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.
With my recent move to Portland and consequent adjustment to a new work environment, new living situation and new selection of great bars and restaurants to explore, I’ve been a little lax on the new drink recipes.
Fortunately I have my cruel taskmasters at Boca Loca Cachaça to keep me toiling away, day and night, churning out recipe after recipe using their incredible product.
If you haven’t experienced Boca Loca yet, I urge you to give it a try as I firmly feel it is the finest cachaça available on the market today. The spirit is light and fresh, and free from a lot of the oiliness and heavy smoke you’ll find in other – sometimes inferior – cachaças available out there. There is grassiness, big stone fruit, some white pepper and a very light honey finish. Boca Loca is a beautiful product and it’s a pleasure to work with.
So for the spring I set about creating a series of cocktails that showcased the cachaça in a different way. This is my first entry.
Inspired in part by a gorgeous cocktail created by my good friend Gonçalo de Souza Monteiro, the Comte de Sureau, I turned the drink around and twisted the proportions to highlight the cachaça, and then finished the whole thing with a little lemon oil. It’s simple, petite, and a beautiful thing to sip on.
1½ oz Boca Loca cachaça
¾ oz Aperol
½ oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
Stir ingredients with cracked ice and strain into a small chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with a generous twist of lemon.
As soon as I get my fingers on Aperol I’ll have to give this one a try. Love cachaca and St. Germain is among my favorites. Thanks for your take on the Boca Loca.
Jeffery ~ I haven’t bought a bottle of liquor since Christmas, but I’ve got all these. We’ve been working through the liquor cabinet(s) like mad. Once I shake off the grips of my current gin fizz obsession, the Caneflower is coming up.
Curse you, Morgenthaler! Now I need to find not only a bottle of Boca Loca, but I have to replenish my bottle of Aperol. I’m going to need a second income thanks to you.
Settle down, Frane. Boca Loca is really affordable – especially considering the quality. As for replenishing the Aperol, the good news there is that a little can go a long way.
Now that you’re all Portland-y and everything . . . have you seen it on the shelf? I do see it on the OLCC list. Pearl? That’s where I found the Aperol.
02 Mar 2009 at 6:21 PM 9. John Claude
Wow, yeah, I’m out of it. Sugarcane. I am really surprised that name hasn’t been used yet.
Great recipe! i like every sinlge thing in it, but really irritating is that i cannot find Boca Loca here, i really do like cachaca so one way or another there`s got to be a way to find it sooner or later!
03 Mar 2009 at 7:28 AM 11. Kathryn
Welcome to Portland. You were in my restaurant on Sunday having brunch. The business card is a classy touch.
03 Mar 2009 at 8:45 AM 12. Robin
The Caneflower sounds lovely. I already love Boca Loca caipirinhas, but this sounds truly fresh and spring-y!
03 Mar 2009 at 8:47 AM 13. JD
Is Campari an acceptable substitute (for the Aperol) for those of us with less access to quality liquor?
JD – Unfortunately Campari and Aperol are not substitutes for one another. You’re just going to have to get your hands on a bottle of Aperol, my friend.
03 Mar 2009 at 10:29 AM 15. TJ
Couldnt get my hands on a bottle of Boca Loca (cant wait to try it) so I improvised with LeBlon, dont know how much this altered the finished product though. I like the play between the Aperol and the St. Germain quite a bit… Delicious!
I’m disappointed to hear that my personal recommendation isn’t enough for you, Ciaran. But I’m willing to stake my (cough) fine reputation on the matter.
Pearl did, in fact, have Boca Loca, and it’s cheap. They did not have Aperol, but I had a bit left at home. The Boca Loca doesn’t taste anything at all like rum, which surprised me. In fact, it smells like St Germaine, which is to say it smells like lychee.
The Caneflower(s), though, were as advertised. I do love a simple, tasty cocktail.
So happy to hear other cocktailians liking Boca Loca and better yet that you are all finding it! Jeff has created many a great Boca Loca cocktail for us so if in need of other ideas check out our website for a nice list including some other new drinks for spring. Also noteworthy is a complete list of how to tell a good cachaca from a bad one. Try it out with whatever cachaca you have in your bar and see how it fares.
24 Apr 2009 at 10:56 AM 21. Jeremy
As Aperol and St Germain have become two of my favorite liquers, I was wondering if anyone had other suggestions for combining the two in a cocktail.
15 May 2009 at 5:42 PM 22. Mark
Jeremy,
As it happens, my wife had me make a cocktail from her Martha Stewart “Living” magazine that one of her minions came up with called the Gemini as follows:
2 oz grapefruit juice
1.5 oz St. Germain
1 oz Vodka
Top with Prosecco (which I did not have)
It was ok. A little heavy on the grapefruit juice.
I thought I could do better and since I just walked in the door with a bottle of Aperol I came up with this:
1.5 oz grapefruit juice
1.5 oz Gin
.5 oz Aperol
.25 oz St. Germain (it may have been a smidge more than that)
Please, someone tell me where i can find Aperol in the Portland area. Got hooked on this drink in Europe this summer. Found a bottle in Hollywood on another trip. Need a source in Portland. Hope someone can help. It is an awesome drink and very impressive at gatherings
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02 Mar 2009 at 3:38 PM 1. The Intoxicologist
As soon as I get my fingers on Aperol I’ll have to give this one a try. Love cachaca and St. Germain is among my favorites. Thanks for your take on the Boca Loca.
02 Mar 2009 at 3:46 PM 2. John Claude
Did you give it a name yet?
02 Mar 2009 at 3:51 PM 3. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Intoxicologist – Let me know what you think once you get your fingers on some Aperol!
And John Claude – Yes, it’s the Caneflower. See above ;)
02 Mar 2009 at 4:17 PM 4. rowley
Jeffery ~ I haven’t bought a bottle of liquor since Christmas, but I’ve got all these. We’ve been working through the liquor cabinet(s) like mad. Once I shake off the grips of my current gin fizz obsession, the Caneflower is coming up.
02 Mar 2009 at 4:18 PM 5. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Matt – That’s terrific, I can’t wait to hear what you think about the drink.
02 Mar 2009 at 4:46 PM 6. Jeff Frane
Curse you, Morgenthaler! Now I need to find not only a bottle of Boca Loca, but I have to replenish my bottle of Aperol. I’m going to need a second income thanks to you.
02 Mar 2009 at 4:52 PM 7. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Settle down, Frane. Boca Loca is really affordable – especially considering the quality. As for replenishing the Aperol, the good news there is that a little can go a long way.
02 Mar 2009 at 4:59 PM 8. Jeff Frane
Now that you’re all Portland-y and everything . . . have you seen it on the shelf? I do see it on the OLCC list. Pearl? That’s where I found the Aperol.
02 Mar 2009 at 6:21 PM 9. John Claude
Wow, yeah, I’m out of it. Sugarcane. I am really surprised that name hasn’t been used yet.
03 Mar 2009 at 5:00 AM 10. Tiare
Great recipe! i like every sinlge thing in it, but really irritating is that i cannot find Boca Loca here, i really do like cachaca so one way or another there`s got to be a way to find it sooner or later!
03 Mar 2009 at 7:28 AM 11. Kathryn
Welcome to Portland. You were in my restaurant on Sunday having brunch. The business card is a classy touch.
03 Mar 2009 at 8:45 AM 12. Robin
The Caneflower sounds lovely. I already love Boca Loca caipirinhas, but this sounds truly fresh and spring-y!
03 Mar 2009 at 8:47 AM 13. JD
Is Campari an acceptable substitute (for the Aperol) for those of us with less access to quality liquor?
03 Mar 2009 at 9:04 AM 14. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
JD – Unfortunately Campari and Aperol are not substitutes for one another. You’re just going to have to get your hands on a bottle of Aperol, my friend.
03 Mar 2009 at 10:29 AM 15. TJ
Couldnt get my hands on a bottle of Boca Loca (cant wait to try it) so I improvised with LeBlon, dont know how much this altered the finished product though. I like the play between the Aperol and the St. Germain quite a bit… Delicious!
04 Mar 2009 at 6:56 PM 16. sylvan
Frane,
They do indeed have Boca Loca at Pearl, although it is not on their website. Picked up a bottle this afternoon.
Sylvan
06 Mar 2009 at 12:40 AM 17. Ciaran
Hmm, they need to send me some samples so I too can feel it is the finest cachaca on the market.
06 Mar 2009 at 12:52 AM 18. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
I’m disappointed to hear that my personal recommendation isn’t enough for you, Ciaran. But I’m willing to stake my (cough) fine reputation on the matter.
07 Mar 2009 at 11:04 AM 19. Jeff Frane
Pearl did, in fact, have Boca Loca, and it’s cheap. They did not have Aperol, but I had a bit left at home. The Boca Loca doesn’t taste anything at all like rum, which surprised me. In fact, it smells like St Germaine, which is to say it smells like lychee.
The Caneflower(s), though, were as advertised. I do love a simple, tasty cocktail.
09 Mar 2009 at 4:17 PM 20. Rhonda
So happy to hear other cocktailians liking Boca Loca and better yet that you are all finding it! Jeff has created many a great Boca Loca cocktail for us so if in need of other ideas check out our website for a nice list including some other new drinks for spring. Also noteworthy is a complete list of how to tell a good cachaca from a bad one. Try it out with whatever cachaca you have in your bar and see how it fares.
24 Apr 2009 at 10:56 AM 21. Jeremy
As Aperol and St Germain have become two of my favorite liquers, I was wondering if anyone had other suggestions for combining the two in a cocktail.
15 May 2009 at 5:42 PM 22. Mark
Jeremy,
As it happens, my wife had me make a cocktail from her Martha Stewart “Living” magazine that one of her minions came up with called the Gemini as follows:
2 oz grapefruit juice
1.5 oz St. Germain
1 oz Vodka
Top with Prosecco (which I did not have)
It was ok. A little heavy on the grapefruit juice.
I thought I could do better and since I just walked in the door with a bottle of Aperol I came up with this:
1.5 oz grapefruit juice
1.5 oz Gin
.5 oz Aperol
.25 oz St. Germain (it may have been a smidge more than that)
18 Sep 2009 at 3:55 PM 23. Chris
Great drink Jeff!
If you’re interested, I took a different spin on it (and a few others) when playing with Boca Loca:
http://rookielibations.blogspot.com/2009/09/highlighting-flavors.html
Cheers!
24 Nov 2010 at 5:33 PM 24. Klara
Please, someone tell me where i can find Aperol in the Portland area. Got hooked on this drink in Europe this summer. Found a bottle in Hollywood on another trip. Need a source in Portland. Hope someone can help. It is an awesome drink and very impressive at gatherings
25 Nov 2010 at 10:18 AM 25. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Klara
You can find Aperol at pretty much any decent liquor store in Portland. I know most of the stores downtown carry it.
25 Nov 2010 at 10:26 AM 26. Jeff Frane
Uptown, Sellwood, pearl. 12th & hawyhorne
22 Jan 2011 at 6:54 PM 27. Alex Frane
Obviously the man above me had a few Caneflowers before he wrote his comment.