Jeffrey Morgenthaler


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Latest Drink Recipe

I Make the Best Amaretto Sour in The World

No, really. I’m serious. In case you think I’m joking, or that you read that wrong, let me go on the record right now:

I make the best Amaretto Sour you’ve ever had in your life. No ifs, ands or buts about it, my Amaretto Sour dominates and crushes all others out there. And now, I’m going to share my secrets with you.

There are two things that impede all other Amaretto Sours from challenging mine. First off, the obvious: they’re too sweet. One does not simply use an everyday sour recipe to make a world-class Amaretto Sour, it must be adjusted for this particular liqueur.

Second, and this is a big one: amaretto isn’t strong enough on its own to stand up to a bunch of other ingredients. It’s weak. It needs help. And for this, I enlist the assistance of an old friend. One that knows amaretto’s strengths and weaknesses. Or, mainly, its weaknesses. One that works with amaretto, to complete it like Jerry Maguire completes Rene Zellwiger’s character, whatever her name was. And that, my friends, is cask-proof bourbon.

Behold, the recipe:

Amaretto Sour

Makes 1 Awesome Drink

1½ oz amaretto (I love the Lazzaroni amaretto, but DiSaronno works well here, too)
¾ oz cask-proof bourbon (I use Booker’s, from the Jim Beam distillery)
1 oz lemon juice
1 tsp. 2:1 simple syrup
½ oz egg white, beaten

Dry shake ingredients to combine, then shake well with cracked ice. Strain over fresh ice in an old fashioned glass. Garnish with lemon peel and brandied cherries, if desired. Serve and grin like an idiot as your friends freak out.

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About Me

My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the head bartender at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon.

A photo of me behind the bar.

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.

Resume

Jeffrey A Morgenthaler

Eugene, Oregon
(541) 579-0115

Communication

In The Real World…

I can read and write in French. Asking me to speak it may require a freshen-up trip to Paris.

…On A Computer

I can program a Micros point-of-sale system, and I have four years of experience with Squirrel. I speak Microsoft Windows and Macintosh with equal proficiency. I have a firm grasp on the Microsoft Office Suite, the Adobe Creative Suite, and the Macromedia Suite. I am skilled in web page design, XHTML and CSS.

Education

Hartnell College

1989 – 1992

Salinas, California

Graduated with A.S. degree in physics.

Technical University of Budapest

1991

Budapest, Hungary

Studied Hungarian baroque architecture as part of the Boronda Art Scholarship awarded through Hartnell College.

University of Oregon

1992 – 1998

Eugene, Oregon

Graduated with bachelor’s degree in Interior Architecture.

Work Experience

Clyde Common

2009 – Present

1014 SW Stark Street
Portland, Oregon

Bar manager. Modern tavern/gastropub concept, running full steam at a breakneck pace. Took over bar management position, hired new bar staff and retrained existing bartenders, and implemented an aggressive cocktail program. Redeveloped menus and refocused liquor selection.

Bel Ami

2008

1591 Willamette Street
Eugene, Oregon

Bar manager. Comfortable yet casual fine dining, with an eye to the late-night crowd. Took over management duties, hired new bar staff, and implemented an aggressive spirits program at this pre-existing lounge. Redeveloped cocktail menus, focused liquor selection, and retrained existing staff to create a new experience focusing on craft bartending.

El Vaquero

2005 – 2007

296 East Fifth Avenue
Eugene, Oregon

Head bartender. Tapas and Steaks. Huge menu and an enormous Spanish wine list, complemented by my menu of classic cocktails – with a twist. Priced OLCC catalog, set up Micros POS, trained a hardworking staff of bartenders, barbacks and cocktail servers, and conducted liquor classes for the staff of two restaurants. Fast-paced atmosphere, Disco Night on Thursdays, and a very demanding clientele.

Sam Bond’s Garage

2004

407 Blair Boulevard
Eugene, Oregon

Consultant for Sam Bond’s new liquor license and their foray into the world of hard-liquor sales. Consulted on bar layout, priced liquor catalog, trained bartenders, and designed a flavorful new cocktail menu. Winner, Esquire’s Best Bars in America, 2007

Red Agave

2002 – 2005

454 Willamette Street
Eugene, Oregon

Bar manager. Full-service Nuevo-Latino restaurant. Hip clientele in even hipper surroundings. Winner of the Eugene Weekly’s “Best New Restaurant” category, Reader’s Choice, 2002

Marche

2001 – 2005

296 East Fifth Avenue
Eugene, Oregon

Bartender/waiter. Buttoned-up service for the pre-theater crowd. Northwest cuisine done in the French bistro tradition, washed down with bottles of Pinot Noir. Huge French and Pacific Northwest wine list, dessert crowd at ten, open kitchen and bistro-style bar.

Chanterelle

2002

207 East Fifth Avenue #109
Eugene, Oregon

Bartender. Full-service, fine continental restaurant. Early crowd, small kitchen, tough German chef, fast pace.

Bamboo

2001-2003

296 East Fifth Avenue
Eugene, Oregon

Bar manager. Hip, new Pan-Asian restaurant. Sushi, noodle dishes, and big flaming drinks. Plastic monkeys, umbrellas, and hardcore classic cocktails, all in the Trader Vic’s tradition. Tiny train-car bar, late nights. Bamboo closed in 2003.

Oregon Research Institute

2001 – 2004

1715 Franklin Boulevard
Eugene, Oregon

Research assistant on the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and server training project. Dr. Jack Dresser, principal investigator. Main focus was working in the field, coordinating interviews and training schedules with bar/restaurant owners, managers and servers. Also designed a full-color brochure that was distributed to establishments throughout the Willamette Valley, and cooperated in production of a $250,000 training video. Assisted with database and form design in Microsoft Access, as well as data management.

Neighbors Bar and Bistro

2001

1417 Villard Street
Eugene, Oregon

Night bartender and cocktail server in a full-service, high-volume nightclub. Drag Night on Wednesdays, Jell-O Shots, lots of lipstick, pantyhose and cheap vodka.

The Vet’s Club

2000

1626 Willamette Street
Eugene, Oregon

Bartender. Huge thirty-five seat bar, and the hottest club in town. Late nights, stiff drinks, intense fast pace, two bartenders and a lot of smoky blues.

The Tiny Tavern

1996 – 2000

394 Blair Boulevard
Eugene, Oregon

My first bartending job. Four years, five nights a week in one of the toughest bars in town. Famous chili, pitchers of Olympia, loud music and a lot of smoke.


Latest Product Review

Xante Pear Liqueur (Not A Sex Toy)

I absolutely hate it when someone sends me a box full of sex toys in the mail. Sure, it might sound like fun to some of you (you know who you are), but receiving a big box of free sex is much more trouble than it’s worth. Believe me. So I get a [...]

Read full review here »

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