I had a great time at Portland Cocktail Week last year. Naturally I’ve been eagerly awaiting its return.

My waiting has not been in vain. This year’s event is October 20-23. Check out the schedule for all the great events. I’m particularly looking forward the open night party at Wilf’s and the Speed Rack competition on Sunday.

There’s also a chance to do some good during the festivities, by participating in the Bartenders’ Run to Kick Cancer’s Ass on Friday morning. Novo Fogo Cachaça will be sponsoring the participation fee for any bartender. All proceeds will be donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Once again, PDX Cocktail Week takes place at the same time as the Great American Distillers Festival. Looking over the list of participating distilleries, this is going to be a great chance to taste many great, unique products.

I’m also looking forward to spending time with my friends in Portland, not to mention a goodly portion of Seattle’s bartending community.

Be sure to check the @PDXCocktailWeek twitter feed as well as my own for details and shenanigans throughout the great events.

Seattle shouldn’t be sad, however, as the very first Seattle Cocktail Week will be held the week after, October 27 – 30. Seattle Cocktail Week will focus on many of the top bars in Seattle and environs offering drinks specials. Stay tuned for more details!

Related posts:

1. Pisaq Cocktail and the PDX Cocktail Invitational
2. Come Cheer Me On at the Seattle Barback Pro-Am
3. Red Wood Road Cocktail

…and all I got was this little t-shirt.¹

Shake for the Camera. Photo courtesy of Rocky Yeh.

Despite all my pre-event hand wringing, the Jim & Rocky Barback Pro-Am turned out to be a lot of fun.

Of course, this wasn’t your usual barback shift. At least, I’m told most don’t start with a round of Jägerbombs at the joint across the street.

My job as barback was to make sure patrons had sufficient water,² clear their glasses as they finished their cocktails, keep the counter clean, and help the bartender in whatever way he asked. This ended up including dry shaking, breaking large ice blocks into ones small enough to fit old fashioned glasses, and fetching salt when someone³ asked for an off-menu margarita. Also participating in a round of shots whenever Jim or Rocky deemed it was time to do so.

I learned many lessons during my shift. A few of the most memorable:

5. The cameraman promised me he’d get out of my way. He was not always able to live up to that promise.
4. Cobbler shakers confound me. I can’t keep them tightly sealed while shaking them. I can’t get them separated once the drink has been strained out. That’s why I switched to Boston shakers. Naturally, someone⁴ lent cobblers to Jim for the evening so I got to struggle with cleaning them all night.
3. I do not have a knack for remembering who ordered which drink when. It was embarrassing enough when the bartender asked me for whom I called the drink. It was even worse when several minutes later I was politely asked by the customer whatever happened to that Industry Old Fashioned he ordered.
2. If I don’t want to use my hands, never attempt to manhandle ice into a glass using a metal ice scoop while standing over the ice bin.⁵
1. No matter how amusing it seems in the context of the current bar trash talk, when the bartender yells, repeatedly, “THAT’S NOT DONE” — he is almost certainly referring to that surprisingly full mixing glass I am dumping into the sink

A huge thank you to everybody who came to Rob Roy to join in the fun. Thanks to Jim Romdall and Rocky Yeh for inviting me to participate. Thanks to Rob Roy for hosting, and to Jamie Boudreau for allowing us to give him time to go eat dinner at Canlis’ pop-up restaurant.

Check out Rocky’s photos for great shots from all the events, and keep an eye on Small Screen Network to see what they do with all the footage they shot.

And no, I don’t think I’ll be changing careers for any time soon. I’ll bide my time in front of the stick⁶ for the time being.

[1] Actually, I did get a larger shirt at the end of my shift. And lost the red one somewhere between Zig Zag and home.
[2] And goldfish crackers, this being Rob Roy.
[3] Damn you, Evan Martin!
[4] Damn you, Jamie Boudreau!
[5] Luckily, I was stopped before anything bad happened.
[6] See what I did there?

Related posts:

1. Come Cheer Me On at the Seattle Barback Pro-Am

It started with a text. “Jim and I are doing a thing w/ Small Screen to invite a few bloggers and enthusiasts behind the bar to barback while Jim guest bartends.”

Jim and Rocky and victim

Next thing I knew, I was signed up to barback at Rob Roy on February 27.

I blame the fact I was in the second week of a three week cold that I failed to ask for details before saying yes. Instead, I discovered what I had blithely agreed to when I saw the press release. It begins

Jim Romdall and Rocky Yeh of Vessel in Seattle, renowned bartenders and spirits professionals, will hit the road from Seattle to San Diego challengining amateur mixologists, or as we call them “victims”, to step behind the bar, show their skills and see if they can mix it up all night.

The Jim and Rocky show has already burned a swath from Portland down to San Diego. Now they refuse to be daunted by la Niña as they race back to Seattle to put me and Papa Paul Clarke through our paces. And Small Screen Network will be there to make sure it’s recorded.

As I have no doubt they will make it back, and I will be forced to follow through with my word, all I can ask is that you come to offer moral support on this Sunday night. The fun starts at Rob Roy on Sunday, February 27, at 6 pm. From all reports from the previous events, promises to be fun for everybody…but me.

Related posts:

1. I barbacked at Rob Roy
2. Jerry Thomas Night at Vessel

In addition to winning TDN and competing in the PDX Cocktail Invitational, I had another exciting adventure at Portland Cocktail Week – participating in Shaker Faces.

Sponsored by Combier, Shaker Faces is a good-natured contest where bartenders (and the occasional aficionado) give their best shaker face and the public votes.

I was a bit apprehensive when Lindsey Johnson asked me if I wanted to participate. But it did help me take my mind off my impending competition. Leo Borovskiy of Lush Life Productions did a great job of explaining the process and making me feel comfortable. I had to stand for some still shots, then give my best shake for the the action shoot.

Today my video went live as part of Round Four. Head on over, and vote for me!

No related posts.

As mentioned in my previous post, my prize for winning the Live TDN at Portland Cocktail Week was a slot in the semi-finals of the PDX Cocktail Invitational. I had watched the finals of the 2009 competition live-streamed, and already knew many of the bartenders competing this year, so I knew it was a great event to be a part of.

Sun Temple at Pisaq

But I also knew the rules included bringing all your own equipment, and guess who had come down to Portland with no tools, not expecting to be in a competition at all? Yours truly. So when I found out at 9 pm on Friday night that I would be competing sometime the next day, a mad scramble began.

First was getting samples of the products I had to choose from to feature in my cocktail. I learned from Dänny Ronen that my cocktail needed to feature at least one of the three products from the Fair Trade Spirits Company. My choices were the FAIR. Vodka, Goji, and Café. Dänny helpfully brought over samples of each, and lent me some of his bartools so I could start experimenting with ideas.

While I enjoyed the Goji and Café liqueurs, I decided to focus on the Vodka.¹ This product is made from 100% fair-trade sourced quinoa.² It manages to keep hints of the nutty flavor of its base product, with a rich mouthfeel.

Given my short prep time, I decided to go simple in my final cocktail, and chose to do a riff on the perfect martini. I would be competing against bartenders who knew what they would be working with for more than a few hours, and would have more complex signature cocktails, likely including homemade ingredients. I decided that for my first live cocktail competition I would focus on featuring the product as well as I could, and, frankly, not embarrassing myself. This was my first chance to play with the big boys, after all!

The next big step was to gather additional ingredients in sufficient quantities. A big thanks to John the Bastard, who drove me to Pearl Specialty Market, where I was able to choose from several dry and sweet vermouths. Also thanks to Trader Tiki, who gave me his bottle of Urban Moonshine citrus bitters when I made a desperate call out.

Then it was back to my hotel room to make sure my idea would work. I decided to use Cocchi Americano, first because it’s an excellent product, and second, because I thought the cinchona flavor would help create a theme for my variation; as with quinoa, cinchona is a native South American ingredient. I also chose to go with Vya sweet vermouth, as I really enjoy its overall flavor profile and how well it mixes.

I have to say, I was very happy with the result. I felt the Urban Moonshine citrus bitters were aromatic enough to preclude the need for an additional garnish.

Pisaq Cocktail

2 oz FAIR. quinoa vodka
0.25 oz Cocchi Americano
0.25 oz sweet vermouth (Vya)
2 dashes citrus bitters (Urban Moonshine)

Stir over ice until as cold as an Andean glacier, strain into a cocktail glass.

I decided to name this drink after one of my favorite archaeological sites in Peru, Pisaq, located in the Urubamba valley.

Now having created the drink, I had to compete! I was pretty nervous, especially when I arrived at the Great American Distillers Festival, and realized I would be making drinks on a stage overlooking the whole event! Everybody with the Oregon Bartenders Guild was very reassuring, however, and before I knew it, I was up there, stirring and straining, and even talking reasonably amiably with the various attendees passing by for tastes.

Then I was told it was time for judging. I had to make a full size drink for each of my judges. Naturally, I didn’t have my own glassware, so the OBG provided me with wineglasses. I was amused to discover one of my judges would be David Pickerell, former master distiller at Maker’s Mark and mentor to Woodinville Whiskey.³ The judges were very friendly and put me at as much ease as I could possibly manage.

And then they were gone. I mixed a few more drinks for tasting, and then my 45 minute shift was over. I had competed in my first real cocktail competition, and hadn’t embarrassed myself, at least not that anyone would tell me.

Congratulations to the winners of the finals, Ali Tahsini (first), Tommy Klus (second), Art Tierce (third) and Trevor Easter (fourth). Thanks to the OBG and GADF for letting me participate. It was a great experience, and I’m looking forward to next years festivities.

1 I know! Whoda thunk it!
2 Yes, wurmouroboros, you were right, it’s not a true grain
3 It was no doubt bad form, but I had to ask him if it would it help my chances that I used his Headlong White Dog in the cocktail that got me into the competition. He laughed.

No related posts.

This week’s Thursday Drink Night promises to be a lot fun.

It’s sponsored by Crystal Head Vodka. Vodka may get a lot of derision from cocktail geeks, but it can present a true challenge when trying to create a well balanced cocktail. And, just in time for Halloween, it comes in a gorgeous bottle in the shape of a crystal skull!

Here in Seattle, we’ll be participating live from the Naga bar at Chantanee Thai Restaurant in Bellevue, where we’ll be mixing up and tasting all the drinks invented for the night and generally having a great time.

We’ll be starting at 4 pm PDT / 7 pm EDT. Log in to the Mixoloseum chat room and share with us your ideas for drinks that feature Crystal Head vodka. The best drinks will be put up for a vote; the winner will receive a Baron strainer courtesy of Cocktail Kingdom. A

And be sure to check the Mixoloseum blog for the live video feed from Chantanee where I know bar manager Andrew Bohrer has some fun ideas in store for us!

Related posts:

1. TDN Tiki — Our First Anniversary
2. Sobieski Vodka and the Mazowse Mule
3. MxMo XLI: Vodka is Your Friend — The Mike Romanoff Cocktail

It’s hard to believe, but Thursday Drink Night (TDN) has been around for a whole year.

An entire year of cocktail enthusiasts getting together once a week to invent new drinks on the fly. Dozens of themes have been tested. Hundreds of recipes have been tried¹. Thousands of Your Mom jokes have been told.

To celebrate, this week the Mixoloseum Bar is having a special Tiki TDN, with Special Guest Beachbum Berry! Jeff Berry has joined us before and is both a delightful person and font of vast tiki knowledge. Come armed with questions about kitsch culture and mixing up rums, because Jeff is the man to ask.

And there’s more. Because it’s our anniversary, there will Fabulous Prizes. Now, we have had some pretty fantastic prizes over the past year, but this TDN will have some serious loot: a gold Japanese bar spoon, all six of the newest classic cocktail book reprints from Mud Puddle Books, a signed bottle each of Obsello Absinthe and Port of Barcelona gin, and a bottle of Old New Orleans Cajun spice rum.

I need to learn how to invent a tiki drink and FAST.

This promises to be a fantastic TDN. The fun starts this Thursday Night (September 3) at 7 pm EDT (4 pm on the Best Coast). Be sure to join us at the Mixoloseum bar for all the fun!

[1] Some have actually been keepers!

Related posts:

1. TDN Crystal Head Vodka – Live from Chantanee
2. Thursday Drink Night goes Video
3. Leblon Cachaça and the Caipirinha

In the Seattle Metro area? Looking for a chance to try some great cocktails featuring Voyager Gin and Pacifique Absinthe? Want to eat some great gourmet Southern cuisine? Want to meet Chef Rocky of Prohibition Grille and Pacific Distillery’s Master Distiller Marc Bernhard?

You’re in luck! Because on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at 6 pm, Pacific Distillery will be hosting its first ever Distiller’s Dinner at Prohibition Grille, in Everett, WA!

For $50 (plus tax and gratuity), you’ll receive a five course meal paired with premium cocktails. Be sure to make your reservations now by calling 425.258.6100!

Hope to see you there!

View Larger Map

Related posts:

1. Death in the South Pacific
2. Voyager Gin and the Gin-Gin Mule

I love to ride, and I love to taste wine, so it will be no surprise one of my favorite activities is a winery ride.

Essential Extra Tack

This was the first time I made it to the Northwest Peruvian Horse Club‘s wine ride. This year we toured five wineries in the Rattlesnake Hills AVA. We were led by Linda Spurlock of Severino Cellars and Shannon Bird, Executive Director of the Rattlesnake Hill’s Wine Trail, who were able to join us on Peruvians due to the generosity of Dennis Brown, who also did a great job of organizing the ride for the club.

We met and tacked up at Severino Cellars, which is so new they are doing their tasting room out of their RV. I particularly enjoyed their Viognier. Linda also informed us about the Rattlesnake Hills Wine Trail Passport. For $10, Passport holders receive several benefits, from waived tasting fees to excellent discounts on bottles of wine. Mine was definitely worth the $10.

After our first tasting, we saddled up and took the short ride over to Two Mountain Winery. Here we took turns holding each others horses and going in to the tasting room. I liked their off-dry Riesling enough to pick up a couple of bottles.

Then it was through the vineyards and orchards up to a large irrigation canal for the longest leg of the ride, over to Silver Lake Winery. By far the largest winery we visited (and apparently the largest consumer-owned winery in Washington), it was very busy when we arrived. Naturally we made quite a stir when we showed up and rode through the parking lot. The winery had a couple of hitching posts we were able to use, but not enough for our entire party of 17 riders.

The Passport let us waive the $5 tasting fee for the cask wine list. It was quite a selection. As usual, I restricted myself to the whites.¹ Their Roza Rose was such a perfect summer wine that we bought a chilled bottle to share with everybody before we got back on. I also picked up a couple of bottles of Riesling.

The Haul

And just how did I handle carrying all this wine I was buying? Why, I put it in the chase car, naturally! Two club members, Randy Eldridge and Pedro Cantaro, were kind enough to drive instead of ride. They arrived at each winery ahead of us, and let us put our bottles in the car. They even brought them back to the starting point and let us have them back!

And it was a good thing that car was there when we got to the fourth winery, Paradisos del Sol. I was lucky enough to have a tasting lead by the winemaker, Paul Vandenberg, a man who is passionate about wine and its history. The mantra at the tasting was “sip, sip, taste, sip.” The wines were all paired with food. Only after taking the first tasting sips do you try the food, then sip again to see the difference. I’ve been taught this before, and it’s a great way to taste wine. Some wines are great alone, some truly come into their own when paired with the right food.

The whites were paired with a couple of different dips. The real fun came with the dessert wines. The Angelica G was paired with a piece of pear. For the port, there was chocolate to warm in our mouths and then taste the port again. And for the Botrytis Riesling, we were asked to toast mini marshmallows over a candle.

The real discovery for me was the Angelica G, the winery’s take on angelica, sacramental wine created by Franciscan friars in California. This fortified wine comes in at a hefty 19% ABV. It has a great balance of spice and sweetness, with some hints of cinnamon and cardamom to it. I’m looking forward to sharing this with friends over a delicious fruit-based dessert.

Our last winery of the day was Maison de Padgett.  I wish I could tell you more about their wine. I walked into the beautiful tasting room, but found out that while the Passport would get me discounts on any wine I bought, it didn’t include the tasting fee, and while I had remembered my credit card, I had no cash on me. I’m sure I could have found someone to loan me the cash, but I was a bit wine and ride fatigued, so I gave it a pass. Others who did the tasting said they had a wide range of unique wines, so some day I will definitely go back and give them a try. The Passport has no expiration date, after all, and features 15 of the Rattlesnake Hills wineries.

The it was back to Severino to untack the horses and pick up up all our bottles. We were all pretty exhausted, but found the energy to enjoy some cheese, salami, and crackers as a snack before we headed to the Franklin County Saddle Club for our potluck dinner.

If you are ever in Zillah, Washington, and like great wine, I highly recommend giving the wineries of the Rattlesnake AVA a taste. If you can make your tour on horseback, all the better!

[1] I am one of those cursed with red wine as a migraine trigger.

No related posts.

This month is the 60th anniversary of the Hotel Monteleone, a venerable French Quarter institution and Headquarters Hotel for Tales of the Cocktail 2009.

In reviewing their history, they discovered that starting in 1949, there was a specialty Monteleone Cocktail. It was on the menu until the late 60′s or 70′s, but then was lost to mists of time, including any details on what was in it.

To celebrate their 60th anniversary, they are holding a cocktail contest to nominal a new official Monteleone Cocktail. Now most drink contests are restricted to bartenders, but this one is open to the general public. That means you, yes you, can enter!

There are no requirements on types of liquor or style of drink.

Simply submit your recipe by May 18, 2009 by emailing your drink recipe, name, address and phone number, to athornton@hotelmonteleone.com. If you have a blog, please write about the cocktail there, but that is not a requirement.

On May 21, during the Carousel anniversary party, VIPs will judge all the drink entries. If your drink is chosen, it will become the official Monteleone Cocktail. You will also receive four free nights at the Hotel during this year’s Tales of the Cocktail.

I’ll be submitting an entry. Think you can do better than me? You should submit one, too!

Related posts:

1. Monteleone Cocktail