by Anthony Russo from the New York Times review of Rules of Civility.

I am honored once again to be a part of the Deschutes Public Library’s Novel Idea Program. Just what is A Novel Idea (other than just another novel idea!)? It is one of the smartest library programs I’ve ever heard of. Every year Deschutes Public Library chooses one book and then spends a month bringing that book to life in every dimension imaginable. They will hold discussion groups about the book, show movies and documentaries that pertain to the genre or era of the book, encourage reading of similar books, have storytellers tell their tales related to themes in the book, invite the author to speak about his/her book, and lastly have a food and cocktail demonstration pertaining to the book’s genre. This year the book is Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, which is a post-prohibition tale of two young women, Katey and Eve, finding their way in New York City Society in 1938. Both girls fall for a dashing young banker named Tinker Grey and throughout the year they both have their chances with him, usually eased with a cold gin martini. As this novel centers around a few central characters, I thought it would be fun to name the cocktails after them – so we have the Tinker Grey Toddy and the Miss Kontent (pronounced Kahn TENT). As Mr. Grey is warming and cordial – so is his cocktail. (As a small trivial note to those who have read the book, I also chose tea to work with since when Katey and Anne Grandin make amends over their relationship with Tinker they do so over a couple of cups of hot tea. Other than gin and bourbon, tea is the only other liquid that the characters imbibe!)

The Tinker Grey Toddy

In order to make the Tinker Grey Toddy, you will need to infuse a bottle of Crater Lake Vodka with earl grey tea bags (found at nearly every grocer). Place three tea bags in one bottle (750 ml) overnight. No need to try to remove them, as they might break in the process and blight your bottle of vodka. (If you just would like to make a smaller batch the tea bag to vodka ratio is one tea bag to one cup (eight ounces) of vodka.

In a mug or other type of glass made for hot drinks, please add

3 teaspoons honey
2 ounces lemon juice (the juice from one lemon)
2 ounces Earl-grey infused vodka
4 ounces of boiling hot water

Stir all of the ingredients together and enjoy. If one wishes, add a tad of half-and-half or milk after mixing.

a little side note :: What is a hot toddy? The hot toddy is one of the most loosely defined cocktails needing only to contain a spirit, a sweetener, and a warm base. Toddies can be made from tea, coffee, apple cider, sugar, syrup, brandy, bourbon, or rum. But the most traditional toddies are made from honey, lemon, hot water, and bourbon. Want to know the history of the hot toddy? Click here

Everyone in the book has a penchant for gin and it is on very rare occasion that everyone isn’t enjoying a cold gin martini. I thought it would be fun to play around with the gin martini, making it a little more feminine in honor of the beautiful and daring Miss Kontent.

The Miss Kontent

To make the Miss Kontent you will need to first make rose-petal syrup.

How to Make Rose Petal Syrup :::::::

This syrup has just a hint of rose petal flavor to it, as petals often have a lot of tannins in them and can make syrups bitter. Rose Petal Syrup 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1/8 cup rose petals (Rose petals can be found at most herbalists and often times you can find rose hip tea bags at the grocer or at a health food store. If you use the tea bags, the ratio is one tea bag to 8 ounces of water.) Bring to a boil, remove from heat. Strain off rose petals and allow to cool. I recommend making this syrup the night before if possible (especially if you are making a larger batch), that way it will have plenty of time to cool.

In a shaker, mix the following:

2 ounces of Cascade Mountain Gin
1 ounce Rose-Petal Syrup
1 ounce Grapefruit Juice
1 Splash of lemon
1.5 ounce of Soda water

Add ice to the shaker, shake and strain into a cocktail glass or a coup.

If you are daring – this cocktail tastes delicious with an egg white. Just add the egg white to the mixture, shake without ice and then add ice. A gorgeous frothiness will brighten the flavor and create a silkiness that is very becoming.

I had the treat of going to Portland this week and making the Hood River Distilleries fall and winter portfolio of cocktails for all of their regional sales reps. (The recipes follow.) I was also able to meet Ken Wyatt, who is one of the owners of 44 North Vodka – made right next-door in Idaho.

What was really embarrassing after spending the entire evening with everyone (and let’s just say these guys don’t go to bed until there is really no other option) is how little I knew about the Pacific Northwest’s oldest distillery, Hood River Distilleries. Hood River Distilleries opened in the small town of Hood River, which sits at the base of Mount Hood on the Columbia River. If you have never been to Hood River, Oregon – you are missing out on one of the most enchanting locales in the entire nation. It has a charming downtown, rich in Victorian buildings and cute urban shops that house boutique bakeries and outdoor stores. The Columbia River is visible from many places in town and on a warm and windy day you can see kite boarders’ pink, green, and yellow sails glide by on a river so big it has white caps and small waves breaking.

Hood River Distilleries began in 1934. (To give you an idea of what was happening during this time – The U.S. was in the midst of The Great Depression with unemployment at 22% – it’s currently around 9%. Adolf Hitler declared himself the fuehrer of Germany – now google and facebook just knows everything you do and when you do it. And, the U.S. Midwest was experiencing the dustbowls, where 35 million acres of farmland were destroyed – now half of the nation doesn’t even eat food grown in fields, so this might matter less to us today.)

Hood River Distilleries began as a way to use the fruit waste that was being disposed of in the river, as the valleys around Hood River are quilted in apple and pear orchards. In 1968, Hood River Distilleries moved to its current location (you can actually see it as you breeze by on the interstate). They no longer distill old fruit waste, but rather bottle Pendleton Canadian Whisky, Yazi Ginger Vodka, Knickers Irish Cream, Broker’s London Dry Gin, and ULLR (which is a cinnamon peppermint schnapps). I also learned how much Pendleton they sell compared to anything else and how popular Pendleton is on the rodeo circuit – which was fascinating. Pendleton is the official spirit of ProRodeo and does all the big cash prizes for bareback buck riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding. Hood River Distilleries has also invested a lot of money to keep the facilities for the Pendleton Round-up in prime condition. If you are like myself and don’t travel much in the rodeo circuit, The Pendleton Round-up is Oregon’s biggest rodeo which started in 1910 and every September attracts the world’s greatest cowboys to ride on the world’s meanest bulls.

Pendleton is an aged and blended Canadian whisky that took many years of trial and error to create what many believe is the best Canadian whisky in the world. (I am not a Canadian whisky fan, but the Pendleton has a rich vanilla undertone that differentiates it from most of the swag available at the same price point.) They don’t do the blending on premise, but rather it is blended in Canada to their specifications and then brought to proof with Mt. Hood glacial water. Before Hood River Distilleries bottles Pendleton Whisky (which is about every six weeks) a sample is sent and a panel of tasters including the owner of the company, Ronald Dodge, and the vice president, Lynda Webber, taste it to ensure that it tastes like every ounce of Pendleton that’s ever been sold. The spirit is shipped by train across the country – which can take many weeks and can affect the product if the train car gets too hot or too cold – which means that the whisky will have to re-blended. So it’s a delicate process, but it ensures quality and consistency.

I also got to meet the original Pendleton Posse Member Mindy Davis, who is absolutely gorgeous, ridiculously charming, and a sicklingly good dancer. I you are not familiar with the Pendleton Posse, it is a group of talented young women who grew up in the rodeo community and travel to help promote Pendleton Whisky and the spirit of the American West. Seems like a pretty good gig, made me wish that I knew how to actually ride a horse and I owned some bigger belt buckles.

Hood River Distilleries also just picked up 44 North Vodka, which is made in Rigby Idaho. They have two types – their flavored vodkas (huckleberry and rainier cherry) that are distilled from potatoes, in honor of Idaho being the home of famous potatoes and a winter wheat vodka (the winter wheat is also grown in Idaho but without the hoopla). I’ve had the huckleberry vodka numerous times over the years and I’ve always loved the flavor – plus too, there just are no other huckleberry vodkas. Unfortunately, I believe that cough syrup has destroyed the cherry flavor for me as cherry lollipops, cherry Popsicles, and cherry vodka tend to remind me of sick days as a child. Not to say that’s not to say there isn’t a positive, as my many of my favorite memories from childhood are sucking on Luden’s cherry cough drops while watching Wheel of Fortune and enjoying the luxury of sleeping on the couch – it’s just not necessarily the feeling I want while I’m in the bar. Nonetheless, I hate to say it but it makes a damn good cherry coke. The winter wheat drinks sweet as most winter wheat vodkas do.

Anyhow, it is always fun to learn something new – especially about a brand that I see all the time.

As for Hood River Distilleries Fall and Winter Cocktails, please help yourself.

The drinks are tiered as the first drink of each group is the easiest to make.

The second drink might have harder ingredients to find, but you should be able to get everything you need at a regular grocery and liquor store.

The third drink might involve a special grocery or a nicer liquor store.

Cheers!

Brokers Gin Cocktails

Gin and Juice
2 oz Broker’s Gin
3 oz Juice Love

Mix in glass, add ice, and stir.

Juice Love Recipe

Juice Love (this is built to 28 ounces – the size of a storm pourer or a recycled/re-used liquor or wine bottle) I recommend that if being used at a commercial level that the bar premix the juice, as they will find it will add to speed and efficiency.

7 ounces pineapple juice
7 ounces cranberry juice
6 ounces oj
2 ounces grapefruit juice
3 ounces lime juice
3 ounces simple syrup

Gin Gin
2 oz Broker’s Gin
1.5 oz mint syrup
1.5 oz lime juice

Mix in glass, add ice, and stir.

Mint Syrup
4 cups mint (you can use the entire sprig, no need to tear the leaves off)
6 cups water
6 cups sugar
Bring to a boil, take off the heat and let sit overnight. Strain and serve.

Postmodern Pimms Cup
1 oz Broker’s Gin
.5 oz St. Germain
.5 oz Pimms
1/2 oz cucumber puree or 4 slices of muddles cucumber
2 oz of lime sour
.5 oz of soda
2 shakes of Angostura bitters

Mix in glass, stir or shake, add ice, and serve.

Lime Sour
2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
14 ounces fresh-squeezed lime
2 ounces of oj

Cucumber purée is simply cucumbers that have been ran through a blender

Yazi Cocktails

Hard Bitters and Soda
2 oz Yazi
3 oz of soda
3 shakes of Angostura Bitters (or any flavor bitters you have)

Mix in glass, add ice, and stir.

Yazi Toddy
1.5 oz Yazi
.5 oz brandy
1.5 oz honey syrup
1 squeeze of half of a lemon
splash oj
2 oz hot water

Build this drink in a coffee cup stirring until all the ingredients are mixed.  You most likely will need to steam or microwave this drink to warm it up before serving.

Honey syrup is just 2 parts honey to 1 part warm water – it makes the honey much easier to use for cocktails. I would recommend making a squeezie bottle of honey syrup for speed’s sake.

Ninja Ginja
2 oz Yazi
1 oz Monarch triple sec
1 oz Gimple
1 oz lemon juice

Gimple (Ginger Syrup)
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
Your choice of 2 cups peeled and cut ginger or 8 bags of ginger lemon tea

Bring to a boil and take off the heat. Strain the ginger or tea bags out and let cool. (DO NOT allow the ginger to sit overnight – the syrup will take on a lot of spiciness)

Pendleton Cocktails

Pendleton Smash
(this is a very old pre-prohibition cocktail made with Pendleton)

2 oz Pendleton (that’s been steeped in mint)
2.5 oz water
teaspoon of fine white sugar (Baker’s sugar)

The easiest way to steep the Pendleton with mint is to add two mint teabags to a bottle of Pendleton (especially if this drink is on the cocktail list and you are pouring through a lot of Pendleton). Otherwise, allow 2 oz of Pendleton to steep with fresh mint sprigs for 10 minutes up to overnight (but don’t leave it any longer or it will turn a nasty color).

Pendleton Sidecar
2 oz Pendleton
1 oz Monarch Triple
2 oz Lime Sour

Build drink in a shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Lime Sour
2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
14 ounces fresh-squeezed lime
2 ounces of oj

Tim Buck 2 (Let’er Buck)
2 oz Pendleton
1 oz Vanilla Syrup
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Soda

Vanilla Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/8 cup vanilla extract

Bring the sugar and water to a boil, take off the heat. Let cool and add the vanilla extract (if you add the extract when it’s hot the vanilla extract will evaporate)

Knickers Cocktails

The Wired
1.5 oz Knickers
.5 oz Coffee Liqueur
2 oz Espresso
.5 oz Chambord
.5 oz half and half or heavy whipping cream

Build drink in a shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Coco Fizz
1.5 oz Knickers
1 oz Amaretto
1 oz coconut cream or coconut milk
2 oz cola

Build drink in a collins glass adding all ingredients except for the cola.  Stir, add ice, and top with cola.

The Ultimate Chocolate Martini
1 oz Knickers
.5 oz vanilla vodka
1 oz creme de cocoa
1.5 oz Ghirardelli Chocolate Syrup
1 oz half and half or heavy whipping cream

Chocolate Martinis are a great place to play around with some fun rimmers – go down the candy aisle and blend up M&M’s, Heath Bar, or Butterfinger. Use chocolate syrup to make the rim sticky and dip it in your crumbled candy choice.

ULLR Cocktails

Viking Bomb
2 oz of ULLR dropped in a pint glass filled with half Red Bull (or another energy drink) and half lemonade

Caribbean Bulldog
1 oz ULLR
1 oz coconut milk or coconut cream
1 oz vanilla vodka
2 oz soda
grate a bit of fresh nutmeg on top (if you have some lying around)

Mix in glass, add ice, and stir. (Some people are not so keen on the soda in this drink, so if that is you – please enjoy soda free.)

Silky Sin
1 oz ULLR
1 oz Yazi
1 oz half and half or heavy whipping cream
1 oz simple syrup
2 shakes Angostura Bitters
1 squeeze of lemon

Build drink in a shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Yesterday, December 5, was Repeal Day. Seventy-seven years ago prohibition was lifted. It’s crazy to think that the day my grandfather was born, there wasn’t any champagne. My grandfather’s father didn’t go to the bar with his friends and celebrate – there were no bars. You couldn’t buy alcohol without a prescription. It’s crazier to think that my great grandfather (on the other side of the family) made a killing bootlegging liquor across Lake Erie.  He had a knack at carrying picnic baskets loaded with whiskey bottles across Mackinac Island on Lake Michigan. It assured my grandmother a very luxurious lifestyle in a time when most were just trying to put food on the table.

You should always celebrate Repeal Day with a drink, but even better – what about having a drink in a speakeasy. My friend Erica Reilly and I decided that what this town needed was a bar that only exists for one night, a little bit of magic and then poof it’s gone.

We took over the maté shop (if you don’t know anything about maté – please click here), which has an ideal location in a downtown alley. It even has a heavy metal rolling door at its entrance. We got there in the afternoon with another friend of ours and revolutionized the space. We draped the entire area, brought in lighting, kinetic sculpture by Chris Cole, a jazz singer, a dj, and a full bar. It was AWESOME. We did six cocktails, all of them with an interesting story. We had an amazing turnout for a cold, icy, blustery, December night (especially for a Sunday). Everyone who came was dressed in cocktail attire from the 30’s. It was truly beautiful. And then just like that, poof, we tore it all down and it right back to being a maté shop. It was pretty magical.

as a mate shop

as a speakeasy

THE COCKTAIL LIST

East India Cocktail
Brandy, Pineapple, Raspberry Syrup, Orange Curacao, Maraschino, Angostura Bitters
No one knows for sure how old this cocktail is, but the first mention of it is in Harry Johnson’s 1882 New and Improved Bartender’s Manual. If you don’t know much about Harry Johnson he was a rival to Jerry Thomas, the author of the first published cocktail book in the U.S. As for why the drink is titled the East India Cocktail, it was a favorite of the British Raj, the British delegates who ruled England’s colonies in the Far East. Unlike today, India did not just refer to the one country but to all of the British Colonies in the Far East at this time (India, Burma, Malaya, and Singapore).

Corpse Reviver
Gin, Grand Marnier, Dolin White Vermouth, Fresh Lemon

This is one of my favorite drink names, it’s so visual and alluring. You cannot help but wonder, what exactly is the tincture that could revive someone from the dead?
Surprisingly, it’s very light and delicious!
The Corpse Reviver originated at the turn of the 20th century, although it took four or five different forms during prohibition. Although today the drink is almost always served after the sun goes down, traditionally The Corpse Reviver was drank in the morning.
“Four taken in swift succession will unrevive the corpse again.”
- Harry Cradock 1895 (barman at the Savoy, New York City)

Fish House Punch
Dark Rum, Cognac, Maraschino, Green Tea, Champagne

This punch was believed to have been created in 1732 at the Schuylkill (SKOO-kull) Fishing Club – which was a gentleman’s club of sorts in what is now Pennsylvania. George Washington was known to frequent there and it’s a really wonderful thing if he did have a Fish House Punch and you are still able to have one today. George didn’t bring Martha to the club however, as women weren’t allowed in The Fishing Club until 1848. The drink got it’s name from the Club – which everyone referred to as The Fish House. As for rum, the colonists drank almost nothing but – as it was a bi-product of Caribbean sugar production and there were distilleries all over the East Coast.

Jack Rose Cocktail
Applejack, Lemon Juice, Pomegranate Grenadine

No one knows for sure where the Jack Rose Cocktail got it’s name, but there are a couple of theories.
The first is that it is named for it’s color and ingredients – Jack for applejack and Rose for the pink color from the pomegranate grenadine.
The second is it was named for a popular gambler of the time, Bald Jack Rose.
The third is that it was named by the man who supposedly created it, Joseph P Rose, who was a New Jersey restaurateur who once held the title World’s Champion Mixologist.
It is currently Rachel Maddow’s favorite cocktail.

Modern Mule
Vanilla Hawthorn Infused Vodka with Handmade Ginger Beer

Vodka didn’t really become popular in The States until the 70s, but there was one vodka drink that did become popular in the 1950s and that was the Moscow Mule. This is our version with our own handcrafted ginger beer and a vodka that is infused with vanilla, chamomile, spearmint, lemongrass, tilia flowers, blackberry leaves, hawthorn, orange blossoms and rosebuds.
The Moscow Mule was invented in 1941 by John G. Martin, who was an East Indian Food Distributor who sold ginger beer, and John “Jack” Morgan, the proprietor of the Cock ‘n’ Bull Tavern. They put the two together and obviously the rest is history.

Hauté Maté
Maté, Maté, and More Maté

We really can’t thank Santiago and Tanja enough for having us here tonight and we really wanted to make a special cocktail in honor of them and the space – which has brought a breath of fresh air and hometown love to Bend’s downtown.

The Haute Maté is has three different blends of mate in it with prana blend vanilla bean maté gomme syrup, traditional maté infused aged rum, and shanti maté tincture with a splash of fresh lemon, a dash of absinthe, Fee Bros 1864 Bitters and an egg white shake.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE COCKTAIL

Pick some liquors from the list
Tell us some flavors that you like
We’ll make you a cocktail

BEER

Boneyard Brewery :::: RPM IPA :::: Bend, OR $3 (10 oz)
Deschutes Abyss 09 :::: Imperial Stout :::: Bend, OR $6 (5 oz)
Boulevard Brewery :::: Imperial Pilsner :::: Kansas City $4 (5 oz)

ABSINTHE

What is Absinthe?

It is an anise-flavored spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as “grande wormwood”, together with green anise and sweet fennel. Absinthe traditionally has a natural green colour but can also be colorless. It is commonly referred to in historical literature as la fée verte (the Green Fairy).

Why was it illegal?
Politics of course.

OBSELLO

SPAIN
100 PROOF (grape spirit)

TASTING NOTE:

Hazy forest green color. Rich aromas of anise, saddle soap, orange spice cake, menthol, nuts, and mint tea follow through on soft, silky entry to a dryish medium-full body with accents of dried citrus and wintergreen. Finishes with a long, herbal anise seed and white pepper fade.
A big, brawny absinthe.

LUCID

FRANCE
124 PROOF (beet spirit)

TASTING NOTE:

Light green color. The aroma is spicy and herbal with nice amounts of anise and fennel.
Nice balance of anise and fennel and wormwood.
The finish has a hint of spiciness that is almost peppery.

VERSINTHE

FRANCE
90 Proof (grape spirit)

TASTING NOTE:

Very light and pale in color.
The nose is pretty with light anise and pretty floral botanicals.
Mellow with a lightly sweet profile but the finish is very bitter.
The finish has a herbaceous zing with a slight numbing and a tinge of bitterness.

VODKA
Crater Lake :::: Grain Mash :::: Bend, OR
diamond:::: Grain Mash :::: Bend, OR
Oregon Spirit Distiller :::: Pendleton Wheat :::: Bend, OR
Ultimat :::: Wheat, Potato, and rYE :::: POLAND
Dry Fly :::: Winter Wheat :::: Washington
Pearl :::: Winter Wheat :::: Canada
Medoyeff :::: Graiin Mash :::: Portland, OR
Blavod BLack Vodka :::: Grain Mash :::: Great Britain

FLAVORED VODKA
Square One :::: Botanical :::: Rigby, Idaho
42 Below :::: Honey Flavored :::: New Zealand
Pinky :::: 12 Botanicals :::: Sweden
Wasabe :::: Sake Flavored :::: The Netherlands
Svedka :::: Lemon :::: Sweden
Svedka :::: Clementine :::: Sweden
Pearl :::: Coconut :::: Canada
Mazama :::: Spicy Peppers :::: Bend, OR
Kofia :::: Coffee and Hazelnut :::: Bend, OR
Stolichnaya :::: Raspberry :::: Russia
Yazi :::: Ginger :::: Hood River, Oregon

GIN
Cascade Mountain:::: Bend, OR
Brokers :::: Great Britain
Ransom Old Tom Gin :::: Sheridan, OR

RUM
Cruzan :::: Coconut :::: St. Croix
1 Barrel :::: Belize
10 Cane :::: Trinidad
Appleton Estate :::: Jamaica
The Old Mill :::: Gold Rum :::: St. Croix (Finished in Oregon)
Batavia-Arrack :::: sugarcane and red rice :::: Java, Indonesia
Cachaça 51 :::: Brazil

WHISKEY
Makers 46 :::: Kentucky, USA
Knob Creek :::: Kentucky, USA
Four Roses Small Batch ::::Kentucky, USA
Jefferson Small Batch ::::Kentucky, USA
Pendleton:::: Canada
McCallan 12 :::: Speyside, Scotland
Glenlivet 18 :::: Speyside, Scotland
Bushmills Black Bush :::: ireland

TEQUILA
CorrAlejos :::: Anejo
Aha Toro :::: Anejo
Chamucos :::: Reposado
Corzo:::: Silver

COGNAC
Hennessy XO :::: France
Hennessy VSOP :::: France

LIQUEURS
Worker Bee :::: honey Mash :::: Yamhill County, Oregon
Blackmaker :::: Root Beer :::: Lewiston, Maine
Tuaca :::: Brandy Base with Vanilla and Orange :::: Italy
St. Germain :::: elderflowers :::: france
Canton :::: Ginger :::: France
Chambord :::: Black Raspberry :::: France
Tópas :::: Black Licorice :::: Iceland
Pimm’s :::: It’’s a secret – but light fruity flavor :::: Great Britain
Bénédictine :::: Herbal :::: France

SIPPING BITTERS
Fernet Branca :::: Italy
Branca Menta :::: Italy
Luxardo Bitters :::: Italy
Liquore Strega :::: Italy
Amaro Nonino :::: Italy
Averna Amaro Sicillano :::: Italy

AQUAVIT
Aalborg Akvavit :::: Denmark

SCHNAPPS
Brennivin :::: It will make you a man :::: Iceland
Kirschwasser :::: Cherry :::: Portland, Oregon

GRAPPA
UvaViva Italiana di Poli :::: Italy

It’s been a chaotic week with the climax being the one of the other bartender’s departure, who is the bartender I work the weekends with. We met many years ago when she was a sassy line cook with the mouth of an ex-con. I spent half the time trying to decipher a charming accent that is part drawl, part bam, and part her own language mixed in with an occasional loud expletive to really drive the point home. Nonetheless, she has a heart of gold, works like a mule, never says no, and will always go the extra mile – so when I was hiring a new bar assistant and she called me last year – it was an easy yes.

I feel lucky that I’ve been able to teach some truly awesome people how to bartend. Not only has it opened up a floodgate of one dollar bills in their lives, but in some cases it’s been the opportunity to learn who one is, hone one’s people skills, and learn to combat uber-levels of stress with a ridiculous smile on one’s face. And quite honestly, isn’t that the gift that keeps on giving.

Anyhow, I’m back from a mini four-day bender that started with the host’s birthday, moved on to the other bartender’s last night, proceeded with a bitch-ass going away party, and ended with a Monday afternoon champagne lunch and dinner bbq. Fortunately, it is not hard to go back to work when the job is to make a cocktails. I decided to make the juleps and smashes since my neighbors gave me a heap of mint from their garden to work with.

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

So what is the difference between and julep and a smash?
In the julep, the mint is stirred and treated very carefully. In a smash, the mint is smashed (and typically steeped for longer). Otherwise, they are very similar. Thomas also calls for a tiny bit of water in the smash, but otherwise all the smashes and juleps consist of a base spirit, mint, and sugar.

A newspaper article from 1901 perhaps says it best, “Steep your mint leaves in whiskey over night; don’t crush them with a spoon. If you do you are making a mint smash, not a julep.”

The Real Georgia Mint Julep

1.5 ounces of Cognac
1.5 ounces of peach brandy
1 teaspoon of fine white sugar
3-4 mint sprigs

In a tumbler add the sugar to the water until it is dissolved, then add the mint, and then the brandy. Then stir the drink with a spoon (at this point I would let it steep for five – ten minutes) and then add shaved ice.

This drink is delicious and take time this week and make yourself one, especially since Thomas worried about the future of this drink, “The mint julep still lives, but it is by no means fashionable. Poor juleps have ruined the reputation of the South’s most famous drink.”

O.K. this isn’t peach, but this is a nice spin on The Real Georgia Mint Julep and I would be proud to name it The Real Oregon Mint Julep

The Real Oregon Mint Julep

1.5 ounces of brandy
1.5 ounces of pear brandy*
1 teaspoon of fine white sugar
*(Might I recommend Clear Creek Distillery’s Williams Pear Brandy. It takes 30 pounds of pears to make one bottle and they also make a bottle with an actual pear in it – the pear has to grow inside the bottle meaning that they have an orchard with bottles hanging off of the trees).

Mint Julep

3 ounces of brandy
2.5 teaspoons of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint

Mix the sugar and water together, carefully press the mint into the mixture (at this point I would let it steep for five – ten minutes). Remove the mint, add the brandy and fill with shaved ice. Take the mint and use it as a garnish, allowing the leaves to make a bouquet. Add berries, a slice of orange, and a dash of dark rum and serve with a straw.

What a hit!  I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve never made a mint julep correctly. Usually I muddle the mint (for time’s sake), make it with whiskey and I’ve never added berries, oranges, or a dash of rum. This is absolutely delicious!

Gin Julep

3 ounces of gin (I totally recommend the Ransom’s Old Tom Pre-Prohibition style gin)
2.5 teaspoons of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint

Mix the sugar and water together, carefully press the mint into the mixture (at this point I would let it steep for five – ten minutes). Remove the mint, add the brandy and fill with shaved ice. Take the mint and use it as a garnish, allowing the leaves to make a bouquet.

Whiskey Julep

3 ounces of whiskey
2.5 teaspoons of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint

Mix the sugar and water together; carefully press the mint into the mixture (at this point I would let it steep for five – ten minutes). Remove the mint, add the brandy and fill with shaved ice. Take the mint and use it as a garnish, allowing the leaves to make a bouquet.

Pineapple Julep

(Not quite sure why this is called a julep as it doesn’t call for any mint.)

Recipe for one drink
1 ounces of raspberry syrup
1 ounces of Maraschino Liqueur
1 ounces of Old Tom Gin
2 ounces of sparkling wine
2 pieces of pineapple
Stir and add ice

Recipe for a punch bowl
4 ounces of raspberry syrup
4 ounces of Maraschino Liqueur
4 ounces of Old Tom Gin
1 quart of sparkling wine
1 ripe pineapple

Mix everything together in a punch bowl and add ice. Garnish with seasonal berries.

Raspberry syrup recipe
1/2 cup puréed raspberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Bring the sugar and water to heat until it begins to bubble. Pull it off the burner, let it cool and add ½ cup raspberry purée.

Now for the smashes, which tend to be a lot mintier.

How long should I let the mint steep for?
I would say no less than 15 minutes, I’ve done ten minute steeps before and that is really the minimum to get any sort of mintiness out of the leaf. I would recommend overnight if possible and if you are making these drinks for a bar – I would steep by the fifth or half-gallon so people don’t have to wait 15 minutes for a cocktail. I’ve also had good luck using mint tea bags if you don’t have any good mint (two mint teabags to one fifth whiskey has worked well).

Brandy Smash

2 ounces of brandy
3 to 4 sprigs of mint
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of white sugar

Thomas tells his readers to press the mint in the sugar water, but I think you are going to get a much better smash allowing the mint to steep in the spirit first and then adding the other ingredients.

Add the water and sugar and garnish with a slice of orange and a fresh sprig of mint.

Gin Smash

2 ounces of gin
3 to 4 sprigs of mint
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of white sugar

Thomas tells his readers to press the mint in the sugar water, but I think you are going to get a much better smash allowing the mint to steep in the spirit first and then adding the other ingredients.

Add the water and sugar and garnish with a slice of orange and a fresh sprig of mint.

Whiskey Smash

(delicious!)
2 ounces of whiskey
3 to 4 sprigs of mint
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of white sugar

Thomas tells his readers to press the mint in the sugar water, but I think you are going to get a much better smash allowing the mint to steep in the spirit first and then adding the other ingredients.

Add the water and sugar and garnish with a slice of orange and a fresh sprig of mint.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

I have two types of company, those who open the doors to our bulging full cabinets and smile as they to find that there is no food lurking in these dark abscesses, but rather – bottles upon bottles of distilled spirits.   These are the ones who get giddy with anticipation of a flaming cocktails and a raging house party. But there are also those who catch a peak and cannot understand why any one human being would ever need even a tenth as much liquor as I own. From absinthe, to aquavit, to just plain ol’ vodka – there is a bottle for everyone in there. I cannot help myself if I see a bottle somewhere that I’ve never had before, I must buy it. And before I know it – it is befriending tens of other bottles that only have a sip taken from them. The problem lie when I have company that opens up the cabinets and deems that their son married an alcoholic, which is only exacerbated by the fact that I keep vampire hours and work in a bar.

Thus, I found myself trying to clean out the cabinets today – not quite sure where to stash everything and I finally decided on creating a bar shelf in my office – which now looks like I really can’t stay away for more than a couple of minutes. (But the wholesomeness it brought to the kitchen cabinet cannot be rivaled as the Corn Pops no longer reside wedged between three bottles of tequila and a bottle of Dekuyper triple sec – don’t ask. ) The crazy irony being that now that all the alcohol is right next to me, the bottle of Obsello Absinthe is a lot more tantalizing now that it sits in my peripheral vision.  Surely it is not the wind whispering over to me, “You look soooooo thirsty.”

Anyhow, the exciting news is that I am going to take all of these crazy bottles and do a sort of “open mic” night on Repeal Day with all the local mixologists. It will just be us, a lot of alcohol, and some creativity, which I do believe, equals a good time. If you happen to be in Bend, drop by The Blacksmith and join in on the fun (December 5 is Repeal Day! Mark it on your calendars.)

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

For the meantime, I’ve been plugging away on the Jerry Thomas Project. I made a bunch of the cobblers – but I’m going to make some again after tomorrow’s farmers market (as they call for fresh berries and I’d like to get a nice photo). So I will wait to write about them. For the meantime, I made the Daisy drinks. I made the Whiskey Daisy a long time ago and it is actually on the Happy Hour menu at The Blacksmith. To make any the Daisy drinks you first need to make orgeat syrup, which is an almost syrup, or gum syrup (which is a pain in the ass and I recommend just using simple syrup). But here’s the link if you want to make gum (gomme)  syrup (you will have to purchase gum arabic on-line first – which is hard to find, so here’s the link).

As for orgeat syrup:

How do you say orgeat? OR Szhaaht

The simplest orgeat syrup (although the flavor will not be as complex) is to make a simple syrup and add a dash or two of almond extract.

Easy Peasy Japanesy Orgeat Syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 dashes almond extract

Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Take off the heat. Let cool and ad the almond extract.

To make a much tastier Orgeat Syrup, please follow this recipe.

Q’s Orgeat Syrup
2 cups blanched almonds
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 orange
1 teaspoon almond extract

Bring the almonds, water, sugar and one cut orange to a boil – take off the heat and let sit overnight.
Squeeze the orange of any fruit juice it might still have and add one teaspoon almond extract after the syrup has cooled. Strain the almonds and orange remnants out of the syrup.

* TO MAKE YOUR OWN ALMOND EXTRACT

If you are really ambitious, I recommend making your own almond extract – which is pretty simple. Take 2 cups 151 proof rum and allow 1 cup blanched almonds (you can toast the almonds for a nuttier flavor) to steep for two weeks. Strain the almonds off and you will have a fantastic almond extract. You’ll find this almond extract doesn’t have the perfumy, amaretto flavor you find in store bought almond extract.

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Brandy Daisy

2 ounces of brandy
2 dashes of Jamaican Rum
1 ounce of lemon
1/4 ounce of orange curaçao
1/3 ounce of gum syrup (if you are using regular simple syrup – please substitute 1 ounce as it is not as sweet as gum syrup)

Shake, strain, add ice and top with seltzer water.

Whiskey Daisy

2 ounces of bourbon or rye whiskey (I prefer bourbon, although my father is a rye man)
1 ounce of lemon
1 ounce of orgeat syrup

Shake, strain, add ice and top with seltzer water.

Santa Cruz Rum Daisy

2 dashes of Santa Cruz Rum (Santa Cruz refers to Virgin Islands rum, but any rum will do)
1 ounce of lemon
3 dashes of orange curacao or Maraschino
1/3 ounce of gum syrup (if you are using regular simple syrup – please substitute 1 ounce as it is not as sweet as gum syrup)

Shake, strain, add ice and top with seltzer water.

Gin Daisy

2 ounces of genever gin (but you can use any gin if that’s what you have lying around – I would like to think that Jerry Thomas wasn’t so uptight that he wouldn’t just use what was in his cabinet)
1 ounce of lemon
3 dashes of Maraschino
1/3 ounce of gum syrup or 1 ounce of orgeat syrup (your choice – I like it better with the orgeat syrup)

Shake, strain, add ice and top with seltzer water.

I do love the Whiskey Daisy – it’s still my fave of the daisy drinks. I have to say that I always find when you mix rum with lemon juice and sugar; it tends to taste like cider – which the Santa Cruz Daisy definitely hints at.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

First I have to say, I am way behind on the Jerry Thomas Project and in order to get through all of the drinks by the end of the year, I’ve got to bump it up a notch. More than anything, you are going to see a lot more recipes popping up on the blog. So now it will most likely be the case that after every posting there will be a Jerry Thomas recipe that I made that day.

Otherwise, it’s a crazy week. It’s my birthday today, which is the first day of Virgo. Let’s just say I’m not that into astrology, but whenever I read horoscopes that have more contextual basis (i.e. what planet your moon is in or what sun your shnixna is in) I can’t help but find they are uncomfortably true. Anyhow, I work at an amazing restaurant with one of the best staffs that I’ve ever had the pleasure to be around and out of the 18 people that work there, five have birthdays between August 23 and August 26. A matter of fact, the other bartender that I work with the most, shares the exact same birthday as me. Guess the Virgo cuspers just make damn good restaurant workers. Happy Birthday to Justin, Keea, Dryden, and Clare!

A couple of interesting tidbits about the Virgo

Virgo is the only zodiacal sign represented by a female – but that doesn’t make a Virgo a pussy.

Virgos are probably smarter than you.

Virgos can get along with people of other signs, but they mostly just like other Virgos and an occasional Capricorn.

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The Jerry Thomas Project

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

I was hoping to work on some more intriguing Jerry Thomas cocktails on Sunday, but we decided spur of the moment to host a party after the March Fourth Marching Band concert.  (If you have never seen them, they are a 20 piece marching band with stilt walkers, burlesque dancers, and a hell of a lot of spunk!)   As it was the third late night (being that there was a dj until 2:30 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), I decided to make something easy and I figured that I couldn’t go wrong with The Sling – which just involves adding sugar and water to a base spirit. Sometimes I wonder why Mr. Thomas even bothered naming all of these drinks and cataloging them (my guess is that was being paid by the word.)

Brandy Sling

1 teaspoon of Baker’s sugar
2 ounces of water
2 ounces of brandy
Ice

Dissolve the sugar in the water, add the spirit and ice and stir. Grate a little nutmeg to finish.

Hot Brandy Sling

1 teaspoon of Baker’s sugar
4 ounces of hot water
2 ounces of brandy

Dissolve the sugar in a little hot water, add the spirit and hot water and stir. Grate a little nutmeg to finish.

Gin Sling

1 teaspoon of Baker’s sugar
2 ounces of water
2 ounces of gin
Ice

Dissolve the sugar in the water, add the spirit and ice and stir. Grate a little nutmeg to finish.

Hot Gin Sling

1 teaspoon of Baker’s sugar
4 ounces of hot water
2 ounces of gin

Dissolve the sugar in a little hot water, add the spirit and hot water and stir. Grate a little nutmeg to finish.

Whiskey Sling

1 teaspoon of Baker’s sugar
2 ounces of water
2 ounces of bourbon or rye whiskey
Ice

Dissolve the sugar in the water, add the spirit and ice and stir. Grate a little nutmeg to finish.

Hot Whiskey Sling

1 teaspoon of Baker’s sugar
4 ounces of hot water
2 ounces of bourbon or rye whiskey

Dissolve the sugar in a little hot water, add the spirit and hot water and stir. Grate a little nutmeg to finish.

Well a couple of things with this series of drinks. First, none of them are that great – so I wouldn’t even say to bother, unless you are sick – in that case the Brandy Sling or Hot Whiskey Sling could be great for a sore throat and to induce some much needed rest. Jerry Thomas also has a typo in his book here, as in the Gin Sling he calls for brandy. I give the recipe with gin, as I cannot imagine that the Gin Sling is made with brandy. The worst tasting one was the Hot Gin Sling, it catches you off guard to drink warm gin. Thomas also calls for boiling water, which I made the first hot drink with and it was terribly hot – so I call for hot water. Maybe Thomas had to burn his tongue first so that he couldn’t taste the Hot Gin Sling.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

I just got back from shooting the Oregon Bounty video and while I was looking through old cocktail books looking for ideas for a name – I kept bumping into the name sangaree, which just means that you add a little sugar to the base spirit with a quick pinch of nutmeg. It appears that sangaree and sangria are similar in word origin and sangria is wine with sugar and fruit – so they have some similarities.

Anyhow, because I love the word so much I spent this afternoon concocting Thomas’ sangarees – of which he has six recipes: Port Wine Sangaree, Sherry Sangaree, Brandy Sangaree, Gin Sangaree, Ale Sangaree, and Porter Sangaree. To pretend that the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar really changes the taste of the base spirit that much would be a terrible lie. Certainly you can taste the presence of the sugar, but for the most part the cocktail tastes almost the same as if you had just drank the base spirit neat. The nutmeg adds an interesting component and was delightful where I least expected it, as in the gin sangaree.

This is a cocktail that you might want to ensure that you use a high-quality sipping spirit as there isn’t much to hide the flavor. The only sherry I had to work with was cooking sherry, and there was much to be desired (like something even in the slightest bit palatable!) Anyhow, please enjoy as they are perhaps the easiest of the Thomas drinks to make, except for the small detail that I don’t know how much of each spirit to put in the glass as he calls for one claret-glass. David Wondrich doesn’t mention this measurement in Imbibe – his detailed book about Mr. Thomas nor does Harry Johnson mention this measurement in his book. As I have nothing else to go on, my guess is that it is the same as the wineglass measurement or 2 ounces.

Port Wine Sangaree

2 ounces of port
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
2 to 3 cubes of ice
shake and strain with grated nutmeg on the top

Sherry Sangaree

2 ounces of sherry
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
2 to 3 cubes of ice
shake and strain with grated nutmeg on the top

Brandy Sangaree

2 ounces of brandy
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
2 to 3 cubes of ice
shake and strain with grated nutmeg on the top

Gin Sangaree

2 ounces of gin (might I recommend the Ransom Old Tom Gin)
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
2 to 3 cubes of ice
shake and strain with grated nutmeg on the top

Ale Sangaree

2 ounces of water
1 teaspoon of sugar
dissolve the sugar in the water, now top with ale
grate a little nutmeg on the top

Porter Sangaree

2 ounces of water
1 teaspoon of sugar
dissolve the sugar in the water, now top with porter
grate a little nutmeg on the top

My favorite – definitely the brandy sangaree with the porter coming in at a close second.

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

So I have a new hire who is about to bartend her first bartending shift and I was about to e-mail her 30 drinks every bartender should know and looking for a list (so I wouldn’t have to make it) and almost every list I found was absolutely ridiculous. For example, one site listed the Bocci Ball (don’t know what it is, probably never will as in 12 years no one has ever ONCE asked me for one). Or the Freddy Fudpacker (aka The Cactus Banger) – once again NEVER HEARD anyone order either of these ever ONCE.

I’m not naming any drinks on this list where the ingredients are the name i.e. vodka tonic, amaretto sour, or gin and juice.

1. Apple Martini
2. AMF (Adios Mother Fucker)
3. B-52
4. Black/White Russian
5. Bloody Mary
6. Buttery Nipple
7. Cosmopolitan
8. Gimlet
9. Greyhound
10. Daiquiri
11. Jager Bomb
12. Kamikaze
13. Irish Car Bomb
14. Irish Coffee
15. Lemon Drop
16. Long Island Ice Tea
17. Manhattan
18. Margarita
19. Martini
20. Mojito
21. Old Fashion
22. Rusty Nail
23. Salty Dog
24. Screwdriver
25. Sex on the Beach
26. Sidecar
27. Spanish Coffee
28. Surfer on Acid
29. Tequila Sunrise
30. Redheaded Slut

How To Make the Top Cocktails Every Bartender Should Know

Apple Martini
I hate to even put this on the list, but it is a cocktail that I get an order for at least once a weekend. What I hate to admit more is that I recently re-tasted Dekuyper Apple Pucker for the first time in many years and I actually liked it as it tasted just like Sour Patch candy, which I love.

3 oz Apple Pucker, 2 oz Vodka, (can add 1 oz fresh lime sour if you happen to have something like that in your bar) shake and serve up with a bright red maraschino cherry

AMF (Adios Mother Fucker)
My close friend Erica has determined that this drink order is always proceeded by the contraction Ka’ Getta.
This is basically a Long Island Ice Tea without the coke and some blue curacao instead. I have to admit, I make Long Islands with vodka and triple sec, and I’ve found them to be undeniably more palatable.
2 oz. vodka (or more depending at the type of bar you work at), 1 oz triple sec, 1 oz blue curacao, 2 oz. Lime sour (or margarita mix or sweet and sour). Serve in a pint glass.

B-52
You should always ask if the guest wants it as a coffee drink, on the rocks or as a shot.
Equal parts Baileys, Kahlua, and Grand Marnier

Black/White Russian
The Black Russian is equal parts vodka and Kahlua (or a coffee-flavored liqueur). A White Russian is the same, except you add a little cream.

Bloody Mary
It took me years to perfect my Bloody Mary recipe and I’m not about to divulge it here on this blog. But I recommend spending some time in the kitchen with the following ingredients and seeing what you come up with – tomato juice (consider fresh squeezing – you’ve be amazed), celery salt, lemon juice, Worchester Sauce, brine, olive juice, bullion, dill, black pepper, a spicy sauce, and anything else of interest in your spice cabinet.

Buttery Nipple
A shot that is half Bailey’s and half butterscotch schnapps.

Cosmopolitan
What has become the great American female cocktail of this century is a cocktail that I really believe every bartender should have a little bit of their own flair on. This drink really depends on if your bar carries fresh lime or Rose’s lime and although I don’t personally carry Rose’s lime I’ve had a mighty tasty Cosmo made with Rose’s Lime so I don’t want to knock it.
Ingredient list: cranberry juice, vodka, orange liqueur, and Rose’s lime (or fresh lime and simple)

Gimlet
The guest should always be asked if they want a vodka or gin gimlet and if they want it up or on the rocks. This drink is just booze and limejuice, either fresh or Rose’s. I typically ask the guest how sweet they want it, as many people like the syrupy taste of Rose’s (which can be mimicked with a lot of simple syrup and fresh-squeezed lime juice) but others just want a couple squeezes of fresh lime.

Daiquiri
A daiquiri is really just a gimlet made with rum.

Greyhound
Vodka and grapefruit

Jager Bomb
One shot of Jägermeister dropped into half a pint glass of Red Bull.

Kamikaze
You should ask the guest if they want this drink as a shot, up, or on the rocks. Typically, they want it as a shot – but it never hurts to ask.
Equal parts lime juice, simple, vodka, and triple sec

Irish Car Bomb
A shot which is composed of half Jameson and half Baileys dropped into half of a pint glass of Guinness Irish Stout.

Irish Coffee
Unfortunately, many guests don’t know what an Irish Coffee is and I often times have a guest order Irish Coffee thinking that they are going to get Bailey’s and coffee. I would recommend always clarifying with the guest if they meant Jameson or Bailey’s in their coffee.
An Irish Coffee should be a shot of Irish Whiskey and coffee (some people add a hint of sugar).  I also like to add a hint of Angostura bitters.  I once worked at a restaurant that poured a little splash of green crème de menthe over the top of the whipped cream, but I’ve heard conflicted viewpoints concerning this garnish.

Lemon Drop
You should ask the guest if they want it as a shot or a cocktail (or it might just be apparently obvious as to what time of the night it is or the atmosphere where you work.)
Equal parts Vodka (can use a flavor or citrus to change the flavor), fresh squeezed lemon, and simple syrup. The rim is typically sugared on this cocktail.

Long Island Ice Tea
As I earlier said, I like to make my Long Islands using only vodka and triple sec, I’ve found them to be undeniably more palatable.
2 oz. vodka (or more depending at the type of bar you work at), 1 oz triple sec, 2 oz. Lime sour (or margarita mix or sweet and sour) and a splash of Coke for color. Serve in a pint glass with a lemon wedge.

Manhattan
I don’t personally like a lot of sweet vermouth in my Manhattan, so I make them one part sweet vermouth and five parts bourbon with a couple of splashes of Angostura bitters. Make sure to ask up or on the rocks and it is traditionally served with a maraschino cherry. I although I get more and more people who say they don’t want the cherry.

Margarita
I would recommend either making a good lime sour or buying a good fresh pack margarita mix. Then it is just two parts tequila, one part orange liqueur, and three parts lime sour or mix. Serve on the rocks or blended with the guest’s preference of salt.

Martini
Although traditionally gin – one should now ask if the guest prefers vodka or gin. Probably 70% of the time the guest wants vodka with olives, but the garnish should also be discussed. Extra Dry means no vermouth. Dry means almost no vermouth. Wet means vermouth.  Served up or on the rocks – this drink is all gin or vodka with perhaps a tiny splash of vermouth.

Mojito
The mojito has taken the U.S. by storm in the last ten years. Start with some fresh mint leaves, muddle them. Add 2 ounces of rum, two teaspoons sugar, and 1 ounce of lime. Shake, serve over ice with soda water.

Old Fashion
This is the cocktail that turned me into a whiskey drinker, which is still my spirit of choice, so there is a very special place in my heart for this cocktail. Muddle a piece of orange and a maraschino cherry with Angostura bitters and a sugar cube. Add two ounces of whiskey and ice. Top with your choice of soda or water.

Rusty Nail

Equal parts Drambuie and Scotch. (If you are wondering what Drambuie is, it is a liqueur made from Scotch whiskey and heather honey which contains a secret blend of herbs and botanicals – a couple of good guesses are saffron, anise, and nutmeg.)

Salty Dog
This is just a greyhound (vodka and grapefruit) with a salted rim.

Screwdriver
Vodka and orange juice. (Screw in the title of a drink typically denotes that there will be oj in it.)

Sex on the Beach
I think many believe that this drink went out in the mid 80s, but I still get quite a few orders for it.  It is vodka, peach schnapps, and oj.

Sidecar
The Sidecar can be thought of as a margarita made with brandy instead of tequila. It is typically served up with a sugar rim.

Spanish Coffee
Every bartender has their own little flair on the Spanish coffee – but the gist of it is a sugar rim that is caramelized by lighting Bicardi 151 and allowing the flame to flicker on the rim of the glass. While the fire is still lit, add cinnamon and nutmeg which will spark and add a bit of show to the presentation. Tia Maria (or another coffee liqueur) and brandy finish the drink off. Should ask if the guest wants whipped cream.

Surfer on Acid
I never can remember what this is and I although I don’t get a lot of orders for it, I do think it is something that every bartender should know. It is one of the most cliché shots and it is probably just a sign of my snobbery that I refuse to remember its simple ingredients. Equal parts Jägermeister, Malibu (coconut) rum, and pineapple juice.

Tequila Sunrise
Tequila, orange juice, served on the rocks with a small drizzle of grenadine to make it look like a sunrise.

Redheaded Slut
Another shot (although I have a fair amount of people order this like a cocktail) that I often times have to look up – but once again I think you should probably know what is in it. Equal parts Jägermeister, peach schnapps, and cranberry juice.

What do you think is missing from the list?

*******Bonus material for the aspiring bartender to know*******

Rocks – you only say rocks for a spirit that will be served with no mixer. Vodka tonic always gets rocks – but if you someone orders a whiskey, you should find out if the guest wants it rocks or neat.

Press - half soda water and half seven-up. (I recently heard the term sonic for half soda water and half tonic)

Up – to be served shaken and strained into a cocktail glass.

Neat - no ice. Typically in reference to whiskey.

Perfect – a splash of sweet vermouth and dry vermouth.

Dry – very little or no vermouth

With a Twist – using a channeler to remove part of the skin from a lemon so that the oils spray into the drink. The twist is then used to rim the outside of the glass.

Dirty – with olive juice

Back - a small drink to go behind a neat pour or a shot. I.e. a beer back would be a little beer or a coke back with be a small glass of Coke. Typically, the guest doesn’t pay for the back, it’s a little bonus tagged onto their drink.

The Jerry Thomas Project is the re-creation of all of Jerry Thomas’ cocktails from Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide: Receipts for Mixing in their purest form. Jerry Thomas is considered America’s father of mixology publishing the first cocktail book in 1862.

It’s finally summer time in the Pacific Northwest and even on the eastern side of The Cascades it is approaching one of the only times in the year when it is truly hot and sunny. Therefore, I thought it would be nice to make a Jerry Thomas cocktail that was easy drinking and perfect for summer – thus his line-up of sours. Thomas has six different Sours listed in his book: Santa Cruz Sour (I made this a while back – here’s the link), Gin Sour, Whiskey Sour, Brandy Sour, Jersey Sour, and Egg Sour. For the most part, they are simple concoctions of powdered sugar, lemon juice, and booze. They are all quite easy to palette and I do believe that any would be a refreshing beverage choice this summer.

Gin Sour

1 teaspoon white sugar dissolved in an ounce of seltzer water
3 dashes of lemon juice
2 ounces of gin (might I recommend Ransom Old Tom Gin, which is a pre-prohibition style gin made right here in Oregon. It’s quite delicious!)

Fill a glass with ice, shake, and serve up with pieces of orange, pineapple, and/or berries.

Whiskey Sour

1 teaspoon white sugar dissolved in an ounce of seltzer water
The juice of one small lemon
2 ounces of bourbon or rye whiskey (might I recommend Jefferson’s for bourbon and for a great deal on rye – Rittenhouse which is quite delicious for the price, typically less than $20 a bottle)

Fill a glass with ice, shake, and serve up with berries.

Brandy Sour

1 teaspoon white sugar dissolved in an ounce of seltzer water
The juice from half of a lemon
2 ounces of brandy (I use the Paul Masson in a lot of mixed drinks, it is an exceptional value for a mid-range brandy.)

Fill a glass with ice, shake, and serve up with pieces of orange and berries.

Jersey Sour

1 teaspoon white sugar dissolved in an ounce of water
2 – 3 dashes of lemon juice
2 ounces of apple jack (most people have heard of Laird’s applejack, but might I recommend trying Clear Creek Apple Brandy distilled right here in Oregon from local fruit distilled in copper pot stills)

Egg Sour

1 teaspoon or powdered white sugar
3 dashes of lemon juice
1 ounce of Curacoa
1 ounce of brandy
1 egg
ice

Fill a glass with ice, shake, and serve without ice.

I would have to say that my favorite is probably the Egg Sour – it is really frothy and the lemon juice balances out the Curacoa. If you have a decent liquor cabinet, make them all next time you have people over and drink them all side by side – a fun way to try six different Jerry Thomas drinks without much work (as all of them have the same mixers).

To check out other Jerry Thomas Project recipes – click here.

This past Saturday I was honored to judge the Bite of Bend’s Cocktail Competition.  The contest was limited to four of Bend’s finest mixologists as they shook, stirred, and blended what they considered their best drink.  I judged with Mark Merrick, owner of one of Oregon’s top selling liquor stores and the Number #1 spirits geek I know and Chris Justema, the owner of Cascade Lakes Brewery, who makes one of Bend’s most popular beers Blonde Bombshell.

Brad Irwin took top honors with his Marion berry Slurry.

Marionberry Slurry

4-5 marionberries

1 sugar cube

2 shakes Angostura bitters

juice from 1/4 of a muddled lemon

2 oz Aviation Gin

1 oz Benedictine

1 oz Clear Creek Kirschwasser

2 oz pineapple juice

Garnish: One Asian Pear cut as a butterfly

Shake and serve in a cocktail glass

Irwin’s drink was perfectly balanced, textured, and gorgeous.

It was also an exciting week for Irwin as he is launching his own distillery, Oregon Spirits Distillers, this year and the first batch of vodka is ready to be approved and labeled.  It is a wheat vodka and they do the mash, fermenting, and distilling in their little distillery right here in Bend.  Irwin is hoping it will be to market by the end of July.  They are also working on an absinthe, a berry liqueur, and a whiskey (although that is many years out).

Congratulations Brad!!!!!!