Latest Drink Recipe
I’ve you’ve never made - or enjoyed - a mint julep before, be sure to check out this post, with lots of information from myself, and videos from the real experts.
In the bottom of a 10-12 oz glass (or a silver julep cup, if you’ve got one on hand) gently muddle together:
12 mint leaves
¼-½ oz simple syrup
Add to this mixture:
2 oz bourbon
Stir to combine ingredients, and fill glass with finely crushed ice. Garnish with the prettiest mint sprig you have, and serve.
Most Popular Articles
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.
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.
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 debate rages on: Should we try to look cool and crack open the Boston shaker or be tidy professionals and use the Hawthorne strainer the way God intended? Be sure to leave your two cents in the comments section.
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 Bel Ami in Eugene, Oregon.
I'm 36, I've been tending bar for 12 years and writing about it for 5. 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.
23 Apr 2007 at 1:32 pm 1. Sean Bigley
Hey Jeff.
That was a great interview! I loved all your answers to the questions. You’re starting to get awful famous, my friend.
Cheers to you!
Sean
23 Apr 2007 at 2:26 pm 2. Jeffrey
Thanks, Sean!
So when are you going to start a blog on your site? I know we’d all like to read some of your Vegas stories, they’ve got to be much more exciting than the goings-on in Eugene, Oregon…
23 Apr 2007 at 5:12 pm 3. Sean Bigley
As soon as I become a wizard of words such as yourself. Not my forte, but I’m getting there, very slowly. Not to mention the fact that a lot of my stories are so visual. Words just cannot describe them. Be sure to check out myspace, I’ve posted some new pics. You’re in a couple of them.
Cheers!
23 Apr 2007 at 5:25 pm 4. Natalie
Something we obviously have in common is the whole whore thing… attention whore I mean, of course. Well, we have that - and booze. No wonder you’re my NBF!
24 Apr 2007 at 2:04 pm 5. The Real Reason we tend bar | Joe Bartender
[…] Jeffrey Morgenthaler has been in the spotlight lately, doing several interviews, in addition to frequent updates on his blog. He has apparently been doing a little soul-searching, because he recently got honest with his readers about the real reason he tends bar. And honestly, it’s the real reason MOST of us tend bar. Here’s an excerpt: The thing about bartenders is that we’re all attention whores and egomaniacs and couldn’t care less about much else than ourselves. Sure, some of us will tell you that the craft of the cocktail is the most rewarding thing about being a bartender. Others will tell you that putting on a show and giving people an exciting experience is the best part about working behind a bar. […]
25 Apr 2007 at 9:29 am 6. Darcy
That’s hits the mark. My wife even calls me a “media whore” whenever I get a call or email from a reporter/writer.
25 Apr 2007 at 10:08 am 7. Jeffrey
That little off-hand comment really struck a nerve with all four of my readers. I guess it’s unanimous, we’re all a bunch of attention-whores!
28 Apr 2007 at 4:42 am 8. Sean Bigley
Me? An attention whore? No way!
Oh, wait a minute, I think that’s how we met, Jeff. LOL!
Cheers!
Sean