One advantage I have in my career – and believe me, I thank my lucky stars every day for my good fortune in this regard – is that I travel a lot. And when I do travel, I get to visit the greatest bars in the world and spend time picking the brains of the world’s greatest bartenders.
The most recent drink to grace our cocktail list is the result of my travels.
Taking inspiration from many sources, my initial interest in bitter, sour and sweet with a distinctly tropical bent was taken directly from the ever-brilliant Giuseppe Gonzalez and his now-famous Trinidad Sour.
While I, and the rest of the world, was taken by the combination of bitter, herbal, sweet flavors, it never really struck me as a an extensible sort of drink style until I came across Andrew Bohrer’s amaro-based Mai Tai variation called the “Elena’s Virtue”. Now here was a drink with legs, and a hint of what was to come in the world of cocktails, in my humble opinion.
But what New York and Seattle do well, San Francisco often does better, and usually with a lot more Fernet Branca, and that’s the conversation I had with Josh Harris while competing in the Domaine de Canton finals in St. Maarten this spring. And after tasting his simple concoction of ginger liqueur, pineapple and Fernet Branca I knew it was time for me to get my feet wet and try my hand at the herbal tropical sour.
The result has been a smash hit at the bar, as it very much follows in the style of our restaurant bar, a reflection of the crafted European style of cooking that emerges from the kitchen on a nightly basis. In other words, earthy, sour, herbal flavors do very, very well where we work.
Put all of this together, throw in a desire to explore the dusty, neglected bottle of Drambuie, and an early morning racking one’s brain to come up with a drink name (the original intent was Brixton Club) and a star was born:
Kingston Club
1½ oz Drambuie
1½ oz pineapple juice
¾ oz lime juice
1 tsp Fernet Branca
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Shake ingredients with ice and finish with 1 oz soda water. Strain mix over fresh ice into a chilled collins glass and garnish with an orange twist.
A side project, an experiment or just a simple curiosity that turned into a delicious phenomenon that we're still serving to much delight at our bar, barrel aged cocktails explore the gentle manipulation of a drink's flavors over time. This post details the inspiration, the history and the methods behind my barrel aged cocktails.
My problem with homemade tonic water has always been a flavor profile that was too esoteric for the general audience. This recipe takes some of the positive qualities people have come to understand from commercial tonic water and updated them with fresh ingredients.
Turned off by the glop you find in the grocery store, and unable to endure another long egg and cream whipping session, I set out to build an egg nog recipe from the ground up that retained the character of the orginal formula, was easy to make in a few minutes at home or at the bar, and tasted absolutely delicious. See if you agree with the result.
One question I'm often asked is "Do you have any drink-related book recommendations?" Well, funny you should ask, I've compiled a list of the ten books every professional bartender or home mixologist should own. I keep every one of these close at hand and have read most of them several times. I suggest you do the same.
The problem with living in Oregon is the absence of little wooden shacks by the sea that sell cases of fresh ginger beer stacked on back porches. But with some readily-available ingredients, a recipe I've been revising for several years - and a few free minutes - I can easily transport myself to a little fishing boat on the ocean as I sip a Dark and Stormy made with fresh, house-made ginger beer.
It's always mojito season somewhere, so this advice is timely in your area about half the year. Wether you're making them or simply enjoying them, this advice will help you look like a pro in no time at all.
The flavors of the Richmond Gimlet are imbued with sunshine. Fresh mint mingling with the herbaceousness of gin and the tartness of lime have made this drink a Eugene classic for many years now.
You'll get a lot of snarky advice on this site about how to make a proper drink, but if you ever need to know what not to do, this is the video for you.
Not to be confused with the Spanish wine-and-fruit-based alcoholic beverage sangria, sangrita (meaning "little blood") is a traditional accompaniment to a tequila served completo; a non-alcoholic sipper that cleanses the palate between fiery doses of agave.
The world of booze can be mystifying to people that don't work in bars or around alcohol all the time. I hear a lot of assumptions about the industry I'm in that are - much like 90% of what you hear in bars - completely false. Here are a few you've probably heard yourself.
The traditional garnish for a Pisco Sour is a couple of drops of bitters in the foam, but I've never been particularly impressed with the way these few paltry drops of bitters sat in their little egg-white mattress and didn't play along with the rest of the drink. I envisioned a Pisco Sour with a uniformly-distributed bitters-scorched foam: slightly crisp as the fire burnt the sugars, and slightly warm as the foam insulated the rest of the frosty cocktail from the heat. A pisco creme brulée in a glass!
I get so many visitors looking for tips on how to write a bartending resume that I thought I should finally post a tutorial on how to write your own. Click the headline to read more.
I always love showing up to a party with a gallon jug of pre-mixed margaritas, so I've decided to share my recipe. This margarita recipe is the perfect blend of strong, sweet, and sour. But be warned: this recipe packs a serious punch.
There isn't much I can say about this video that hasn't been said already. If you've read anything I've written about cocktails, you'll understand why this video symbolizes everything wrong with the state of bartending in America today. Watch and learn, but be warned: this one isn't for the feint of heart.
About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the head bartender at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.
I've been tending bar since 1996 and writing about it since 2004. Mixing drinks has become something of a passion for me in recent years, and I strive 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.
This being my first ever time hosting Mixology Monday, I’m a little nervous. So bear with me. Also, my schedule has taken a turn for the busier… I’m leaving tomorrow morning to celebrate Repeal Day with the folks from Dewar’s scotch in New York City!
As Repeal Day is coming up on the 5th, I thought we should all get in the spirit by mixing our favorite Prohibition-era cocktails. On to the entries!
Getting an early jump on the competition was Anita at Married… with Dinner. On Friday, she posted a delightful concoction from the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book called the Ampersand.
Shawn over at Rejiggered gives us an original cocktail, the Snowbird Rum Runner, which Shawn informs us was inspired by the rumrunners of the Prohibition era.
My good friend Erik Ellestad put together a thread at the eGullet forums, with several people contributing cocktails. Thanks, Erik!
Scomorokh over at The Science of Drink showed up with The Angel’s Tit. I don’t normally go for that sort of strong language, but the drink looks interesting – to say the least. I’m going to have to try this one out at work tonight.
Chip and Andy at Chip and Andy’s Universe burst through the door with the Maiden’s Kiss, another sexually-charged cocktail that they’re using to kill two birds with one stone, Mixology Monday and Raiders of the Lost Cocktail. Nice work!
Dinah at MetaGrrrl showed up with a little something called the Ruby Cocktail that she found in a book from 1908 called The World’s Drinks And How To Mix Them by William “Cocktail” Boothby.
Marshall at The Scofflaw’s Den came through with the Star Cocktail, which he found in Mr. Wondrich’s new book Imbibe!
Bunnyhugs brings us a lengthy and well-informed post about the Pisco Punch, one of my favorite cocktails. I hadn’t had the pleasure of visiting Bunnyhugs before, but this sort of writing reminds me why I love our ever-growing community.
Our friend Chuck Taggart at the Gumbo Pages went above-and-beyond the call of duty, cracking open his copy of The Saloon in the Home, or A Garden of Rumblossoms, by Ridgely Hunt and George S. Chappell from 1930. The drink is called the Hunting Horn, and the post is full of Chuck’s usual style of valuable information. A must-read.
If you like complex cocktails, you’re going to love Craig’s post at The Brotherhood of If, a drink called Everybody’s Irish American.
Robert over at Explore the Pour is a lot like me. He loves eggs in cocktails and wrote about ten pages explaining his fascination. He brought his ovoid love to the table with the Morning Glory cocktail. Another drink I’m going to be trying out tonight.
Despite my very Teutonic last name and a year of German classes in college, I still don’t speak a lick of German. But that won’t stop me from trying Christian at Cocktailwelt’sBijou cocktail. Now to find a metric jigger…
My fellow Oregonian Blair at Trader Tiki wrote a nice piece about the history of Prohibition in Portland, and submits one of my all-time favorites (and yours, I hope) the Monkey Gland.
Thanks to everyone who participated. If I somehow left you out, just leave a comment in the comments section and let us know – I’ve got to go pack my bags!
I typically rely on being at least five hours ahead of the US to avoid my entry being late. I wasn’t banking on such a speedy round-up!
Anyway, my entry is up here. Happy Repeal Day for the 5th everybody! Even if I can’t enjoy any of the festivities myself as we had the good sense not to have a prohibition in the first place over here… ;)
You mean by posting the wrap-up before the end of Monday?
I’ll write my own blurb here:
“Jimmy Patrick over at Jimmy’s Cocktail Hour (www.mixographer.com note the new url) provides the recipe for a Silver Gin Fizz AND a great holiday gift idea at the same time. Way to go Jimmy!”
So sorry to force the early post, but here’s my story:
I don’t normally work on Monday nights. For weeks now, I’ve set aside this Monday night as the time I was going to sit back with a cocktail, and write my Mixology Monday post.
That all changed at around 1PM my time, when the fine folks at Dewar’s scotch called and asked if they could fly me out to New York City tomorrow morning for two days of Repeal Day festivities.
Naturally, I scrambled to get my shifts covered at the bar, and this required that I cover the Monday night shift tonight starting at 3:30PM.
I’m hopping on a plane tomorrow morning at 10 for two days of Repeal Day merriment in Manhattan, courtesy of Dewar’s. I’m absolutely beside myself.
So there you have it. I’m sorry for the early post, I thank you all for participating so eagerly in my half-witted Mixology Monday, and I’ll be posting from the road tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Hey, I wish I knew exactly where you were drinking in NYC tomorrow. I figure I have to hit the bars for at least one drink, I’m leaning towards McSorley’s, as the oldest bar in New York for the place to drink.
I saw a repeal Day ad from Dewar’s in the onion today.
I absolutely hate it when someone sends me a box full of sex toys in the mail. Sure, it might sound like fun to some of you (you know who you are), but receiving a big box of free sex is much more trouble than it’s worth. Believe me. So I get a [...]
03 Dec 2007 at 3:47 PM 1. Dood (Matt R.)
*eventually finds a proper place to submit his entry*
http://www.rumdood.com/archive/2007/12/03/mixology-monday-repeal-day–the-rum-runners.aspx
03 Dec 2007 at 4:54 PM 2. Jamie Boudreau
Add me to the mix, and have a good time in NY, you lucky bastard!
http://spiritsandcocktails.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/mixmo-prohibition/
03 Dec 2007 at 5:00 PM 3. paul
As someone who typically posts his MxMo entries at ten minutes to midnight, I’ve gotta point out — it’s still Monday!
03 Dec 2007 at 5:52 PM 4. Jay Hepburn
I typically rely on being at least five hours ahead of the US to avoid my entry being late. I wasn’t banking on such a speedy round-up!
Anyway, my entry is up here. Happy Repeal Day for the 5th everybody! Even if I can’t enjoy any of the festivities myself as we had the good sense not to have a prohibition in the first place over here… ;)
03 Dec 2007 at 6:41 PM 5. Hanky Panky
The ladies of LUPEC Boston are throwing their (extremely fashionable) hats into the ring as well. Check us out at lupecboston.blogspot.com.
Chin Chin!
03 Dec 2007 at 8:17 PM 6. Alex, Emma and Parysa
Such a speedy round up – we managed to post in time (yesterday actually) but did forget to link so here is our (1st) attempt at Mixology Monday
http://fizzflipandfancy.blogspot.com/
03 Dec 2007 at 9:05 PM 7. Michael Dietsch
Uh, yeah. I didn’t realize I had to post by 6pm, but I guess I’m sitting this one out.
03 Dec 2007 at 9:55 PM 8. Sonja
Just under the wire in my timezone, I’ve got my post up at
http://thinkingofdrinking.blogspot.com/2007/12/mixology-monday-repeal-day.html
Whew! Happy Repeal Day Everyone, cheers!
03 Dec 2007 at 9:57 PM 9. Marleigh
Figures I’d be the latest of the late.
http://sloshed.hyperkinetic.org/2007/12/03/leave-it-to-me-cocktail-no-1/
Have fun on the (freezing cold snowy) East Coast!
04 Dec 2007 at 12:00 AM 10. Jimmy
“If I somehow left you out…”
You mean by posting the wrap-up before the end of Monday?
I’ll write my own blurb here:
“Jimmy Patrick over at Jimmy’s Cocktail Hour (www.mixographer.com note the new url) provides the recipe for a Silver Gin Fizz AND a great holiday gift idea at the same time. Way to go Jimmy!”
http://www.mixographer.com/2007/12/mixology-monday-silver-gin-fizz.html
04 Dec 2007 at 12:02 AM 11. Jimmy
look at that, he even set is clock an hour ahead….
04 Dec 2007 at 12:10 AM 12. Jacob G
My first attempt at MxMo is up here:
http://www.jacobgrier.com/blog/archives/845.html
Have fun in NY!
04 Dec 2007 at 2:02 AM 13. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Hey everyone
So sorry to force the early post, but here’s my story:
I don’t normally work on Monday nights. For weeks now, I’ve set aside this Monday night as the time I was going to sit back with a cocktail, and write my Mixology Monday post.
That all changed at around 1PM my time, when the fine folks at Dewar’s scotch called and asked if they could fly me out to New York City tomorrow morning for two days of Repeal Day festivities.
Naturally, I scrambled to get my shifts covered at the bar, and this required that I cover the Monday night shift tonight starting at 3:30PM.
I’m hopping on a plane tomorrow morning at 10 for two days of Repeal Day merriment in Manhattan, courtesy of Dewar’s. I’m absolutely beside myself.
So there you have it. I’m sorry for the early post, I thank you all for participating so eagerly in my half-witted Mixology Monday, and I’ll be posting from the road tomorrow, so stay tuned!
Drink well,
Jeffrey
04 Dec 2007 at 4:47 AM 14. Dominik MJ
Dear Jeffrey,
sorry my delayed post – I was quite a bit busy in the last couple of days!
Please check my post out on: http://web.mac.com/opinionatedalchemist/the_opinionated_alchemist/the_opinionated_bar-log/Entries/2007/12/3_mixology_monday_-_repeal_day.html
Cheers!
Dominik MJ
04 Dec 2007 at 7:04 AM 15. Christian
Hi,
thanks for posting my mxmo! but you don´t need an metric jigger to make my bijou-cocktail
1 ounce = 3cl
greatings from germany
…and now let us start the new mxmo for 2008! ;-)
04 Dec 2007 at 8:05 AM 16. gwen sutherland kaiser
hey don’t forget about me!!!!
http://intoxicatedzodiac.com/blog/2007/12/04/unto-death/
cheers to REPEAL DAY : ) gwen
04 Dec 2007 at 10:20 AM 17. Natalie - The Liquid Muse
Hey Jeffrey,
Happy Repeal Day!
So sorry I missed this MxMo!!! Dammit! Got busy, threw a party on Sunday – totally spaced about MxMo.
This is a great bunch of cocktails, though!
Have a blast in NY.
The Liquid Muse
04 Dec 2007 at 10:41 AM 18. Rick
Here is the entry from Kaiser Penguin:
http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/zombie-recipe-comparison/
Jeffrey, it’s ok. We all get invited to special spirit events weekly … :)
04 Dec 2007 at 10:47 AM 19. Paul
After bitching that the roundup was done early, I forget to give you the URL for my post. Damn Bee’s Knees making me forgetful.
Here y’go.
04 Dec 2007 at 12:03 PM 20. jimmy
Hi Jeff,
I finished up the wrap-up, just like you asked. It’s over at my site:
http://www.mixographer.com/2007/12/mixology-monday-wrap-up-part-ii.html
04 Dec 2007 at 1:23 PM 21. 6th Floor Blogger
Hey, I wish I knew exactly where you were drinking in NYC tomorrow. I figure I have to hit the bars for at least one drink, I’m leaning towards McSorley’s, as the oldest bar in New York for the place to drink.
I saw a repeal Day ad from Dewar’s in the onion today.