should have done is hit the gym and a tanning booth and adopted a not care what it looks/tastes like attitude and I could have saved myself a lot of time and effort!!! lol Phenomenal!
Thanks again!
17 Mar 2010 at 7:37 PM 100. Parolini
Wow!!!
I couldn’t believe my eyes when she dropped in the lime and the rest of the ingredients, almost gave me a heart attack.
Just when I want to learn how to bartend I see stupid moves like this one.
Thanks,
From SALINAS
31 Jul 2010 at 8:02 PM 101. Liberty Bar
I heard about this…
Unbelievable. Did she talk about he drink? I was too captivated by the cleavage and awesome soundtrack to notice. How was the drink?
27 Aug 2010 at 4:57 PM 102. Eric Lawrence Jeffus
Criminey, that’s an egregious offense against the subtle art of alchemy. It’s fear of abominations like this that inspire me to have a drink order I can easily explain to a hapless bartender and be reasonably sure it won’t be loused up too much: The Godfather.
For those who aren’t familiar with the drink, it’s just two parts Scotch, one part amaretto, served short on the rocks. It’s a fair sight better than the flavoured “vodka-tinis” and cheap beer for which such shoddy establishments are renowned. Try it out sometime.
Jeffrey, this site is fantastic. Thank you! :)
23 Oct 2010 at 10:10 PM 103. Alastair
There is so many things wrong with that i cant say. I love bourbon but that sucked. Ive been a bartender for only 3 years and she made a rookie mistake, she forgot to clean up the bar when she finished. That was the first thing i was taught.
she let her self down.
Good site very helpfull in my chosen profession. Thank you.
10 Jan 2011 at 12:32 PM 104. Silenus
I could watch Andrea shake those ah er drinks all night. I’d never want to drink her julep however. I have fresh mint in my backyard and it’s a tradition to make fresh juleps on Derby day. Mine only involve Bourbon, mint, ice and simple syrup. Andea would be welcome to come shake them for me though.
13 Mar 2011 at 10:54 AM 105. Jack Sotti
boston glass and tin the wrong way up andrea?
that website is laughable, i show videos like these to trainees at work as examples of bad practice. great for training purposes!
thanks Jeff!
Jack
London
18 Jun 2011 at 9:58 AM 106. Veronika Groth
OUCH.
10 Sep 2011 at 4:46 AM 107. Jens
This hurts so bad I wanna tear my eyes out!
Also i strongly believe there is only ONE how to vid for a Mint Julep out there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJV-O1e10z8 – I’d love to hear him sing. :)
Slaínte!
29 Oct 2011 at 12:03 PM 108. Test Kitchen and Bar
BWAHAHAHAHAHAH… hilarious.
29 Dec 2011 at 11:56 AM 109. Hank
I grew up in the cultural vacuum that is Miami, several years before “south beach” even existed. I used to say to my snobbish NYC uncle Sal that, “you know uncle sal, they say Miami is the city of the future.” To which he would add (and as this video makes clear) “well it must be because it certainly has no past.” This video makes me proud.
24 Apr 2012 at 8:20 PM 110. Joshua
Don’t forget to add your Sprite!
That’s where I lost it.
30 Aug 2012 at 11:13 AM 111. Alberto
She doesn’t even know how to shake a drink. The glass was to the customers side it should be the metal size.
08 Sep 2012 at 6:37 PM 112. dino
nice tits that is about all
10 Nov 2012 at 12:49 PM 113. Maxwell
I’m surprised no-one has noticed that this is actually the drink she intended. She doesn’t want it to taste good she’s just pissed at her wages, or her boyfriend left her, or her cat got run over or something.
You can tell by the way she say’s “Enjoy” at the end. It’s a dare.
26 Jan 2013 at 4:18 AM 114. tim
Wow… I’m sorry, but honestly… The girl wasn’t THAT good looking… Sure, she had em, and you could certainly see em, but really?
I’ve seen much nicer girls making much better drinks… I wouldn’t touch her with the wrong end of a muddler.