Comments on: Autumn Leaves

By: Fiona

Fiona — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 05:20:22 +0000

This is the first drink that drew me to your blog, and it remains one of my favorites. Now that autumn has rolled around again I pulled it back out and it’s just as tasty as I remember. Thanks so much for sharing!

By: Kostas Alexiou

Kostas Alexiou — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:24:02 +0000

Hey Jeffrey!
I am making some cinnamon tincture. In this recipe you call for three weeks and in the video for six. Should I go three and see if I want more maturation?
And I used vodka because here in Greece it’s not that easy to find grain alcohol. Is it a lot different in the final product?

Cheers from Greece!

By: John Claude

John Claude — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:12:44 +0000

Oh great, thanks! When I move back from Rhode Island in February, hopefully wherever I end up working again will do their ordering from someplace decent. Otherwise I’m not above trekking to a particular store (which I have in the past) and bringing a receipt to work to get reimbursed. My last job I was the head bartender so I had the say on what we brought in. I have a feeling I’ll be starting off low-man this time and I’ll have to work my way up to talking the owners into carrying the more esoteric stuff.

Also, the iPhone CocktailDB app? Amazing. And only $4.99 until August 31st (when after it shoots back up to $9.99)

By: eas

eas — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:14:44 +0000

John Claude – The Creme de Violette is now legal in Oregon. I was shocked and delighted to find Lemon Hart Demerara at the Pearl Specialty Shop – you won’t find that much of anywhere on the east coast.

By: Jeff Frane

Jeff Frane — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:27:52 +0000

John Claude, the Broadway liquor store is god awful. You will want to explore Uptown Liquor in NW Portland; 11th Avenue Liquor on Hawthorne; and the new Pearl Specialty store (just over the Broadway Bridge). That store has some bizarre deal going with the OLCC and can sell beer & wine as well as liquor. Plus, they’re open until 10 and they’re open on Sundays. They’ve been good at getting higher-end specialty booze, although both of the other stores have larger selections. Uptown has whatever rye is available in the state, same for bourbon and great single malt selection.

By: John Claude

John Claude — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 06:07:44 +0000

Almost forgot. I know about the two lists on the OLCC website. There’s the Price List and the Current Product List. One being incomplete (Price) and the other just being a clusterfuck and a nightmare to find anything in (Product List). I was hoping for something more concise and organized.

By: John Claude

John Claude — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:18:44 +0000

Thanks Belinda! Does that store carry some of the more esoteric stuff? When I was living in Portland (I’ll be moving back in February) I could barely find rye whiskeys at my local (the one near the Safeway off of NE Broadway. The store we ordered from for work (Wonder Ballroom/Cafe Wonder) had a little better selection. Is there anywhere to see or print a list of the liquors that are ok to have in Oregon?

By: Belinda

Belinda — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:11:41 +0000

Yes, Stega is available in Oregon. For Oregon retail liquor stores, it is on special order, which means they have to buy a case at a time and wait 3 months to get it. Uptown Liquor on NW 23rd Place has it.

Here is a drink recipe using Stega that Chris Hannah of Arnaud’s French 75 bar in New Orleans made up using a touch of the local Saffron vodka.

Saffron Tea
1 1/2 oz Sub Rosa Saffron vodka
2 oz green tea
1/2 oz Strega
3/4 oz limoncello
1/2 oz honey

Shaken,strained over ice in a Collins glass.

By: Tiare

Tiare — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:23:24 +0000

Excellent cocktail and pic! and that ice rocks! Thanks for recipe.

By: John Claude

John Claude — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:32:15 +0000

As in you’re finding them at the liquor store? That’s good to know. Stupid OLCC. : P I still need to find out if my bottle of Creme De Violette is legal.

By: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Jeffrey Morgenthaler — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:44:09 +0000

The bartenders at the Carousel did an amazing job dealing with all of us. I think people just wished that they’d staffed a little more appropriately for the mountain of drink nerds that descended upon them every day and night.

Erik – thanks, that rock kept me nice and cool as I sipped on that thing for an hour and a half.

John Claude – It doesn’t look like Strega is listed by the state, but I haven’t had any problems yet finding bottles here in Eugene. Someone must be doing some special orders and keeping us in The Witch.

By: John Claude

John Claude — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:52:58 +0000

Hey, Jeffery. Is Strega on the list of Oregon approved liquors? I’d love to get some for whatever bar I end up working at when I move back, but I’m wary of the OLCC. Also, do you know if Herbsaint is on there as well? I’d prefer using that over Ricard in my Sazeracs.

By: erik_ellestad

erik_ellestad — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:51:20 +0000

Wow, nice rock. Cocktail sounds good, too.

By: NW

NW — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:13:50 +0000

Ever been the last man standing in a dodgeball match? Now imagine being that guy, then having all your old teammates grabbing balls and throwing at you from behind. That’s pretty much what it is like to work a circle bar. Not many people are up to it. Even fewer experienced bartenders I suspect.

Marvin is great guy and very capable. However, he has got a serious Sisyphus syndrome going on down there.

By: Tokyo Tea

Tokyo Tea — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:04:56 +0000

Unfortunately I, like many others, couldn’t attend T.O.C. but I keep hearing about how the Carousel “butchered” their signature drink. Extremely confused as to how even a not-so-experienced tender could screw this up given a jigger, the appropriate recipe and a little time. Any ideas?

By: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Jeffrey Morgenthaler — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:04:10 +0000

Thanks, everyone! And Rick, thanks for the photo compliment. Coming from you, that does indeed mean a lot.

By: Lance J. Mayhew

Lance J. Mayhew — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:12:21 +0000

Nice work my friend! And even better, the Strega idea is PERFECT for an upcoming OBG class that I have to make a cocktail with some farmers market ingredients.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:26:34 +0000

Beautiful shot Jeffrey.

By: Paul Zablocki

Paul Zablocki — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:36:25 +0000

The Vieux Carré at the Hotel Monteleone was just “okay.” I’ve been eyeing a bottle of Strega at Astor for far too long. Today is the day I finally pick one up. Thanks for the recipe!

By: Stevi Deter

Stevi Deter — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:03:06 +0000

Given that they’ve apparently decided that we only need B&B in Washington, and not just straight Benedictine, I may have to try subbing Strega when my carefully guarded stash finally disappears.

By: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Jeffrey Morgenthaler — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:27:22 +0000

Thanks, Neyah. I’m a big fan of The Witch as well and wish that more people tried substituting it for Benedictine and Chartreuse, if only for curiosity’s sake.

By: NW

NW — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:25:20 +0000

Nice job bud. ‘The Witch’ is totally underutilized in my opinion.