The Bartender Diaries: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

I first became pals with blogger / bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler when I was in Thailand about 2 years ago. I was on vacation with my husband, and when I checked my blog, I saw that some guy in Oregon referred to me as the “Cocktail Goddess to the Rich and Famous.” Needless to say, I snapped him up as my new male BFF that very moment, and have held him in fond esteem ever since. Not only is he one of the few professional bartenders who has a way with the written word, but his sharp wit and biting humor will leave you laughing, crying, somewhat bewildered -and you’ll come away from it having learned something, too.

Jeffrey has been bartending since 1996 after tossing a coin between being a dishwasher or a bartender, and drunk chicks at bars all around the Northwest are thanking their lucky stars ole’ Morgenthaler ain’t stuck in the back of the kitchen. The other interesting sidenote of Jeffrey’s story is that he chose bartending to get over his “shyness and difficulty speaking in public,” which made me laugh so hard I peed a little. Anyone who’s met the guy (and seen him work his magic on the ladies) wouldn’t buy that line if it were on sale in the blue light special.

While many people look to Jeffrey as a mentor behind the bar, he says that he didn’t really “get into” the kind of bartending he does today until the late 90’s. He was turned onto mixology via San Francisco Paul Harrington’s now defunct Hotwired Cocktail site. Jeffery points out, “His passion for bartending as a craft, understanding of its history, and elegant prosaic writing style inspired me to delve deeper into the profession I'd already been a part of for several years.”

Morgenthaler says he got kicked out of, I mean worked at, just about every bar in Eugene, Oregon before recently moving to Portland, to work at Clyde Common which he calls “a big, busy, urban gastropub,” and says he loves.

Jeffrey says that he’s not the most prolific bartender in terms of new creations, but likes to rediscover the drinks he’s made a thousand times before, pointing out, “One of the best philosophies I've heard on cooking is that to learn how to cook, you must first perfect the egg.”

We all know that behind every great man, there is a woman, and Jeffrey credits a lady named Nancy Bertini as having who trained him. He refers to her as, “Firm yet hospitable with the rough-and-tumble clientele, Nancy knew how to command a room.” Later, when he started got into spirits and cocktails, he’d watch the better bartenders work, while simultaneously soaking up cocktailian wisdom from Paul Harrington, Trader Vic, Charles H. Baker, among others.

When Jeffrey started his blog around 2004, the original intention was to keep a portfolio of architectural and web design work, and show off the occasional pictures of pets, vacations, etc. However, he noticed that people were particularly interested in his cocktail posts, so he took it that direction. Because he works behind a bar, his blog appeals to both bartenders and enthusiasts who appreciate a professional perspective.

Jeffrey particularly likes drinking what he calls “very feminine cocktails,” which doesn’t mean he wants "girlie" drinks, but rather a delicate balance of flavors with depth and sophistication. In his words, “Order a Cosmopolitan, and then order a Negroni. It's like discovering the difference between a young girl and a woman. And I think that's where the beauty of the cocktail lies.” (Do you see what I mean about making the ladies swoon?)

While he considers a bar “a sacred social place,” he likes to spend his time off walking, swimming, reading and cooking. Jeffrey explains, “Nothing beats being barefoot in the kitchen, listening to music and sipping wine while I cook. And at least once a week, I like to have someone cook for me - going to a restaurant and trying something new with good company is one of life's great pleasures.”

So, how does a guy who’s charming, cooks and makes a mean cocktail stay single? “The hours and the lifestyle can be tough on a relationship,” explains Jeff. “I make a point of spending as much time outside of bars as I can…but the words of Willie Nelson always ring in my ears: ‘The nightlife ain't a good life, but it's my life.’”

Jeffrey’s latest role model is a German bartender named Gonçalo De Souza Monteiro whom he met while delivering a presentation at the BCB in Berlin this past fall, “We have similar career arcs - both exploring architecture before falling in love with bartending - and a very similar set of bartending philosophies,” he says. “I think he's one of the best practicing bartenders out there right now, and sadly very few people in the United States know who he is. I hope to help change that.”

Jeffrey’s dream is: “to help restore the profession of bartending to its rightful place as the original American contribution to the culinary arts” and to travel the world doing just that. His favorite drinks are many: Manhattan, the perfect Old Fashioned and Mint Julep, and refers to the Sidecar as his “first love.” Jeff shares, “ Right now I often find myself thirsty for a Daiquiri made with aged rum (I love using El Dorado 15 for this), 2:1 simple syrup and fresh lime. When the proportions are spot on, few things are better.”

Indeed, just as with people, the perfect cocktail is all about the balance. Cheers, Mr. Morgenthaler.
Xo Your pal, The Cocktail Goddess to the Rich and Famous

The First Ever, Soon-to-be Annual Swag Off!!!

Ok, this was totally under the radar, and you had to kinda hear about it by chance... so don't be offended if you weren't there...

My pal - both online AND now in person, thanks to Tales '08 - the dynamic Mr. Jeffrey Morgenthaler had the brilliant idea to create a cocktail competition using only what was found in his Swag Bag.

He enlisted his other pal, Oregon-based writer Lizzie Caston to report on the event. And, of course, I made sure to get it as a feature presentation in my "Daily Recap Webisodes." There are even three all-star judges from around the country... (two belong to the lovely and talented "Ladies of Lupec Boston."

Read Lizzie's article on Jeff's blog, and catch the video on mine, click on Episode 4.

(Photo is courtesy of Lizzie Caston and Jeffrey Morgenthaler)

Is a Bartender a Better Cocktail Blogger?

I have been a long time admirer, and “cyber friend” of Jeffrey Morgenthaler. I like the guy and have mentioned him many times on The Liquid Muse. That's why I was a little taken aback by the snide tone in this declaration in a Mixology Monday post (where, by the way, all are welcome):

“There are a few reasons why I’m more excited than ever for Mixology Monday this month. First of all, I’m beside myself because our host is Jimmy Patrick, who is a fellow bartender and a good friend. Bartenders are a surprisingly rare breed in this little cocktail blogger community of ours, so he and I are often awash in a sea of pundits.”

I would like to interject, at this point, the definition of “pundit:”

"A pundit is someone who offers mass-media opinion, analysis or commentary on a particular subject area on which they are presumed to be knowledgeable…the term has been increasingly applied to popular media personalities lacking special expertise … it can be used in a derogative manner."

Now, I realize that Jeffrey was not singling me out – cuz I'm neither an "active" bartender nor a pundit, last time I checked - so I’m not going to get all “girly” on you here. However, the sentiment that as bartenders Jimmy and Jeffrey are "awash in a sea of pundits" raised my eyebrows…

Is one to believe that only a bartender holds the esteemed credentials to be a valid cocktail blogger? And, who exactly differentiates a “pundit” from an “expert?” And, to go one step further… let’s talk about the definition of a blog. Is it a “web log” more of a forum of the written word, or one of proving who can slam out '29 cosmos for the bachelorette party on table 10' in five minutes flat?

And, really, does it matter? Isn’t this quibbling over petty crap anyway?

One thing I appreciate about “our little cocktail blogger community” is that every single cocktail blogger brings something to the table. Some report on tiki drinks, or others are passionate about bringing astrology into the mix. Some collect cocktail shakers and others analyze whiskey from one country or another. And, most don’t work behind a bar. This ain’t the Bartenders Guild chat forum, after all.

While some people among us, like Jeffrey and Jimmy, are talented at both mixing drinks behind the bar and writing about them in front of the computer screen, a good many bartenders I know --- skilled, wonderful bartenders I’ve written about on my cocktail blog, in fact --- are not necessarily good writers. Grammar, spelling and good, old fashioned sentence structure is not their forte, and could be a reason they are better at working with their hands than with the turn of a phrase. But, shouldn’t they be welcomed to pull up a stool in the cocktail blogosphere anyway?

And, let’s not forget that a good many cocktail bloggers are indeed not bartenders but freelance journalists with a passion for Mixology who give bartenders, their establishments and the liquor they pour a helluva lot of free publicity! Some bartenders owe their escalating “Rockstar Status” to the people who make less in a week than a bartender does in a weekend, but continue to sit on their asses all day singing the praises of a drink they had at some hole in the wall.

Speaking for myself, I haven’t worked in a bar for a good, long while but I have to say that I love trying out recipes at home and get all lathered up over my little vintage cocktail books. I also love getting paid to create cocktail recipes for events and liquor companies. And, I particularly love writing about a great bartender. Because frankly, there aren’t so many of them out there. And, if one of them sits his or her butt down long enough to write blog post, I say, “bravo!” even if he doesn’t have a degree in Literature or Journalism or has even written his or her own high school term paper.

Isn’t a shared passion for the cocktail what "our little cocktail blogging community" ultimately has in common?

Let the Thanksgiving Cocktail Coverage Begin!

Wondering how to wash down the big bird on T-day? Give your guests one more reason to be grateful with a holiday-themed libation!

Stephen Beaumont of Nation's Restaurant News just wrote a fun round up of suggestions from Dale DeGroff, Tony Abou-Ganim, Jeffrey Morgenthaler and myself. Read the article here.*

Two Mixology legends - The King of Cocktails and The Modern Mixologist - give cocktail tips, the talented Mr. Morgenthaler has a great Wassail recipe featured, and I give suggestions on making low-cal cocktails.

*(You may need to register to read NRN's articles - which is free. And, if you're a food / drink lover, it behooves you to do so, anyway.)

Mixology Monday - A Little Sustenance with the Sauce...

You Won't Leave This Party Hungry!

Wow! What an awesome response to MixMo! This is the first time I’ve hosted one, and I have to admit that it was a little daunting to come up with a theme. So, I went with my heart (or maybe it was my stomach…) and chose a topic which increasingly intrigues me…

Cocktail and food pairings are a creative way to individualize each person’s dining experience. For example, four dinner companions may order four very different meals – in fact, so different that one bottle of wine wouldn’t work for every meal. I’m sure you’ll all be impressed with the many mout-watering suggestions below. Pull up a chair, tie a napkin around your neck, grab a glass and hold on tight! It’s MixMo!

I always like to begin a dinner party with a little bubbly. The “pop” of a champagne cork always sets the mood! I recently created a cocktail for the launch of Napa’s Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé. (I'll be getting a professional photo of this cocktail but haven’t yet, so I “borrowed” this pic from Starchefs, as it looks a teesy bit, kinda sorta similar.)

Cocktail: Bouquet of Rosé

1/2 ounce Scence Rose Nectar
4 ounces Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé
spritz of rose water
Sprig of fresh lavender

Spritz a chilled champagne bowl* (or martini glass) with rose water. Pour in rose nectar and Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé.

Aromatic Garnish: Lay a sprig of fresh lavender across the top of the glass.
*Because aromatics are an essential ingredient in this cocktail, a wide-mouthed glass is preferable.

Pairing: The LA launch party began at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and it was served with wonderful little lobster canapés, oysters and mini truffle risottos.

Drumroll Please... Here are everyone's submissions for a tasty meal from around the globe (including an encore performance). Cheers! Skol! Prost! Salud! (and Bon Apetit!)

Before Dinner:

Whet your appetite with a favorite bar snack! Darcy O’Neil brings a little science to the Art of Drink pairing, featuring his Light Green Fizz with Pretzels.

Hors D’oeuvres:

Anna at Morsels and Musings sent in this super cool round up of cocktail pairings with canapes at bars around Sydney, Australia. The pear-influenced martini with tuna ceviche sounds bloody fantastic, mate!

Soup:

Craig (aka: Dr. Bamboo) managed to send over a little “food porn.” I mean, am I really alone in getting all hot-and-bothered over Celery & Stilton Soup? Sexy it up even more with a martini: shaken, not stirred…

Salad:

A big, whopping to Happy Birthday to Jeffrey Morgenthaler who took time out of his celebration to send in his MixMo pairing. Such skill! Such dedication. You may be getting on in age, Jeffrey, but at least ya ain’t losin’ your touch, old buddy.

Fish:

I love salmon – and never had it wrapped in Parma ham… but now that I’ve read Jay Hepburn’s pairing, I can’t wait to try it with this “Martini Variation.” Oh gosh! A Jolly good idea, I dare say!

Blaire ‘Trader Tiki’ Reynolds sends us this exotic poisson cru and a tiki cocktail. (It gave me fantasies of running off to the South Pacific.)

Paul Clarke, Granddaddy of the MixMo, out did himself, as usual, with this salmon kedgeree and cocktail pairing (using one of the new ginger liqueurs, too)… Nobody chronicles the joy of cocktails like Cocktail Chronicles.

How about a little Absinthe? That's what Jamie Boudreau has used in the Dutchess cocktail paired with prawns over at Spirits and Cocktails.

Pasta:

Bar Mix Master, Brad Ellis represents The Big Easy in this month’s MixMo by pairing a twist on a Manhattan with Pastalaya. Wondering what the heck that is? Find out here.

Meat-n-More:

In Cocktail Land, we know Shawn by his drink blog, Rejiggered. Well, this Clarke Kent-like 'lawyer-by-day-blogger-by-night ' has now added a food blog to his repertoire. Get the low down on his MixMo drink at the usual spot, and the recipe for the intoxicating sauce (as in for the steak, not the glass) at The Biased Cut.

Deb Ward tempts and teases those of us who are hungry in L.A. with her food blog: Let’s Order / Dinner at Six. I extend a sunny So-Cal welcome to this first-time MixMo “purist.”

Anita & Cameron at Married With Dinner share more than a blissful life together. They also both have a passion for all that’s meaty, slathered and shaken.

He got me at: “Jalapeño short ribs, marinated in pomegranate molasses and bourbon, and mac and cheese.” Then, he paired it with whiskey. And, there is so much more! Feast on course after course of pairings with Michael Dietsch at A Dash of Bitters.

Meatless:

Gwen is our online Goddess who oversees the sun, moon and stars when it comes to pairing cocktails with astrology at Intoxicating Zodiac. In this post, she worked a little tofu into MixMo. (You can also learn how to ward off those pesky deer...)

Got No Freakin' Idea What This is But I'm Sure It's Good:

I am honored to present the first MixMo entry in a language other than English! Christian, from Bavaria, Germany, sent us this drink pairing featuring “wodka” and some other stuff, measured in centiliters, no less.

Dessert:

Let’s top this all off with an elegant dessert from Dominik MJ, the Opinionated Alchemist. Here’s a hint: there’s a gin-hibiscus infusion and lemon… well, just check it out for yourselves!

You’ll want to get Sloshed with Marleigh Riggins’ Cookie Martini (to go with a Chocolate Dipped Harvest Biscotti, no less!)

Drop off to sleep tonight with a big, fat smile and dream of a million fuzzy little sheep after Cynthia Closkey’s Hot Toddy and Oatmeal cookie. It makes me long for snow in North Hollywood, just so I can snuggle by a fire with this cozy pairing.

Midnight Snack:

Former Smirnoff Mixologist, Cameron Bogue, is blogging his bike tour through Latin America - on a motorcycle - at MotoTails. Don’t hate him because he’s living the beautiful life. Just eat and drink vicariously through his MixMo entry. (Just try not to cry when you finish reading about his adventures, and you’re still sitting in that cubicle…)

But Wait... There's More!

Erik at Egullet was kind enough to send over a whole slew of pairings their readers sent in. Don’t touch that dial. These are awesome!

eGullet member bostonapothecary mused over food and cocktail pairings, remembering a fairly successful combination of Carolina pulled pork sandwiches and Mojitos.

Peter the eater recalled an odd device which allowed him to carbonate any alcoholic beverages. One of his favorites was carbonated port wine served with blue cheese.

Natter suggested pairing rich foods with high acid cocktails.

Katie Loeb (aka KatieLoeb) detailed a recent dinner where she paired cocktails with each course.

Erik Ellestad (aka eje) took a predictable route, pairing the vermouth and sherry based Bamboo with cheese and nuts.

Andy Arrington (aka thirtyoneknots) has had some luck pairing a cucumber, lemon, and gin combination he calls "Scottish Cool" with a sashimi trio.

Cocktail Goddess of the Rich and Famous?

Well, that's what my NBF calls me. (I love this guy!) His site ain't too shabby either... Sipsters, meet Jeffrey Morgenthaler.

Happy Repeal Day!

For those who don't know, tomorrow is Repeal Day. It's the happy drinker's national holiday! It commemorates the day the US Government lifted that nasty little period of time referred to as Prohibition.

There is alwasy something fun going on in the blogosphere around Repeal Day, and this year I'll direct you to Jeffrey Morgenthaler's blog, where he hosted this month's Mixology Monday. Enjoy a bevy of exciting libations from around the globe...

Happy Drinking!
xo The Liquid Muse

Flattery Gets You Everywhere...

(Most Especially Onto My Blog!)

Basically, anywhere I am in the world, I am thinking about The Liquid Muse - searching for fun things to write about, asking bartenders for their best cocktails, etc. While traveling in Bangkok, I noticed a spike in traffic, one day, from Jeffrey Morgenthaler. Of course, I pushed back my sightseeing plans to sit on my compter a while longer and follow the links to see who he was and why I was getting visitors from his cocktail site.

Well, being a full-blown muse (and girl) I was enthralled to read that while referencing some cocktail blogs, he referred to The Liquid Muse as the "Cocktail Goddess to the Rich and Famous." Oh. yeah. baby.

Engaging in mutual admiration society, for a second, I do have to encourage you Sipsters to check out his blog. He rocks. You'll love him. I would know. (Goddesses are privy to that kind of thing...) Below is our interview. He is adorable and knowledgable. You'll see what I mean. Read on!

TLM: How old are you?
JM: Aren't the first few questions supposed to be nice and easy? I'm 35.

TLM: Were you born and raised in Eugene?
JM: I was born in Sacramento, California but I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula. I didn't move to Eugene until I went away for college.

TLM: What did you study in college?
JM: I received my Associate's degree in Physics, and then went on to earn my Bachelor's degree in Interior Architecture from the University of Oregon.

TLM: How long have you been bartending?
JM: I've been behind the bar for eleven years now. It was originally intended as a summer job but ended up being a career.

TLM: How do you define “Mixologist”?
JM: I define 'mixologist' much like I define the words 'biologist' or 'psychologist': it's a person who studies a particular field. The key word for me here is 'study', because I feel that learning everything I can about mixology is integral to what I do behind my bar.

TLM: What do you like most about being a Mixologist?
JM: Amazingly enough, I really enjoy making drinks. We nurture a cocktail culture at our bar, and our customers seek us out as a fine drinking destination. When someone comes in and expresses some enthusiasm for cocktails, it sparks my energy level and reminds me why I do this.

TLM: What is the name of your bar?
JM: El Vaquero. It's the Spanish word for cowboy. I'm the bar manager, so I get to write the schedule, place the orders, clean the floor underneath the ice wells, train the staff and prep some of the more laborious items we carry. Every once in a while I'll even get to create a new drink for the menu.

TLM: What are your inspirations when creating a cocktail?
JM: I start by looking at the classics. I have a huge library of drink books, everything from The Gentleman's Companion up to Gary and Mardee Regan's books. Sometimes I'll delve into a drink family that I've never explored before - lately it's been crustas - and then start going through the kitchen looking for flavors that I can use to add my own touch to the drink.

TLM: What is your favorite cocktail?
JM: I was with a group of bartenders this weekend, and someone asked us each to name our top five drinks. My number one alcoholic beverage would have to be Champagne, but my favorite cocktail is probably the Sidecar. People refer to it as the Mother of Modern Cocktails and I think that's a very fitting moniker.

TLM: How long have you been blogging?
JM: I've had a website since 1996, but the blog is a pretty recent addition - about three or four years ago. Originally my website was just a resume and architecture portfolio.

TLM: What made you start a blog?
JM: I just wanted to be able to post photographs and notes for the handful of people who knew about my website, mostly just my friends and family. Soon I noticed a lot of traffic from people looking for my drink recipes, so I started writing about bartending and posting my drink recipes online.

TLM: What do you like about doing a blog?
JM: The biggest thing for me has been the ability to connect with other like-minded people around the world. I get a new email every day from someone who want to share their ideas with me, and that alone helps keep me inspired. I try to put up a couple of new posts a week, on my days off.

TLM: What is the primary focus / goal of your blog?
JM: I try to mix it up. I'll post drink recipes and product reviews when I'm in the mood, but sometimes I just like to rant about this or that. I love it when I can get my readers involved and a discussion breaks out on one of my topics. My goal is to connect with people who are passionate about the same values I carry: dedication to the craft of mixology, exploration of new flavors and ingredients, and anything else bar-related.

TLM: What is your favorite cocktail to make?
JM: Really, anything that's out of the ordinary gets me excited. I had someone come in looking for an Aviation cocktails a few weeks ago, and fortunately I had just found a bottle of Luxardo maraschino liqueur so we were able to play around with some recipes.

TLM: Can you share a bar tale?
JM: While I was working at a neighborhood dive, one day there was a stabbing in the park next door. A group of people had been attacked, and they all came pouring in to get bandages, use the phone to call the police, and collect their nerves. Although it was a tragic scene, it was amazing to see the whole bar come together to help. That exemplifies what I feel bars should be: community gathering places, for better or for worse.

TLM: What is the best pick-up line you’ve heard in a bar? The worst?
JM: Honestly, I try not to listen. The pickup lines all start to run together after so many years.

TLM: What piece of advice would you give to a bar customer?
JM: Patience is a virtue you will be rewarded for in the end.

TLM: What / where do you drink on a night of?
JM: I don't really drink all that much, but when I do, I just stop in at the little pub by my house. It's usually pretty quiet by the time I get off work, the staff is friendly, the bourbon is strong and the beer is cold. Does that answer your question?

TLM: What do you do besides write and make cocktails? What are you hobbies, interests?
JM: I love to cook, so almost every night that I'm not working I can be found in my kitchen, listening to music and making dinner for my girlfriend and our friends. I also try to avoid the bartender's curse of sleeping all day, so I try to get up early and go for walks or work out in the pool.

TLM: Describe your fantasy life…
JM: I'm the Professor from Gilligan's Island... Oh wait, what?

TLM: What did I not ask that you would like to share?
JM: Whew, I don't know, it took me a day to do this much, Natalie!

Raise A Glass To Cocktail Blogging

One of the few things to drag me out of bed early on a Saturday morning in New Orleans is meeting up with fellow cocktail bloggers. Yes, there are other sane, rational, intelligent people out in the world who write, passionately, about cocktails and liquors several times a week, sometimes for little or no money. Why do we do it? If you have a cocktail blog, you already know the answer to that question. If you don’t, these four gentlemen may give you a little insight…

Paul Clarke from Cocktail Chronicles moderated the seminar. He brilliantly describes cocktail blogging as “combining the inherently social act of mixing a drink with the inherently solitary act of sitting in front of a computer,” which made me (and Camper English sitting next to me at the seminar) laugh out loud.

A full time journalist in Seattle, Paul enjoys the freedom of writing about whatever he tickles his fancy in a realm without the pressure editors, word counts and deadlines. (Hear, hear to writer anarchy!) He says that he blogged to “get his chops” for other drink writing, and recorded his endeavors trying out new recipes.

For example, after struggling with Dale Degroff’s recipe for falernum, Paul decided, “I would not let this stupid syrup make a money out of me!” Not only were his online trials popular posts but you can read about it in this month’s Imbibe Magazine.

Paul says that there are 175,000 new blogs per day, and attributes much of the success of this kind forum to blogs’ timely and interactive way of working toward the “squishy web 2.0 goal of creating an online community.” I like to think of our blogs and links as our own cyber-Algonquin round table of sorts. (On that note, James Beard Award winning Jennifer English has a radio show featuring food and drink “conversations” built around that very concept!)

Reader interaction is something that we all enjoy but Paul says when people first started commenting on his blog, it took him by surprise. He recalls writing about an obscure drink called the Police Gazette Cocktail, which is comprised of whisky and “dribs and drabs of other stuff.” Paul says, “I made it and loved it, and wrote about it. Then, some guy in Oregon made it and sent a comment saying he liked it. It prompted me to keep writing and think about how I was doing it.”

Taking a cue from food bloggers, whose community slightly preceded ours, Paul and a few other “cocktailians” got together to create a day when everyone blogged together. Mixology Mondays was born in the spring of 2006 with 8 paraticipants. Paul says that they now average 25 participants, including a few “honorary food bloggers.” It basically works like this: each month, somebody volunteers to host. The host picks a date and a topic, and on that day, everyone posts a drink. (I think I’m hosting in October, so let me know if you want to participate!)

As cocktail bloggers do, he gave shout outs to several fellow bloggers during the seminar, many of whom did not make it to New Orleans (though you were all with us in spirit)! Among others, he mentioned some blogs that he enjoys are: A Dash of Bitters, Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Alcademics (Camper’s new name), Robert Hess’s drinkboy.com, Thriston Powell, Cocktail Nerd, Dr. Bamboo, and yes, The Liquid Muse. (Of course, he had to say that… I was sitting in the front row ;-)

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Next up was Chuck Taggart from The Gumbo Pages. Chuck is based in Los Angeles and also does the radio show Gumbo Ya Ya on our public radio station, KCRW. Chuck grew up in New Orleans has a leans toward the vintage and antique. As he puts it, “Everything old is new again. Now everyone is talking about tinctures but in the 1860’s Jerry Thomas was already doing them!”

His site, has a large focus on food and drink, not only cocktails. He says that he began a blog because he got tired of copying out his recipes for people, and it snowballed from there. He grew up in New Orleans, where they had a bar in their family home. Chuck recalls, “My dad taught me to make Old Fashioneds when I was 12 years old.” (I can relate. My family re-modeled our garage into the most beautiful entertaining room in our house, which featured a full size, fully stocked bar. And, I made my dad 7 & 7’s as a kid. This weekend in New Orleans, I began to realize that this was not an unusual phenomenon!)

On the topic of reader interaction, he shared a humorous anecdote. After spending a lot of time researching and getting hold of Plymouth Sloe Gin, which is used in some 1930’s era cocktails, and not available in the United States, he made this special cocktail and wrote about it on his blog. In honor of the occasion, he presented the drink in a rare glass made for the 1939 World’s Fair.

Laughingly, he recounts that the comment which most stood out was not about the careful research, the “rediscovered” antique recipe or the vintage glass in which it was poured… but someone noted “I can’t believe you used refrigerator ice!” (If you’re not chuckling at this observation, read my notes from the Tales of the Cocktail seminar, “On The Rocks” about the important role ice plays in a high-end drink.)

Chuck gave a little insight into the origin of the word “blog.” He says that around 1999, someone joked around with the original term “web log” turning it into “we blog.” The word “blog” both noun and verb is now in Webster’s dictionary.

Chuck’s cocktail epiphany happened around 99 – 2000. “I got sick of bad drinks in bars. At bayona (in New Orleans) I had a perfectly made Sazerac. That inspired me to seek out good cocktails.” I met ted hay, and a whole new world opened up to me. One day, I got an email from Brooks Baldwin about a cocktail recipe that he got from his grandmother. As he puts it, “This is a truly lost cocktail that was passed down through generations.”

Fancy Free Cocktail contains: Maraschino liqueur, Bourbon, 2 kinds of bitters angostura and orange

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Rick Stutz stared Kaiser Penguin in March 2006 (about a month before I started The Liquid Muse.) In addition to great writing and recipes, his blog features a heavy emphasis on photos. Rick says, “If I take a photo and don’t want to immediately jump in andrink it, I thow it away.” Actually, Paul Clarke refered to Rick’s blog shots as “Cocktail porn with a tiki fetish.” (If that doesn’t lure you over, I don’t know what will!) Also, his original cocktail recipes have been published in print and his Orange Viola is served in a Seattle bar.

Rick lives in Pennsylvania and started a blog because, as he puts it, the only people in his area with whom to discuss quality cocktails were about 50 frat houses or the Amish down the road. He says that he began his foray into cocktailian culture with Dale DeGroff’s book, and began making the drinks. He also began to discover other drink blogs, and thirsted for more Mixology interaction.

He began to realize the far-reaching fingers of his cyber bar tending when he went to the Forbidden Island with his friend. He recounts, “Adam started introducing me to his friends, and one of them said, I like your tiki focus.” Another told him he should post more often. He says that in addition to enjoying doing it for himself, realizing that people actually read the stuff he wrote inspired him to keep at it.

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Darcy O Neil (featured here with Robert Hess) from The Art of Drink has a particularly unusual slant. After studying chemistry for four years in college, he went on to work for 6-8 years in a lab before becoming a bartender. He says that the name of his blog came from “The Art of War,” which I think would seems appropriate to any of us who has worked in a restaurant or bar!

He says that he started his blog as an “independent thought project” and a way to practice learning the recipes he’d use behind the bar. Soon, judging by the comments he’d receive from readers, he realized it was more of a communal thought project, and those comments helped to guide future posts.

Darcy noted that people liked the way he talked about chemistry, with regard to drinks. He says, “ You can’t just throw ingredients and hope for the best. Research makes drinks more intersesting – how the recipes developed. And, people want to know the history of drinks.”

He even went so far as to dig up old chemistry papers. Again, with ice being a ‘hot’ topic, he mentioned that his original post on the chemistry of ice was so successful that he had to write a second post on it. He notes, “Water is basically life.”

I would argue that the same can be said for spirits… at least in our little corner of the blogosphere!

One more reason to (heart) Jeffrey Morgenthaler

The dude just has a way with words.

Be Part of Cocktailian History!

Vote to Make the Sazerac the "Official State Cocktail of Louisiana!"

Ann Rogers Tunnerman, Founder of Tales of the Cocktail, has been working on a campaign to make the historic Sazerac the Official State Cocktail of Louisiana. Senator Edwin Murray agreed to introduce the bill in this legislative session after reviewing her letter and materials.

(Read more about making the perfect Sazerac in this blog post by my pal, Jeffrey Morgenthaler. This is also his photo...)

The vote on the bill has been set for April 2nd at the State Capital. Please help this effort by sending a short email in support of the bill to to Senator Murray and his assistant, Tonice Duncan. If the bill passes it would become law in August of this year... which could open up "official state cocktails" for all of us!

(Now that's a campaign we can all get behind!)

Senator Edwin Murray's email: murraye@legis.state.la.us
Tonice Duncan's email: toniced@yahoo.com

Miss Charming's Cocktail Cinema at Tales of the Cocktail

I want to give a big, huge, shout-out and hug to Cheryl Charming, aka: Miss Charming. At the last minute, she could not attend Tales of the Cocktail but as they say on Broadway: "the show must go on."

And it did!

Cheryl chose "Auntie Mame" as the movie, and people piled in to watch it. There were Side Cars a-flowing and both Jeffrey Morgenthaler and Darcy O'Neill showed up to help out.

See a bit more in my Daily Recap Webisode #5. I gave Cheryl a big "hello" from New Orleans which didn't make it into the final cut (once it was filmed, it was out of my hands in the editing room...).

But, I'm sure we all agree that Miss Charming was there in spirit! We missed you, Cheryl!