If there’s one thing I hate about living in the Pacific Northwest, it’s the stretch of time from late October until late June, when the sun makes only the most occasional of appearances. I typically pack on an extra 10-15 pounds during those rainy months, party due to over-consumption of wintertime drinks like dark beer, egg nog, hot-buttered-anything and wassail. I wanted a drink for the winter that I could add to my cocktail menu that was more like the light, café-style cocktails I typically gravitate to during the summer.
Jerry Thomas prescribed a drink called “sangaree” that, to the best of our knowledge was a colonial adaptation of the Spanish “sangria”. The recipe, which calls for anywhere from 1½ to 4 ounces of port, Madeira, gin or brandy dolled up with sugar and dusted with nutmeg in a glass sounded less than exciting to me, but the challenge of updating this old chestnut sounded like a fun January task.
We began with ruby and tawny ports but found both way too sweet. White port got us much closer to our target, but it wasn’t until a healthy dose of dry vermouth was applied that we knew we were on to something. To provide additional depth and hint at the drink’s colonial origins we sweetened with a maple-nutmeg syrup and finished the whole thing off with a teaspoon of allspice liqueur and orange oil.
The Dry Vermouth Sangaree
3 oz dry vermouth
½ oz maple-nutmeg syrup*
1 tsp St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
1 large strip orange peel
Shake everything – yes, even the orange peel – with ice until well-chilled and strain into a cold cocktail glass. Garnish with a fresh strip of orange peel.
*To make maple-nutmeg syrup, combine 8 ounces each of Grade B maple syrup and water, and 1 tbsp freshly-grated nutmeg. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Let cool, strain out solids, bottle and chill.
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.
Portland, Oregon is the best, as everyone knows. The city is largely unhindered by the cruel oppression of the sun’s toxic ultraviolet rays, which keep skin cancer and unnecessary happiness at bay. Mount Tabor, a dormant volcanic “cone” lies within the city limits, which is in no way absolutely terrifying. And a large near-sighted Amish population brings their rich cultural heritage to the table and fills the streets with the soothing sounds of emotional music, which nobody ever grows tired of.
But what few people realize is the many contributions that my tiny hometown of Eugene, just a hundred miles to the south, has made to Portland over the years.
One-way streets, which are never super annoying, first made their appearance in Eugene and have since been adopted by Portland for their awesomeness. The Nike swoosh, which nobody has ever gotten tired of looking at, credits Eugene as its birthplace and now calls Portland its home. And now, the vast cadre of antics of one Mr. Jeffrey Morgenthaler, which are impossible to tire of, have been generously donated to the city of Portland by the town of Eugene.
Yes, one month ago I filled up a large truck with a bunch of liquor, cocktail-related reading material – and a small bed – and headed for my new home of Portland. I am in the process of taking over the cocktail program at Clyde Common, from current bar manager extraordinaire Kevin Ludwig. While I’ve been using my time as of late to adjust to the new bar, absorb all I can from Kevin before he leaves to open his own venture Beaker and Flask, and generally make the adjustment to a larger city, I will be slowly implementing, along with the powerhouse staff currently behind the bar at the Clyde, an aggressive cocktail and spirits program of my own.
So stay tuned for updates, new posts, and possibly even a new drink or two – I’m sure you’re all tired of looking at that darn egg nog recipe over there on the left considering it’s February and all.
Thanks to Clyde Common, Portland, and you, dear reader, for all the support. And special thanks to Mr. Thomas Ngo for the above photo of me behind the bar at Clyde Common on my first night.
Comments
35 Responses to “Back in Black”
03 Feb 2009 at 8:15 am 1. Ralph
heavens, the cocktail blogger I enjoy reading the most is now working a stones throw from my place of employment?
Mine’s a Dark and Stormy, I’ll be seeing you shortly!
Eugene’s drinks are now salty with our tears. (Maybe that’s what was wrong with that Manhattan the other day.) And yes, for God’s sake, man, dump that curdled egg nog already!
Looking forward to see what you come up with! CC and Portland’s drinkers are lucky to have you
03 Feb 2009 at 11:38 am 10. SA
Hey Jeff! Miz juliana there turned us on to Bel Ami and I’m super excited I don’t have to travel on down to Eugene to get one of your slick cocktails! Expect to see me and my friends around your parts soon.
03 Feb 2009 at 12:16 pm 11. Pete
Congrats, does this mean you next move is up to us in Seattle?
(insert some comment related to big fish … small pond…) :)
03 Feb 2009 at 12:32 pm 12. Jessica Roberts
Welcome! We are so excited to have you behind the bar!
Bicycling is another import from Eugene, and it’s thriving in its adoptive home. I regularly use and enjoy the premium bike parking outside of Clyde Commons. Is there any help I can offer to you on the subject? Bike maps, info on good shops, suggested rides? Let me know; there are lots of us informal ambassadors about.
He lives! Nice to have you back & congrats on the new gig. Best of luck to you!
03 Feb 2009 at 1:42 pm 14. Tokyo Tea
What??? You’re leaving me with the rest of these scrubs down here (Sorry but most of you so-called bartenders in Eugene are)? Seriously dude, we might not have always agreed (which is what I love about you) but the talent pool around here just got EXTREMELY shallow. I don’t know what to say? Well I guess good luck and I will have to go up and see you (I’ll get to work on that OBG membership application I’ve been slacking on).
Love,
Jake
03 Feb 2009 at 2:01 pm 15. Karama
I’m happy for you, CC, Portland and all the patrons that will be enjoying your tasty drinks, your sarcasm, cutting wit and all the other worth mentioning parts of you..but for those of us left in “little ole Eugene” we miss your face!
just noticed Jake posted..is he still at STB? :)
Thanks, everyone. I look forward to seeing those of you I haven’t had the pleasure of serving in person, and already miss those of you who have been my regulars and friends over the years.
04 Feb 2009 at 8:04 am 17. Tokyo Tea
Karama- Been gone from SBT for about two years and last summer switched to dist. bev. sales so I could fix my teeth via BENEFITS. I really hope that the O.B.G. can make insurance benefits for industry workers one of their side crusades as its disheartening how many talented professionals in our arena are without. By the way, there’s a story behind the screen name (TT) in case if anyone was wondering what’s with the name (hopefully nobody assumed it was my beverage of choice- insert emoticon)
04 Feb 2009 at 8:57 am 18. John Claude
Glad you’re settling in well! I’ll see you on Friday night.
The hipster picture is priceless. Portland is Beardo central for the kids, that’s for sure…
04 Feb 2009 at 3:18 pm 19. Garretto
Back in Black with a bottle of Sazerac! Looking forward to new posts from the new digs. Best of luck!
G
I’m pretty sure that it’s illegal to work in food service here without tats, and I’m not seeing a lot of ink on those arms, Morgenthaler. Best get that taken care of before we have to ship you back to Eugene.
04 Feb 2009 at 7:09 pm 21. Anu
Hello there. . .
I’ve been reading your blog and have heard so much about you (briefly met you at the distillers festival, I was tagging along with the Munat bros). Clyde Commons is one of my favorite spots in Portland. I’m looking forward to visiting it again with you and the other fabulous bartenders there.
Until the next road trip to Portland!
04 Feb 2009 at 7:13 pm 22. John Claude
Jeff.
I resemble that remark!
Unfortunately tattoos are a huge hindrance to getting bar work in New England. Reason #4353 I’m moving back to Portland tomorrow. : P
Oh, that eggnog recipe – I think I’ve already scheduled an artery scraping and a liposuction thanks to it…
06 Feb 2009 at 1:51 am 25. Smach
In PDX, moustache is the new black. We’re glad you’re here. Now quick, grow some facial hair!
07 Feb 2009 at 9:17 pm 26. oregoncoastgirl
Excellent. I guess it’s time to check out CC, at last.
09 Feb 2009 at 7:52 pm 27. A.B.
To our dear Jeffrey,
Our loss is Portlands best import from Eugene so far. You are far more useful than one-way streets! Best wishes on your new adventure.
Do Amish drink?
Good luck out there!
Many apologies to any email or RSS comment feed subscribers who had to endure a barrage of vulgar comments last night. One more export Eugene is famous for is loose nuts. The offender has been identified through my traffic logs, and her IP address (70.56.23.159) has been banned.
Again, many apologies.
Jeff
12 Feb 2009 at 9:48 am 31. Garretto
Wow, no apology necessary, Jeff.
Though it looked as if the person used an apt reply “name”.
Talk about bitters….
hey jeff! welcome to the 503. I’ll drop by in the next day or two to say hi, and maybe drink a richmond gimlet … havn’t had since bamboo days. :) talk to you soon.
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03 Feb 2009 at 8:15 am 1. Ralph
heavens, the cocktail blogger I enjoy reading the most is now working a stones throw from my place of employment?
Mine’s a Dark and Stormy, I’ll be seeing you shortly!
03 Feb 2009 at 9:18 am 2. Foliosus
Woohoo! I kept forgetting to stop by Eugene for a drink, but now that you’re in my hometown, I’ll definitely have to taste your drinks. :)
03 Feb 2009 at 9:30 am 3. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Thanks, guys. Looking forward to meeting you both very soon!
03 Feb 2009 at 9:34 am 4. sarah
bel ami will be sorely lacking without you. but, hey, you’ll be closer to an international airport for all your worldly travels :)
03 Feb 2009 at 9:53 am 5. Eugenia
Eugene’s drinks are now salty with our tears. (Maybe that’s what was wrong with that Manhattan the other day.) And yes, for God’s sake, man, dump that curdled egg nog already!
03 Feb 2009 at 9:59 am 6. Tea
So kind and generous of Eugene to let you go! Look forward to seeing you sooner rather than later. We’ll toast to new adventures.
03 Feb 2009 at 10:00 am 7. Cuco
HI Jeff your Blog is the best place to learn about cocktail.
You are an example to follow for all the bartenders.
thanks
fede
03 Feb 2009 at 11:01 am 8. juliana
Heyyyyyyyyyy, there you are! Miss you!
03 Feb 2009 at 11:24 am 9. MissMeaghan
Looking forward to see what you come up with! CC and Portland’s drinkers are lucky to have you
03 Feb 2009 at 11:38 am 10. SA
Hey Jeff! Miz juliana there turned us on to Bel Ami and I’m super excited I don’t have to travel on down to Eugene to get one of your slick cocktails! Expect to see me and my friends around your parts soon.
03 Feb 2009 at 12:16 pm 11. Pete
Congrats, does this mean you next move is up to us in Seattle?
(insert some comment related to big fish … small pond…) :)
03 Feb 2009 at 12:32 pm 12. Jessica Roberts
Welcome! We are so excited to have you behind the bar!
Bicycling is another import from Eugene, and it’s thriving in its adoptive home. I regularly use and enjoy the premium bike parking outside of Clyde Commons. Is there any help I can offer to you on the subject? Bike maps, info on good shops, suggested rides? Let me know; there are lots of us informal ambassadors about.
03 Feb 2009 at 12:36 pm 13. Sam Harrigan
He lives! Nice to have you back & congrats on the new gig. Best of luck to you!
03 Feb 2009 at 1:42 pm 14. Tokyo Tea
What??? You’re leaving me with the rest of these scrubs down here (Sorry but most of you so-called bartenders in Eugene are)? Seriously dude, we might not have always agreed (which is what I love about you) but the talent pool around here just got EXTREMELY shallow. I don’t know what to say? Well I guess good luck and I will have to go up and see you (I’ll get to work on that OBG membership application I’ve been slacking on).
Love,
Jake
03 Feb 2009 at 2:01 pm 15. Karama
I’m happy for you, CC, Portland and all the patrons that will be enjoying your tasty drinks, your sarcasm, cutting wit and all the other worth mentioning parts of you..but for those of us left in “little ole Eugene” we miss your face!
just noticed Jake posted..is he still at STB? :)
03 Feb 2009 at 8:33 pm 16. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Thanks, everyone. I look forward to seeing those of you I haven’t had the pleasure of serving in person, and already miss those of you who have been my regulars and friends over the years.
04 Feb 2009 at 8:04 am 17. Tokyo Tea
Karama- Been gone from SBT for about two years and last summer switched to dist. bev. sales so I could fix my teeth via BENEFITS. I really hope that the O.B.G. can make insurance benefits for industry workers one of their side crusades as its disheartening how many talented professionals in our arena are without. By the way, there’s a story behind the screen name (TT) in case if anyone was wondering what’s with the name (hopefully nobody assumed it was my beverage of choice- insert emoticon)
04 Feb 2009 at 8:57 am 18. John Claude
Glad you’re settling in well! I’ll see you on Friday night.
The hipster picture is priceless. Portland is Beardo central for the kids, that’s for sure…
04 Feb 2009 at 3:18 pm 19. Garretto
Back in Black with a bottle of Sazerac! Looking forward to new posts from the new digs. Best of luck!
G
04 Feb 2009 at 3:59 pm 20. Jeff Frane
I’m pretty sure that it’s illegal to work in food service here without tats, and I’m not seeing a lot of ink on those arms, Morgenthaler. Best get that taken care of before we have to ship you back to Eugene.
04 Feb 2009 at 7:09 pm 21. Anu
Hello there. . .
I’ve been reading your blog and have heard so much about you (briefly met you at the distillers festival, I was tagging along with the Munat bros). Clyde Commons is one of my favorite spots in Portland. I’m looking forward to visiting it again with you and the other fabulous bartenders there.
Until the next road trip to Portland!
04 Feb 2009 at 7:13 pm 22. John Claude
Jeff.
I resemble that remark!
Unfortunately tattoos are a huge hindrance to getting bar work in New England. Reason #4353 I’m moving back to Portland tomorrow. : P
05 Feb 2009 at 3:15 pm 23. sylvan
Let me join in welcoming you up to Portland! I don’t make it too often to Clyde, but hopefully soon.
05 Feb 2009 at 9:20 pm 24. SeanMike
Oh, that eggnog recipe – I think I’ve already scheduled an artery scraping and a liposuction thanks to it…
06 Feb 2009 at 1:51 am 25. Smach
In PDX, moustache is the new black. We’re glad you’re here. Now quick, grow some facial hair!
07 Feb 2009 at 9:17 pm 26. oregoncoastgirl
Excellent. I guess it’s time to check out CC, at last.
09 Feb 2009 at 7:52 pm 27. A.B.
To our dear Jeffrey,
Our loss is Portlands best import from Eugene so far. You are far more useful than one-way streets! Best wishes on your new adventure.
Do Amish drink?
Good luck out there!
10 Feb 2009 at 7:06 am 28. Dina
Moving to my favorite town. You lucky dog. :-D
Good luck at your new gig. And enjoy all PDX has to offer.
11 Feb 2009 at 1:03 am 29. Ben
Sweet! My brother lives in Portland. Great city. Will have to check out Clyde Common next time I visit him.
You think Eugene’s streets are bad? Try Honolulu, where you’ll find two and sometimes three adjacent one-ways GOING THE SAME WAY.
12 Feb 2009 at 9:33 am 30. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Many apologies to any email or RSS comment feed subscribers who had to endure a barrage of vulgar comments last night. One more export Eugene is famous for is loose nuts. The offender has been identified through my traffic logs, and her IP address (70.56.23.159) has been banned.
Again, many apologies.
Jeff
12 Feb 2009 at 9:48 am 31. Garretto
Wow, no apology necessary, Jeff.
Though it looked as if the person used an apt reply “name”.
Talk about bitters….
14 Feb 2009 at 11:45 pm 32. eddiebear
Dude, you probably know this by now, but you were attacked by one of the most notorious internet kooks ever.
But congrats on the move. I always love a well-prepared drink. If I ever arrive in Oregon, I want to have you pour me one.
16 Feb 2009 at 5:50 pm 33. SeanMike
I wonder if it was the same person who left some comment on one of my posts about you putting hands in someone’s pants…weird.
18 Feb 2009 at 10:26 am 34. Yeppers
Sean,
Yes, same person. Deb Frisch has a long history of stalking and harassment. She’s presently facing criminal charges.
http://debfrischtimeline.blogspot.com/
03 Mar 2009 at 3:16 pm 35. Matt Milletto
hey jeff! welcome to the 503. I’ll drop by in the next day or two to say hi, and maybe drink a richmond gimlet … havn’t had since bamboo days. :) talk to you soon.