Inspired by a visit to see Tony Conigliaro at the unnamed bar at 69 Colebrooke Row in London last fall, where Manhattans are aged in glass vessels to sublime and subtle effect, the barrel aged cocktails I’ve been serving at Clyde Common this year are a decidedly American curiosity.
The rub of aging cocktails in a glass bottle is that the whole premise is built upon subtlety, as we know that spirits aged in glass or steel do so at an unremarkable pace. Being from the United States, where – as everyone is aware – bigger equals better, I pondered the following question: what if you could prepare a large batch of a single, spirit-driven cocktail and age it in a used oak barrel?
A hundred some-odd dollars in liquor later, I was nervously pouring a gallon of pre-batched rye Manhattans into a small, used oak cask whose previous contents were a gallon Madeira wine. I plugged the barrel and sat back in anxious anticipation; if the experiment was a success I’d have a delicious cocktail to share at the bar – if it was a failure then I’d be pouring the restaurant’s money down the floor drain.
Over the next several weeks I popped open the barrel to test my little concoction until I stumbled upon the magic mark at five-to-six weeks. And there it was, lying beautifully on the the finish: a soft blend of oak, wine, caramel and char. That first batch sold out in a matter of days and I was left with a compelling need to push the process even further.
Now, three gallons of Negroni might not be practical for the home enthusiast, but the average bar or restaurant should be able to afford that sort of quantity quite easily. For those of you trying this at home, try searching the internet for one-gallon charred oak casks (stay away from the fancy lacquered kind meant for display in dens and 1980s wine bars) and be sure to let us know what you find in the comments section below.
We procured a small number of used whiskey casks from the Tuthilltown distillery and proceeded to fill them with a large batch of Negronis; and that’s when the magic of barrel aged cocktails grabbed our attention. After six weeks in the bourbon barrel, our Negroni emerged a rare beauty. The sweet vermouth so slightly oxidized, the color paler and rosier than the original, the mid-palate softly mingled with whiskey, the finish long and lingering with oak tannins. We knew we were on to something unique and immediately made plans to take the cask aging program to the next level.
Negronis are now prepared in five-gallon batches and poured into multiple bourbon barrels. Robert Hess’ ubiquitous Trident cocktail is currently resting inside single-malt barrels. The El Presidente (à laMatt Robold), Deshlers, Remember the Maines, they’re all receiving the oaked treatment in a little storage room in the basement of the restaurant that I refer to as my “office”.
Once the cocktail is aged long enough for my taste, I then drain the bottle, straining out any charred bits of wood, and bottle the contents for use by my bartenders. To order, the cocktail is then measured out and poured over ice in a mixing glass, stirred, strained into a cocktail glass, and then garnished with the appropriate garnish. It’s quick and simple, as all of the real work has already been done by the barrel.
Anyway, on to the recipes. As simple as it seems to do, I figured not everyone is going to want to do the math to get started on some of these recipes, so here are a few I’ve figured out:
Negroni
Makes Three Gallons
128 oz (approximately five 750ml bottles) dry gin
128 oz sweet vermouth
128 oz Campari
Stir ingredients together (without ice) and pour into a three-gallon oak barrel. Let rest for five to seven weeks and pour into glass bottles until ready to serve.
Manhattan
Makes Three Gallons
256 oz (approximately ten 750ml bottles) rye whiskey
128 oz (approximately five 750ml bottles) sweet vermouth
7 oz Angostura bitters
Stir ingredients together (without ice) and pour into a three-gallon oak barrel (I prefer a barrel that has previously stored sherry, Madeira, or port wine). Let rest for five to seven weeks and pour into glass bottles until ready to serve.
Trident
Makes Three Gallons
128 oz (approximately five 750ml bottles) aquavit
128 oz dry sherry
128 oz Cynar
7 oz peach bitters
Stir ingredients together (without ice) and pour into a three-gallon oak barrel (I prefer a used single malt barrel). Let rest for five to seven weeks and pour into glass bottles until ready to serve.
Feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below.
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.
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 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 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.
In an amazing display of organization and efficiency, the gorgeous Bar Convent Berlin (Berlin Bar Convention) started this morning. Since I had the rare wisdom to leave early last night, I was able to be there for the first presentation of the day, Cachaça: The Soul of Brazil, presented by the brilliant Jared Brown and Anastasia Miller, with my good friend John Gakuru, global brand ambassador for Sagatiba Cachaça.
I’d picked up their book, The Soul of Brazil when I was at Tales of the Cocktail this summer, and have been savoring every deliciously historical fact this summer – so I was quite excited to be able to sit in a room and learn more about one of my favorite spirits this morning.
I won’t get into too much of the extensive information that was presented today, but rather share with you some quick facts about cachaça:
Cachaça is the third most-produced spirit in the world – in the world – which might surprise some of you. 1.3 billion liters are produced annually, but only 20 million of those are exported – a mere 1% each year. I’m sure you can figure out what happens to the remainder.
After the presentation, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Mr. Gakuru and sampling some of the Sagatiba Preciosa, a gorgeous 23 year-old spirit that was the result of a very fortuitous accidental find on the grounds of the distillery. If any cane distillate is the heir apparent to the cognac throne, this is certainly it. But grab it while you can, because once this one’s gone we most likely won’t be seeing an overaged cachaça for a long, long time.
I then wandered around the floor sampling spirits without Jay Hepburn, who was lost to the pleasures of Berlin for the morning. There is a huge gap between the American and European markets that I’ve been made very aware of while I’ve been here. Products that we covet back in the States are easily available here in Western Europe, while simple brands that I’d expect to find in any American control-state liquor store are prized for their rarity.
I got into a little Old Tom gin tasting at the GSA booth (my goodness, Old Tom is popular here right now) and was able to set Both’s Old Tom against the Secret Treasures Old Tom, which was a serious tongue-tying exercise in botanical and sugar palate definitions. The best I can describe them both at this late hour is that the Secret Treasures gin relied more heavily on the sweetness of the botanicals (much like the Jensen’s) while the Both’s used sugar to accentuate the more floral botanicals like lavender, rose and orange. Both were quite sippable, most certainly the Both’s, but the Secret Treasures came off as much more mixable in cocktails geared to today’s palate.
I finished off my day by watching the showmanship of Mr. Phillip Duff, Bols Global Brand Ambassador as he demonstrated some simple, yet thoughtful ways to increase sales from behind the bar using a few key strategies. Phil, I’m going to maintain a little grudge for knocking the States’ economy at my expense for the crowd, but applaud you for a great presentation. And I promise I will get you back, sir!
After a full morning of BCB, I headed back to the hotel to wrap up the final touches on my presentation for tomorrow afternoon. I hope to see you all there at 1:45 PM.
Comments
6 Responses to “First Day of the Bar Convent Berlin”
In Brazil, Cachaca can be made from a cooked or pasteurized sugar cane juice called melado. Rhum agricole on the other hand is never made from a pasteurized or cooked juice.
Rhum agricole didn’t exist as we know it in 1640 but rum – sugar cane distillates – were made long before 1627.
John Claude – Pretty simple stuff, really, mostly talking about increasing efficiency by organizing mise en place, and using the proper ingredients to save on cost.
Ed – I probably heard it wrong. I don’t have it on me, but have you read their book yet?
Just a bit of fun really – the Maxxium Germany firm suggested the title to me and asked if I could come up with something fitting. Because of the reduced emphasis on tipping here, many European bartenders are not as fast as they could be, hence what may look like basic advice is sorely needed in some markets. And at the end of the presentation I made myself a Ritz with Remy XO, Piper Rare and a 38,000 euro diamond-encrusted shaker!
John Claude – What Mr. Duff fails to mention here is that he didn’t share his Ritz with any of his friends. Just, you know, giving you the complete story here.
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29 Sep 2008 at 9:11 pm 1. John Claude Esh
What were Mr. Philip Duff’s tips?
30 Sep 2008 at 1:09 pm 2. Edward Hamilton
In Brazil, Cachaca can be made from a cooked or pasteurized sugar cane juice called melado. Rhum agricole on the other hand is never made from a pasteurized or cooked juice.
Rhum agricole didn’t exist as we know it in 1640 but rum – sugar cane distillates – were made long before 1627.
01 Oct 2008 at 3:11 pm 3. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
John Claude – Pretty simple stuff, really, mostly talking about increasing efficiency by organizing mise en place, and using the proper ingredients to save on cost.
Ed – I probably heard it wrong. I don’t have it on me, but have you read their book yet?
02 Oct 2008 at 1:19 am 4. Tiare
I reacted to this and would like to get this clear? i have always believed that rhum agricole is made from fresh sugar cane juice.
04 Oct 2008 at 7:02 am 5. Philip Duff
Hi John Claude, here it is!
http://www.slideshare.net/philipduff/rich-and-famous-presentation
Just a bit of fun really – the Maxxium Germany firm suggested the title to me and asked if I could come up with something fitting. Because of the reduced emphasis on tipping here, many European bartenders are not as fast as they could be, hence what may look like basic advice is sorely needed in some markets. And at the end of the presentation I made myself a Ritz with Remy XO, Piper Rare and a 38,000 euro diamond-encrusted shaker!
04 Oct 2008 at 7:18 am 6. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
John Claude – What Mr. Duff fails to mention here is that he didn’t share his Ritz with any of his friends. Just, you know, giving you the complete story here.