The OBG and Gulf Coast Benefit

Booze, Beer, Food & Music to benefit The Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund, supporting fishermen and their families in Louisiana’s hardest hit towns.

The Oregon Bartender’s Guild and LUPEC are announcing a benefit to support Gulf relief efforts on Sunday, August 1^st at Disjecta in Portland, Oregon.  Featuring a seafood boil and creole dinner by Chef Adam Higgs of Acadia New Orleans Bistro and Anthony Walton of Beaker and Flask. Spirits will be provided by Don Q Puerto Rican Rum and killer cocktails will mixed up by members of the Oregon Bartender’s Guild.  Enjoy beer from Widmer Brothers Brewery, wine from Amity Vineyards and A to Z Wineworks, performances by local bands, a live auction and raffle, and good people coming together for a great cause. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at The Oregon Bartender’s Guild website, http://www.oregonbarguild.org/, for a minimum donation of $40. For more information and updates about the event, find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pdxgulfcoastbenefit.
All proceeds will be donated to The Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund to directly assist fishermen and their families during these tough times.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation (www.gnof.org) is a certified 501c.

Contact Information:
Jess Putterman
E-mail: pdxgulfcoastbenefit@gmail.com
Tel: 503.984.8410 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              503.984.8410      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pdxgulfcoastbenefit
Tickets: www.oregonbarguild.org
 
Date: Sunday Aug. 1^st
Time: 3pm-9pm
Venue: Disjecta 8371 N. Interstate, Portland, OR.

Sponsor Information:
Oregon Bartender’s Guild: www.oregonbarguild.org
Don Q Puerto Rican Rum: www.donq.com
Widmer Brothers Brewing: www.widmer.com
Amity Vineyard: www.amityvineyards.com
A to Z Wineworks: www.atozwineworks.com
Vitamin Water
LUPEC Portland: http://www.facebook.com/pages/LUPEC-Portland/127631943915630

PTSD and TOTC and a ton of Thank yous.

I am physically unable to sum up my TOTC experience without first thanking the people that made that experience possible.

First off, Guillaume, Manuella, and the whole Pierre Ferrand/Citadelle Family.  Thank you for a wonderful dinner, and without you, this experience would not be possible.  I am looking forward to seeing New York and would love to continue to learn about your terrific products.  I hope you guys enjoyed the cocktails, as much as I enjoyed promoting your brand.  How did I get lucky enough to be able to mix with such great products.  I'm looking forward to working with you in the future.

Next, Christian, Matt, and Ryan at House Spirits.  You guys have been so supportive of me over the last 4 years, and I cannot wait to return the favor.

Nate and Jeff at Clyde Common.  Thank for helping a brother out along the way, and covering my shifts while I was gone.  Now it's time to get my ars back to work!!!

Finally, Thank you Beverage Media Group for recognizing my hard work, and doing your homework.  It's been a great pleasure to be recognized with such a wonderful group of mixoligists.

...there is to much...let me sum up...

5:45am Chris Churilla and I squeezed, zested and built Five Easy Pieces, which turned into a logistical nightmare at the last minute because the acid in the lemon made the oils in the Orgeat congeal (an unexpected reaction) so I really had to fine strain it to remove the particles, and the cocktail turned out perfect.

Set up for Paul Picaults tasting seminar...banged out about 120 drinks in the tasting room, then had 50 minutes to make it to a new venue, set up, and execute 2 cocktails for Pierre Ferrand and Citadelle...at the same time...from opposite sides of the room....without bar tools.  How does one do this...with help from Chris Hannah and Todd Richmond.

Lent a hand in the kitchen by doing dishes, called my wife on her birthday...happy birthday baby...wrapped up the day with the rest of the team, went do dinner at at Marigny with Jacob Grier, jumped up to Vaughns to see Kermit Ruffins, too many people and to hot and stick for me...but amazing...yeah...the music was melting the floors. 

Couldn't hang and had to catch a cab back to the hotel...but the cabby started taking me the long way...so I had him drop me off 10 blocks from the hotel and walked until I reached NoLa's version of Touchdown Jesus.  Next to there was a pirate themed bar that also served absinthe.  I stopped in to see the place, and was digging some solidarity and the quiet.  Alas..meandered my way to bed...and I'm spent.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and Five Not-so Easy Pieces.

I didn't have anything on the schedule today, which didn't mean I didn't have anything to do.  It was my duty to vounteer my time to wash dishes..etc..in the kitchen and make sure I gave every other CAP the opportunity to be succesful in the events that they were working.  HOWEVER...I also was trying to coordinate the Pierre Ferrand, and Citadelle cocktails that are being presented tomorrow.  To sum up.

This morning I must be in the the Monteleone Kitchen...SOLO... batching a cocktail by myself to serve 200 people (Five Easy Pieces)...garnishes and all.  Then I have to go to the Riverview room, and set up for Paul Picaults spirit tasting seminar that, (for what I've heard is a bear...and a lot of work) may or may not allow me to be present for the Citadelle tasting that I designed a drink for.  After that...10:30 to 12...I have to high tale it over to a different hotel to make sure that the drinks that I created for Pierre Ferrand, (French Connection) and Citadelle (Queen Bee) are executed properly and some time along the way, must secure bar tools that will allow said drinks to be banged out. If the logistics sound complicated...the reality is stagering.  I'm retiring early, and hoping that 4 and 1/2 hours of sleep are enough to put me on point tomorrow.

Oh...and by the way...shhhh...it's my wifes birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!!!!  I love and miss you and the boys so much.

Orientation and Dita Von Teese...Thank you Cointreau...

Today was orientation day at Tales of the cocktail.  After being welcomed by our hosts, we were blessed by a Vodou Priestess (good vodou...not the bad vodou) and plugged with 3 hours of Tales information.  Now normally this wouldn't be difficult, but all said information was given after being supplied shot's of Mezcal and Fernet, on the tail end of an evening of apprentice bonding.  It's really hard when your trying to focus in the heat while shaking off the shenanigans of the night before.

Short story long, this years is slated to be bigger, and hopefully more organized than the year prior.  You can feel that every year, this festival grows, and the organizer are scrambling to keep up with what's coming at them.  Honestly, the Apprentices are all wide eyed, still focused on having a good time.  That's should be a focus, but in all reality, I'm putting an emphasis on Sleep, and I'll catch up on the stories tomorrow.

Tonight we were treated to a high class burlesque show featuring Dita Von Tease.  From top to bottom it was the most professional, well orchestrated show of its kind that I've ever seen.  She was accompanied by four other acts that were also fabulous!!!  From top to bottom, every move was choreographed, every article of clothing as designed and worn with such specific pourpose, it saturated the stage with class and fury.  Well done, at the House of Blues tonight.
Tomorrow Tales of the Cocktail opens.  I don't have any events that I'm working specifically, so I'm volunteering my time to go be a sweat my Biegnets off. Two small appointments tomorrow with 4th Row Films, for an interview on the Pacific Northwest, and the cocktail culture.  And with Dushan Zaric from Employees only.  Can wait, and I'm ready to put my head down, and go to work.  Thanks New Orleans for being such a gracious host, and I'm not mad at you any more for beating the Vikings in the NFC championship game.

Tales Bound

I'm packing up to head for New Orleans.  All lists are built and I'm begining to check things off.  I'm looking forward to 9 events in 5 days, and getting to meet the hundreds of people in our community, that I've been reading about for so long. 

Things to look out for in Tales. 

1.  Negroniman - Watch for the Negroniman logo, and enjoy a Citadelle Negroni.

2. Lush Life Productions.  You never know where Lindsay Johnson will pop up to document your embarassing situation.

3.  Cascadia Bar Crawl.  The Bartenders/Barmaids/and Bloggers of the Cascadia Range (San Fran/Portland/Seattle/Vancouver) are going to Rally at Coops in New Orleans at 8pm on Friday July 23rd.  Who know's where it will migrate to from there...but TRUST ME.  There will be options.

Thank you again to all who have made this trip possible.  House Spirits, Pierre Ferrand, Citadelle, Clyde Common, and Sarah Kopplin.
http://www.facebook.com/lushlifeproductionshttp://www.talesofthecocktail.com/

Beverage Media Network and the Tazmanian Monkey Tail.

Every year at Tales of the cocktail, the Beverage Media Network chooses 10 CAPs (Cocktail Apprentice Program) to be on the cover of their publication Beverage Media Monthly.  This year I was lucky enough to be chosen to be one of the 10 Mixologists to watch.  This honor was of total surprise and completely unsolicited.


I'll be heading down to Tales a day early for a photo with a style similar to this one.

One thing I want to point out that has shaped this whole "Mixology" experience for me is what motivated me to get here....well, here's the story.

My first bartending job began in spring of 2001 at Outback Steakhouse.  Yes, Outback.  Now, not known for their free wheeling mixoligists, it was still a start for me in getting to know what it feels like to work the flow of a bar.  And 10 years ago, in suburban Portland, Outback was really one of the nicest restaurants you could go to.  I loved working their and did so for nearly 5 years.  They treated me very well, and I would never say anything bad about that organization.  They took care of their people, and really empowered their young employees to really drive the business.   I made friends for life there.

Jason Bender (now one of my best friends and he stood up with me at my wedding) was the name of my manager there at Outback.  We were the same age, but he had four more years of experience at Outback, so he was my immediate supervisor, and moved me into the bar after 2 years of service as a waiter.  Well, after being trained in, my first solo shift was a relatively slow one.  I think it was a Sunday, and it didn't generate a lot of bar business.  So, I started "Playing".

My very first concoction that I ever created was inspired by the Australian theme.  I took some Myers's Rum, Bols Creme de Banana and Creme de Cacao (for some reason there were 12 bottles of "creme de anything" in one of the speed wells) and blended it with some heavy sweet cream and ice.  Served it in a frozen mug with chocolate drizzled down the side and called it a "Tasmanian Monkey Tail".  I offered it up for the service staff to drink, and get feed back from.  Well, it really did taste like a frozen "Monkey Tale", you know, those frozen bananas dipped in chocolate that you can get from the "incredible monkey boy" at the circus or carnival.  I thought it was delicious.  I wave, my friend and the MOD, Jason over and he takes one look at it, tastes it, and says, "It's great, but your not an alchemist back there, just make the drinks on the menu."

"Huh"...I think to myself..."I'm not an alchemist".  But what about new drinks?  What happens when you mix this with that?  How does this taste?  I secretly became Sid the Science Kid behind the bar...and thus my natural curiosity was born.  So at this point, I want to thank Jason Bender for proclaiming that I wasn't an Alchemist, and giving me the motivation to be curious for a decade.  Thank you Jason and thank you to the countless others that have been so generous with their experience and knowledge.  This honor is for you too!!!

Counting down to Tales

Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans is the bartenders Mecca.  This year I was lucky enough to be selected to the Cockail Apprentice Program (CAP).  There are 150 applicants and of those applicants, they Selected 50.  I was lucky enough to be one of the 50.  So next Sunday, I'll be flying to New Orleans to work for the organizers of this event to serve food and drinks to the 15,000 people that attend this event annually.  This is a great honor for me, and an accumulation of a decade of hard work. 

In order to make this pilgrimage to New Orleans, I needed some help.  It's not easy for a bartender/family man to make sure the home front is taken care of while I'm away for so long, so I needed to reach out or help from the community, and the community answered.  I managed to secure sponsorships from House Spirits Distillery, and Pierre Ferrand Cognac.

While in New Orleans, I will be working 7 events created by the Tales team, and two events for my sponsors.  I built three cocktails for Pierre Ferrand and Citadelle Gin that will be featured at Tales this year.  More on that to come.

Lastly, this opportunity will give me the chance to Promote imbue.  We are having business cards printed up this week, and getting to market a brand that isn't event bottled yet, is a once in a lifetime business opportunity.  Keep your eyes open for the little green leaf if you are at Tales this year.

Please keep an eye on Open Palate for a blue collar perspective on the NATIONS LARGEST COCKTAIL PARTY.

The Sazerac Shrub

I'm constantly inspired by the people around me.  I've never gotten as much inspiration from reading a book, as I have in working with people like Jeff Morganthaler, Daniel Shoemaker, Thomas Klus, David Shenaut, Blair Reynolds, Ryan Magarian...god, the list goes on.  I'm so lucky to be working in a community, where we all want to make ourselves, and eachother better.  My latest cocktail no different.

At Clyde Common, we have a relatively savvy clientele.  Once a week someone pulls a cocktail out of a hat, that I need to run to the books behind the bar, look up, and make sure I get right.  A couple weeks ago, one of our regulars, that is much better versed on classic cocktails than I am, rolled in, and ordered a "Shrub" or something "Shrub" like from Jeff.  My interest was peaked.  What the heck was that?  I watched Jeff make it, and present it, and it looked beautiful.  Gin, lemon, simple, crushed ice, and a float of some kind of floral liquer.  But I believe the classic recipes called for what ever herb could be used behind the bar, and make some kind of smash out of it.  If anyone has any information on the history of these drinks please leave a comment, because my interest is peaked.

What Jeff made was no different, he chose a gin (high in botanicals) and drizzled it over the top of the cocktail into a frozen glass.  It was beautiful...and I was inspired.  Thinking about what would work at Clyde, I re-worked the floral aspect of the drink into a whiskey driven sour.  Rye and lemon work nice together.  Then it hit me.  What if I made a sour driven version of a Sazerac Cocktail, and crushed up some ice, and floated the Absinthe on top.  I banged one out...and the Sazerac Shrub was born. I served it over crushed ice, in a Frozen Old Fashioned glass, and it is FAWSOME!! 

Sazerac Shrub

1 1/2 Sazerac Rye
3/4 Fresh Lemon
3/4 Simple
1dash Angostura Bitters
4 dashes Peychauds Bitters
Crushed Ice
And Drizzle 1/4oz Absinthe or Pastis over the top and Zest a little ;emon for garnish.