I’m leaving in about an hour to head to the airport and ship off to Europe, so if you have any interest in learning more about what a small-town bartender does from hour to hour as he stumbles across a continent in search of the perfect cocktail, then please by all means follow along with my Twitter feed.

I’ll be trying to make it to London in time to meet up with legendary bloggers Chuck Taggart of The Gumbo Pages and Jay Hepburn of Oh Gosh! for cocktails, and then mixing up tasty drinks with Boca Loca cachaça at RumFest UK all weekend.

From there I’ll head to Finland to talk about Boca Loca and demonstrate its tasty versatility in Helsinki for two days, and hopefully search out legendary Finnish bartender Timo Siitonen for a cocktail or two.

And finally, we’ll wrap things up in Paris by visiting even more bars, haggling for Tintin memorabilia, and sobering up before the long flight home.

Now, all of this is predicated on my finding a reasonable deal on a European SIM card for my phone, but assuming all goes well I will be posting regular updates to the account.

Oh, and if you’re in Portland this weekend, be sure to check out the Great American Distillers Festival, featuring a mixology competition sponsored in part by the Oregon Bartenders Guild. I’ll be missing my chance to cast judgement on the entries alongside Robert Hess, but I’ll be there in spirit as I sip cane spirits with some of the finest bartenders in Europe. See you all when I get back!

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Follow Along with My European Misadventures

(Gosh, they look happy.)

Anyway – it’s July, which means that it’s that time of year, to take a week-long reprieve from the steamy swelter of Oregon and head once again to the cool lazy breezes of New Orleans. Tales of the Cocktail is a week of cocktail seminars, workshops, classes, competitions, food, fun, friends, and – for some – nearly lethal amounts of alcohol that flows freely through the streets like so much urine in the morning sun.

I’ll be there, working, playing, talking, laughing, and – if Keith Waldbauer has anything to say about it – drinking while I provide blow-by-blow updates via my Twitter account.

So join me, and I hope to see you next week at Tales.

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Tales of the Cocktail is Almost Here

Ah, Tales of The Cocktail. The greatest yearly gathering on earth for cocktail enthusiasts, bartenders, students of mixology and aficionados of fine liquors. Also, a logistical nightmare for those who have to plan the hundreds of events spread over those five days in New Orleans.

Shortly after to agreeing to sit on Paul Clarke’s panel, “Using Blogs and Online Tools to Raise the Profile of Your Bar, Brand or Career” I noticed that I was double-booked for a very important Boca Loca Cachaça luncheon – one at which I was the hired bartender on duty.

So I called Paul, and after his initial swearing and foot-stomping he agreed to let me off the hook – and instead found a much more suitable replacement: Bobby Heugel of the brilliant blog Drink Dogma and co-owner of Houston’s newest and greatest cocktail bar Anvil.

Bobby’s years of writing and bartending make him the perfect fit for the panel, which includes the effervescent, salty Paul Clarke and marketing guru Steve Raye of Brand Action Team.

My sincere apologies to the one person who foolishly booked a ticket expecting to hear my drivel, and I assure you (whoever in the heck you are) that Paul Clarke has done his duty by filling my head with disgusting imagery and lewd commends. That man is an animal.

See you at Tales.

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One Small Change to the Lineup…

Hey folks, if you’re reading this post, then you’re officially a reader of this website. And that means that I could really use your help. In order to lure potential advertisers over to the dark side that is my, uh, sidebar, I need to prove to them that my website is mainly frequented by consenting adults.

So, whether or not you’re of legal drinking age, would you mind doing me a favor and filling out this quick survey? I’m not going to even ask for your name or email address, so rest assured that it’s completely confidential. Because more advertising means more money, more money means more liquor, and more liquor means more late-night booze-fueled ramblings both here and on my regularly-updated Twitter feed.

Thanks, folks. Stay tuned for more drinks and stories.

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Just a Quick Aside…

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New Imbibe Video: Citrus Garnishes

It’s been busy times here in Portland, but I thought I’d take a break from all the hot bar-managin’ action to post a aggregated update of what’s been happening in my world lately – loose ends, mostly:

Last week I attended the Grand Marnier/Navan Mixology Summit in Vail Colorado. One hundred bartenders from around the country were chosen from over 800 applicants to prepare original cocktails, attend seminars, and to learn from each other and the AKA Wine Geek team. I was there with my good friends from around the country, enjoying lavish meals, incredible Grand Marnier, Cuvées du Centenaire and Cent Cinquantenaire and Navan cocktails, and – of course – skiing and enjoying gorgeous Vail.

If you happen to be a Twitter user, please feel free to follow along with me for a more detailed account of what’s happening day to day. I always try to provide a running commentary when I’m on these booze excursions and Twitter can be a great way to peek in on the action.

I’ve got another video up at Imbibe Magazine’s website, which is also viewable on YouTube and subscribeable as a podcast via the iTunes Store. In this second video, I show you how to make an Old Fashioned the way I like to drink them – as a simple drink with a surprising amount of flavor, considering the very limited ingredient list.

My last video for Imbibe turned out to be much less of a disaster than everyone anticipated, so with any luck Episode Two will be remembered as my Attack of the Clones.

I believe that is all. Please go back to what you were doing and stay tuned for another drink recipe sometime this week.

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Spring Cleaning

That’s what happened last month when Imbibe Magazine called me up and stuck it to me by asking that I appear in some instructional videos for their new website. And like a rabbit to a carrot I leapt at the big, bright, orange opportunity called fame.

So grab yourself a scorecard and sit back, relax, and count the screw-ups as I try to demonstrate the difference between shaking and stirring a cocktail:

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My Turn in the Barrel

Anyway, here’s the deal. Grab yourself a bottle of Eric’s Dirty Sue Olive Juice and whip up an original creation that uses at least ¼ ounce of the stuff. Then send your creation to info at dirtysue.com

Then Eric’s going to strip all your names off of the submissions, send them to me, and I’m going to make each one in my kitchen and pass them around my apartment to my friends. We’ll critique and belittle your creations, all the while trying to stay coherent enough to grade them and select the best drink recipes.

The first place winner will win $250, a year’s supply of Dirty Sue, and some Dirty Sue merchandise, which I can personally attest is pretty sweet – seriously. Second place gets a hundred bucks and some merch. Third place? I’ll publish your recipe here on my website. Sweet deal, see more info below.

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I’m Bored, Give Me Something to Do

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.

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Back in Black

I might have mentioned this before, but I can hardly wait until this Friday, when I board the plane and head to Berlin to give a presentation at the BCB (Bar Convent Berlin).

I’ll be reunited with my friends Helmut Adam of Mixology Magazine and Stephan Berg of The Bitter Truth, and finally get a chance to spend some time with Joerg Meyer of Le Lion in Hamburg.

In addition, I’ll be meeting with the finest European cocktail bloggers, getting to taste some exciting products, and delivering my presentation on How to Use the Web to Connect to the Global Bar Community.

And, yes, that really is a photograph of me in traditional German lederhosen. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the scans. I’ll be posting more in the coming week. Stay tuned!

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I’m Super Excited about Berlin!

Last year, I had the tremendous fortune to stumble upon the Great American Distiller’s Festival in Portland and meet up with some really excellent Portland-area bartenders. That afternoon in August, coming together with so many talented individuals that I hardly knew existed prior to that day, laid the foundation for the Oregon Bartenders Guild.

So much has been accomplished in the year that has passed. The Guild has put on some really fabulous events, grown in size, built a respectable online forum community, and now this:

The Oregon Bartenders Guild is proud to announce that they will be presenting the cocktail competition portion of the upcoming Great American Distillers Festival at the Gerding Theatre, Saturday August 23rd and Sunday August 24th.

The cocktail competition, open to professional bartenders, will feature contestants creating a variety of unique cocktails in various spirits categories using the finest craft spirits in the United States. Contestants will be competing for a $1000.00 cash prize for first place.

Judging will be performed by such luminaries of the cocktail world as Robert Hess (drinkboy.com), Paul Clarke (cocktailchronicles.com), Karen Foley (publisher, Imbibe Magazine) and last years winner, Suzanne Allard (50 Plates restaurant, pictured above with Green Giant-sized check).

Entry information can be found at www.distillersfestival.com and your $40 entry fee goes directly to the grand prize money.

All entrants are also invited to the private after-parties, hosted by the OBG and limited to contestants, judges, distillers, select media and OBG members. Competition slots are filling up fast, so sign up now to ensure that you get the spirit of your choice, and possibly a gigantic, oversized check.

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Come to Portland and Win a Thousand Bucks!

Anyway, I’ll be delivering my presentation on the topic of “The Web’s Influence on the Global Bar Scene” on Tuesday, September 30th at 1:30 PM alongside the fabulous Helmut Adam.

Mixology.eu has been posting brief presenter bios on their blog all week, and today I’ve been given the spotlight. So if you’d like to know more about what we’ll be discussing, head on over to the site and be sure to see the list of other presenters (I’m in some quite amazing company)

And if you’re anywhere near Berlin at the end of September, be sure to come to the BCB!

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Amerikanische Bartender im Berlin

Please join us [Wednesday, August 6] for an evening of food, wine and insight at Marché, with two of our favorite writers. Enjoy a tasting menu with wine pairings and discussion with Washington Post wine columnists Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg, winners of the 2007 IACP “Cookbook of the Year” award and the Georges Duboeuf “Wine Book of the Year” award for What To Drink With What You Eat, and James Beard Award-winning authors of Becoming A Chef, Culinary Artistry, and other bestselling titles.

We’ll have a fabulous tasting menu, wine pairings (and some fascinating non-wine pairings) and a copy of the book for you, plus a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the Jane Eyre McDonald Voice Scholarship Fund at the Eugene Hearing & Speech Center.

No mention of the wine (or “fascinating non-wine”) pairings, but knowing those involved there will be no disappointments. (See menu below)

If you live in or near Eugene, this is the culinary event of the summer. Dinner is $100 per person, and reservations are not only required but will be moving quickly. Call (541) 342-3612, Extension 2 for reservations. See you there!

Menu

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Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page…

Thanks to the recommendation of some good friends this weekend, I’ve added Twitter to my list of preferred web applications.

Their sage advice couldn’t have come at a better time: I’ve been busy readying myself for Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans next week, and have been concerned about how I’ll connect with everyone I want to meet while I’m down there.

In addition to blogging the event both here and on the Tales Blog, I will be posting regular Tweets from my cell phone for those who are following my feed via Twitter or Facebook.

For all you Twitter users out there who would like to follow me around Tales, the address of my Twitter profile is here:

http://twitter.com/jeffmorgen

Here’s to hopefully seeing some of you in New Orleans!

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Follow Me on Twitter!

First up, I was quoted in a Wired piece about laptop etiquette in bars. Wired is one of my favorite magazines, so my inner nerd is beaming with pride that I was asked to contribute my thoughts. I also blushed every time one of my mouth-breathing Trekkie friends called or emailed to congratulate me. It’s good to be accepted by one’s peers.

Next, Playboy Magazine selected the Bourbon Renewal as their Drink of The Month for May. As it’s every heterosexual man’s dream to be flown down to the Playboy Mansion to make drinks for Hef and his fabulous friends, I feel that I’m at least one step closer to getting that invite… right? Also, I was able to justify a purchase of this fine publication by explaining, “I’m just reading it for the article about me.”

And finally, the Food and Wine Cocktails 2008 has arrived on bookshelves everywhere, and they’ve chosen the Batida Rosa to help represent cachaça. I’m proud to be presented alongside my friends Jimmy Patrick, Charlie Hodge at Clyde Common, Jamie Boudreau, Kevin Ludwig, Daniel and Ted at the Teardrop Lounge, and Greg at Andina Restaurant in Portland.

Stay tuned for more fun, including a great tutorial on making one of my favorite cocktail mixers at home. It’s so easy, you’ll be cleaning up exploding glass bottles in no time!

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A Big Month at the Morgenthaler Household

It’s official! Starting on Monday, January 7th, my co-bartender Scott Butler and I will be officially heading up the bar at Bel Ami, located in the Midtown Marketplace at 1591 Willamette Street here in Eugene, right across the street from the bar where I learned to mix cocktails all those years ago.

This is a great way to start off the new year, and we’re excited to be working with everyone at Bel Ami. In the 3-or-so years they’ve been open, they’ve done a tremendous business and built up a loyal clientele. Now they’ve graciously allowed Scott and me to step in and run their bar and infuse it with our own sort of, uh, charm. We’ll be continuing our education and exploration of classic cocktails, modern flavors and timeless techniques.

Owned by local track hero and businessman Roscoe Devine, Midtown (and Bel Ami) is already at the top of the list in Eugene for their perfect coffee, an incredible selection of wines, the finest food, attentive service, and elegant atmosphere. Here’s to hoping that we can help make the bar an even more enjoyable place than it already is.

The bar at Bel Ami is open at 4:30, Monday-Saturday. Scott and I hope to see you there!

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New Year, New Digs

Yes, these are the words that I hear ringing in my ears as I find myself reading the news that Forbes Traveler has sympathetically chosen to include me in its very illustrious list of Cocktail Movers and Shakers this year.

Another drink-slinger who’s putting the Pacific Northwest on the cocktail map is Jeffrey Mortgenthaler[sic], bartender at El Vaquero in Eugene, Oregon. “There are amazing drinks being made in this region right now and people don’t really know about it.” He’s doing his best to change that. Of late, his favorite drink is an Old Fashioned using house-made orange bitters and his own brandied cherries.

I’m honored, truly. Thanks, Kirstin.

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“I know Jamie Boudreau. Jamie Boudreau is a friend of mine. And you, sir, are no Jamie Boudreau.”

While minding my own business yesterday, checking out free Dilbert cartoons and looking for sexy Pilates vlogs, I was rudely interrupted by Cate O’Malley of the Well Fed Network with the following announcement:

Just a heads up that your site is officially in the running for the 2007 Food Blog Awards – head on over to www.wellfed.net for the news.

I clicked my mouse or whatever on the blue words to download my trophy when I discovered that I was not alone: apparently there are others out there who write about beverages and such! Teeth gnarled, fists clenched and toes curled, I decided to check out the competition.

First off, there’s the teenage boy who lives in his parents’ basement and blogs to the internet under the alias “Paul Clarke“. Paul is a regular contributor to Imbibe (kind of a magazine about robots and stuff), and during his summer vacations Paul travels to huge geek conventions in New Orleans.

It takes the entire Long Island High School debate team (Go, Chargers!) to make the wine-dork website over at Lenndevours, yet not a single member is old enough to drink alcohol. The comments on the site often break out into flame wars over who would win in a fight: Captain America or Cyclops from X-Men.

Speaking of comic books, high-schooler Tyler Colman posts his wine stuff under the internet handle “Dr. Vino”, a thinly-veiled reference to “Dr. Octopus” from the Spiderman comics. Tyler was nominated for a James Beard award earlier this year. (For those of you who aren’t familiar with James Beard, he played “Scotty” on the television show Star Trek.)

San Francisco is home to two things: computer nerds, and people who smell like garlic. Cameron and Anita from Married… With Dinner are covering both bases with a website about food. When two dorks find each other, it’s a beautiful thing – but when they can get a computer involved, it’s poetry in motion, people. And you know there were lightsabers at that wedding.

So that’s the crowd I’m up against. Should be a no-brainer, but just in case, head on over to the polls and help me crush the competition.

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All Other Drink Bloggers Must Be Destroyed!

Last month, I wrote about a recent nightmare involving Grey Goose vodka’s razor-sharp serrated metal foil… and my hand. Many of you shared your horror stories in the comments section.

Last week, Sven-Olaf Hansen, Global Brand Director for Grey Goose, replied to the comments with a promise that changes were on the way at Grey Goose:

Dear Jeffrey

Many thanks to you and your colleagues for bringing to our attention your experiences removing the foil cap and cork on bottles of Grey Goose vodka.

Please be assured that we value all feedback such as yours and I am very pleased to advise you that with immediate effect we have taken two steps to improve the quality of the foil cap on 750ml and 1 litre bottles. Firstly, we have increased the width of the tear-band itself to make removal easier and secondly we have lowered the position of the tear-band to reduce the risk of cut fingers on the foil when removing the cork. We are also currently looking into the feasibility of rounding off the lead edge of the tear-band to reduce the risk of the foil cutting under the fingernail.

I hope that these actions help to reassure you that we are continually looking at ways in which we can improve the design of our bottle and foil cap and will continue to do so.
Many thanks for all your support and I hope that with these new improvements you will continue to recommend Grey Goose to your customers now and in the future.

Many thanks

Sven-Olaf Hansen
Global Brand Director
Grey Goose vodka

And here I thought nobody was listening! Thanks for writing, Sven-Olaf. On behalf of bartenders everywhere, I appreciate your taking the the time to reconsider your product, and I look forward to experiencing your new – and hopefully safer – bottle enclosures soon.

Thanks to everyone who commented.

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Grey Goose Responds to Our Plaintive Cries

I have been given the honor of hosting next month’s Mixology Monday here, and since it is in such close company with December 5th, which is Repeal Day, I’ve decided to try to combine the two and have a little fun with it.

So, for this round of MxMo, you’re going to need to write about a pre-Prohibition-era cocktail, tell a Repeal Day story, create an original drink inspired by Prohibition, etc.

So crack open your new copies of David Wondrich’s Imbibe!, plan a Repeal Day event, or reach deep into your inspiration well and come up with something to wow the world with. We’ll all meet back here on Monday for the round-up.

Update – the folks at Dewar’s scotch sent along this video to help get the juices flowing:

That is all. Carry on.

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December 3rd is Mixology Monday, December 5th is Repeal Day

1. Going to the grocery store.
2. Cooking.
3. Making drinks.
4. Having dinner with friends.

(No, really, going to the grocery store is one of my favorite things in the world.)

I first read about Wassail – the ancient wintertime blend of sherry (or ale, or wine) with eggs and fruit – many years ago and have been making an adaptation of the recipes I found every Thanksgiving ever since.

Anyway, Stephen Beaumont interviewed me for Nation’s Restaurant News magazine a few weeks ago, and this morning I was honored to see my name up there alongside such heroes of mine as Dale DeGroff, Tony Abou-Ganim and Natalie Bovis-Nelsen.

Click here for the article.

You’ll probably need to register (for free) in order to read the article, but it’s worth it as it contains some great quotes about autumn cocktails from Dale, Tony and Natalie.

Thanks, Stephen!

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Check Out My Wassail Recipe in Nation’s Restaurant News

Since August, Cameron Bogue of MotoTails.com has been on a year-long motorcycle quest from Vancouver, B.C. to the southern tip of Argentina. He and three friends have been stopping at microdistilleries, sampling the wares, and creating new cocktails inspired by the local ingredients.

I’ve been following their progress closely and I’ve been talking him up to everyone I know, until this weekend when the following email from Cameron left me speechless:

Hey Jeff

I had a great time in the Tequila region, unfortunately not so great in Sayulita.

I am typing with my pinky finger on my left hand because in Mexico driving a motorcycle is crazy. I got rear-ended by a truck going over 100 kM/h. I spent the last 5 days in the Puerto Vallarta hospital. I dislocated and broke my arm, 2 ribs, and a foot. Went into surgery twice with over 40 stitches holding my legs together, all-in-all pretty fucking lucky.

I just flew to Phoenix to rehab with the family and get some plates and screws put in my arm. Gonna blog about it soon with some photos.

Cameron

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Cameron back in September and, while suitably jealous of his plans, I was taken aback by his knowledge, his enthusiasm, and his über-friendly nature. He’s an amazing guy with some pretty big dreams, so this must be pretty heartbreaking for him. I, for one, am just glad he’s alive.

Pay Cameron a visit at MotoTails, drop him a line, or leave him a comment below and let him know that we’re all thinking about him.

Get well soon, Cameron!

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Not the Kind of Motorcycle News You Want to Hear

Also coming in second place was this very website! I also bow graciously to my good friend Ken, who writes the wonderful Mr. Random’s Blog of Randomness, which – oddly enough – is not a blog about cocktails, but rather music (I guess there are people out there who like that kind of stuff, who knew?)

The Richmond Gimlet tied for third place in the Best House Drink category as well. I haven’t had the pleasure of trying the other winners, but those who know me are aware of the fact that I need to get out more.

A heart-felt thank you to everyone in Eugene who voted for me, my little website, and my silly drink.

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Holdin’ Steady at Number Two

For those of you in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, this weekend is the Great American Distillers Festival [PDF at rogue.com] in Portland.

I’ll be hanging out and blogging the festival all day on Sunday, so if any of you want to meet up and tour the booths with us, drop me a line and let me know!

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Join Me at the Great American Distillers Festival!

We’ve been making a variation of Paul’s falernum recipe for a few months now, to great reviews. When you’ve wrapped up reading his article in Imbibe, be sure to check out his backstory on the experience of writing the article. Great insight.

With all due respect to Paul, I’ve taken his recipe and made a few modifications that I’d like to present here. I think that soaking the cloves in the rum for a few days prior to adding the lime zest and ginger adds a wonderful depth.

I copied most of this over from Paul, many apologies!

8 ounces white rum
40 whole cloves

Soak together for 48 hours. Add:

Zest of 9 limes
1.5 oz julienned fresh ginger

Combine these ingredients in a jar and seal, letting the mixture soak for 24 hours. Then, strain through moistened cheesecloth, squeezing the solids to extract the last, flavorful bits of liquid.

Add:

.25 tsp almond extract
14 oz 2:1 simple syrup
4.5 oz fresh, strained lime juice

This liqueur has been a great addition to the bar, in everything from Corn and Oils to Queen’s Park Swizzles. But I’ve been enjoying playing with beer cocktails lately, so I came up with this:

St. Michael’s Punch

I think the Japanese beer is a fantastic component to this drink.

1 oz falernum
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz sparkling mineral water
4 oz Kirin Ichiban lager

Combine ingredients and pour over ice. Garnish with a thick slice of lemon peel studded with clove.

Also in the latest issue is Kevin Ludwig’s wonderful review of channel knives. At Vaquero we use the Messermeister, but I’ve had some memorable times with the Victoronix.

Update: I forgot to mention that Camper English also has a nice piece.

Update: About liquor tastings in this issue as well.

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The Latest Imbibe Is Here!