Cocktail Cartopia

This week marks a momentous occasion for the food and beverage scene in Portland, Oregon, as the Oregon Bartenders Guild opens the first cocktail cart in the "Cartopia" cart pod on 12th and Hawthorne.

With the help of the food cart co-op the OBG has put together a free standing cocktail bar amidst the bustling marketplace of food carts. Surrounded by the iconic Potato Champion, Perierra Creperie, Pyro Pizza, and Bubba Bernie's the cocktail cart features an ever changing variety of cocktails curated by some of the most talented bartenders in town. The initial run is sponsored by Pernod Ricard, who contributed some of their fantastic lineup of spirits including Beefeater gin, Absolut vodka, Avion tequila, Jameson Irish whiskey, just to name a few.

We're not talking about cheapo 'well' gin and tonics here, we're talking fancy cocktails with top shelf booze. Drinking on a budget? No worries, beer and cocktails are priced at $3 and $5 respectively. If you really want to get your cart on in style, play a little stump the bartender with a "Dealer's Choice" for 8 bucks or less. Proceeds go straight to the OBG, a chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild, and will allow for their educational and fundraising efforts to continue to grow.

For the past few years food cart owners have sought to acquire liquor licenses, and in the last year or so have been successful in gaining license for beer carts. None have been allowed to sell liquor, though. Concerns about noise and monitoring of minors have been amongst the cheif obstacles for cart oweners to date, but the Oregon Bar Guild's track record of responsible service have opened the minds of the OLCC to give it a shot. The cart operates on a short term event license, allowing for 7 days of operation within the calander month for each application.

The first month is dedicated to promoting Portland Cocktail Week, a series of events and tastings throughout the city showcasing the city's prominant role in the global cocktail community. Over 100 of the best bartenders in the world will arrive in PDX during the week of October 20-24th to share their love of all things boozy. The events coincide with the 8th annual Great American Distillers Festival and will share space with Portland Cocktail Week festivities at the Left Bank Annex. Events include a "Robots vs. Bartenders" showdown at the Jupter Hotel, legendary New York cocktail bar PDT @ PDXCW at Beaker and Flask, and a dynamic lineup of tastings and seminars at the Left Bank Annex.

The cocktail cart runs on donation, both in terms of product and revenues, and is staffed solely by volunteers. Tips are appreciated, of course, as these folks have taken a valuable night away from their paying jobs to check IDs, mix libations, and closely monitor the thirsty masses. Plans to upgrade the cart itself are underway with the revenues being funneled directly into acquiring a more permanant structure,which will allow for a more functional setup leading to more creative drinks and a more efficient work space.

Look for some of the most talented bar stars behind the stick from some of the swankiest bars in town, and expect to see guest bartenders from San Francisco and New York slinging drinks in the coming weeks. They're looking for volunteers, so if you want to be a part of the latest cocktail trend don't hesitate to contact volunteers@oregonbarguild.org to help out.

The Oregon Bartenders Guild cocktail cart is open from 6pm to midnight, Fridays and Saturdays through Portland Cocktail Week October 20th-23rd. Enjoy a crepe, a cocktail, and the roaring fire pit at the hottest food cart pod in town on Se 12th and Hawthorne.

Beaker Turns Two!

-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-

Beaker and Flask’s 2nd Birthday Party
June 17, 2011 PORTLAND, OR Beaker and Flask will be hosting a Birthday Party to celebrate their 2nd anniversary on Sunday, June 26th from 4-10pm. Award winning chef Ben Bettinger will be rolling out complimentary hors d’ouevres from the grill, and a special menu of dishes and cocktails from Beaker’s opening menu will be available. Along with Beaker bar manager and Eater PDX 2010 Bartender of the Year, Brandon Wise (hey, that's me!), look for special appearances from some of Oregon’s top bartenders (such as Dave Shenaut) as well as a DJ spinning tunes. The party is free to attend and no rsvp is required, however seating is limited so come early to get the prime real estate.

BEAKER AND FLASK’S 2nd ANNIVERSARY PARTY
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
4PM-10PM


About Beaker and Flask
In the two years Beaker and Flask has been open, they have garnered such honors as WW Best Restaurant 2009 and have been featured in Esquire Magazine’s Best Bars in America two years running. Owner Kevin Ludwig and chef Ben Bettinger showcase modern American cuisine with French and Mediterranean influences along with innovative and classic cocktails in Southeast Portland.

For more information please find us at www.beakerandflask.com

Beaker and Flask
727 SE Washington, OR 97214
503.235.8081
Contact: Brandon@beakerandflask.com

Across the bridge with jigger, beaker, and flask

It's been a year since moving to Portland from the windy city, and what a year it's been! In that short time I've been lucky enough to have become a part of this incredible community and I have a lot of people to thank for that. First and foremost the crew at Irving Street Kitchen that I've had the pleasure of working with thus far. Yesterday I respectfully gave my notice to management that I'll be leaving Irving Street for an opportunity at one of the finest establishments in the northwest.

With that said I'd like to announce that I've accepted a management position at Beaker and Flask. I'm looking forward to working with Kevin Ludwig, head chef Ben Bettinger, and the rest of the talented staff of hospitality professionals. Sadly, as it was part of the reason I was so excited to become a part of the Beaker family, Dave Shenaut will be leaving for the new McMennamins Crystal Hotel. It's an exciting time at Beaker right now as the opening of Rum Club seems to be fast approaching. I hope to see a lot of familiar faces from across the bartop as we embark on what stands to be a summer full of good company, food, and drink.

I feel blessed to have been afforded the opportunity to help shape the bar program at Irving Street Kitchen, it's a really great group of people that I'll surely miss. It's a small town though, and with my involvement in the Oregon Bartenders Guild I'll be seeing most of those guys all the time. I'm sure we'll be on the same team again when the OBG gets its kickball league going this spring.

See you at Beaker and Flask soon!

Cheers,
Brandon

top five worst bar personalities

“Hey! Chief! Hey, you!”

The patron leans over the bar waving a twenty dollar bill, snapping their fingers at the bartender.

“Lemme git a double vokka soda. Pint glass. Double lemon.” Waves money. Snaps fingers. Whistles. Curses.

Does this horribly obnoxious bar patron get their drink? More often than not they do. Bartenders reward bad behavior all too often. It’s unfortunate but most tenders want to keep their jobs and so refrain from handily throwing the worst patrons out on the street.

These people exist in every city and continue to holler and behave like children to the people providing them a service.

“Being called ‘boss’ and ‘chief’ makes my skin crawl,’ bartender Neil Kopplin says.

What ever happened to the days of etiquette and social graces? Only a few bars exercise house rules these days, with Milk and Honey setting the tone with rules like “no star fucking”. While some establishments do their best to dictate appropriate behavior it all starts at the bartop.

“A bartender that is capable of communicating,” notes Trevor Eastor of San Francisco’s Rickhouse, “is more likely to convert that customer into a proper drinking member of society.”

Try as we might there are just some people who bartenders dread seeing across the wood. In my years behind the bar I’ve encountered a significant cross section of scumbaggery. Here’s a broad, sweeping look at some of the personalities bartenders have to deal with on a daily basis. Or at least caricatures of them…




The Loudmouth
You just met this one. This character whistles and waves their arms wildly in search of attention. Other known habits of misbehavior include a rude and confrontational demeanor and a general disdain for the establishment and its employees. The Loudmouth commonly ignores the menu, calling out orders, and expressing a general disdain for the establishment, its employees, and its patrons.

The Tourist
I’m not talking about the tourists in floral shirts that take pictures of everything in sight, but the tourists that don’t know their way around a bar. These are easily identified by their requests for drinks from other establishments or ridiculously named shots. Tourists are typically the messiest kinds of drunks, more so even than Loudmouths, and can go from sober as a pickle to wasteyface in the lemon-drop of a dime.

The Know-it-all
While generally well mannered and somewhat refined the know-it-all can be just as uncouth as the sloppy Tourist on the next barstool. They love to play ‘stump the bartender’, quizzing the barman with innocuous details of forgotten cocktails or the secret ingredients in Chartreuse to flex their self proclaimed acumen. Ever wonder what the mash bill is for Black Maple Hill? Find yourself in a conversation with a Know-it-all and you’ll have answers to questions you never cared to ask. And if you forget any of these pearls of wisdom don’t worry, they’ll be blogging about it later.

The Creeper
Worst of the worst. They’ll sit right where the waitresses have to walk just so they can get creepily close. They hit on everyone in the bar, one by one, until their options are exhausted or they get lucky. Then they hit on the bartender. They’re at the same bar with a different partner each week, often with a spouse at home. And just because they’re far too old to behave this way doesn’t mean they can’t act lecherous and shameful. Keep your eye out for ladies in animal print and gents in Ed Hardy, they’re wearing the Creeper gear proudly on their prowl.

The Egotist
Ok, lemme get this right the first time: the moon revolves around the earth, the earth around the sun, and they all concentrically revolve around the Egotist. Who else would order four Ramos Gin Fizzes from a busy bartender at the peak of a Saturday night? One at a time, chain ordering drinks each trip to suck the time of other patrons and bar employees. When the check arrives they play slow draw with their wallet or dissect the tab to arrive at the maximum number of ways to split a check. And should you find yourself near an Egotist be sure to tell them that a verbal tip doesn’t spend the same as hard currency.


So what have we learned? The essential decency of beverage culture shall not be deterred by the indiscreet patronage.

As bartender extraodinaire Ali Tahsini says, “my skills as a communicator and as a "bartender" are my draws to successfully compounding positive stimulus that result in happy guests.”

A grand idea to be sure. While there will always be abusive and generally unpleasant guests adorning barstools surely the good outweigh the bad significantly. By providing a genuine experience bartenders can shape the experience of their clientele and thus positively affect behavior on the whole. And as bartenders continue to focus on providing exceptional guest service the trend will continue to shift to the utopian nature of peace, love, and booze.

The Dream of the 90’s

“Do you remember the 90’s? You know, people were talking about getting piercings, getting tribal tattoos; people were singing about saving the planet, forming bands. There’s a place where that idea still exists as a reality, and I’ve been there.” –Fred Armisen, Portlandia

Not long ago a fellow bartender recounted a little story about a guy who sat at her fancy cocktail bar. She tossed a cocktail napkin down in front of him and asked what he was drinking.

“How ‘bout a Blue Hawaiian?” the guy asks.

“Never heard of that. What’s in it?” she replied, reaching for her Oxo jigger and crystal mixing glass.

She proceeds to carefully measure out the recipe he recited and, using her 50cm Japanese barspoon, stirs and strains this classic party shot into a vintage coupe glass.

The patron proclaimed it was the best version of the traditional shooter he’d ever had, but led me to wonder what ever happened to the fun kind of drinking? When all that mattered was that your drink was strong, colorful, and tasted like candy. You know, the good ol’ days when flair bartenders ruled and Will Smith was still the Fresh Prince rocking a high top fade.

It’s safe to say that the spirit of 80’s and 90’s has been kept alive in Vegas and South Beach. But places like New York, San Francisco, Portland, and Chicago have gone through a booze revolution over the past five or ten years. Cocktail bars have become abundant and even the diviest bars have small batch spirits and a few house infusions hanging around.

Recently, though, bars adept at sophisticated libations have been taking us on a journey down memory lane.

Fatty Johnson’s hosted an event last month they called ‘The Night the Cocktail Died’ with a menu (link to https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjLIxeUFZ4buPRP-u0UwURjgdq9nx846I1AJQXvoLc9iYnrL0lZl2_qqnPQIJjZDxQNxHEnmNyZUBg3QXXfqRlFONump3nOHanjyx4RTRBSzg8aFZ9wOwMAgMAy1ULebSIQ2ga0MwGol1/s1600/P1070207.jpg ) of 70’s and 80’s bar staples like the Alabama Slammer. Party drinks were prepared by two of New York’s premier craft barmen, including Toby Cecchini who had a hand in popularizing the Cosmopolitan. He’s the bartender who started using fresh lime juice and Cointreau, in case you were wondering which character on Sex and the City he played.

Most sources credit South Beach, Florida bartender Cheryl Cook with the original Cosmo that she created around 1985 using Rose’s lime cordial and a splash of triple sec.

“What overwhelmed me was the number of people who ordered Martinis just to be seen with a Martini glass in their hand. It was on this realization that gave me the idea to create a drink that everyone could palate and was visually stunning in that classic glass,” proclaimed Cook.

To many of us this period is a forgettable, even shameful, time when our stone-washed jeans or hammer pants were only slightly less horrifying than the rounds of Purple Hooters we tossed back.

Blogger Robert Simonson called this period ‘the nadir of cocktail culture of drinks historians,” but for many it was a glorious and carefree time.

Dan de Oliveira of Chicago paid homage with a menu of Phil Collins inspired drinks at a Pops for Champagne industry night a while back.

San Francisco cocktail destination Heaven’s Dog had a party just last week to salute ‘The 80’s and the Drinks You Love to Hate”. My memory must be fading because I don’t recall house infused Madagascar vanilla bean vodka in the Birthday Cake shots I used to make. For that matter I can’t remember using peach-infused Old Bardstown bourbon in my Slow Comfortable Screw either, but I digress.

With Charlie Sheen all over the news and the flannel clad grunge look back in fashion it’s starting to feel like the 90’s are back with a vengeance.

Not everyone agrees in the bar community. Beginning in 2008 Tales of the Cocktail© has held a ‘Cocktail Funeral’ in memoriam of a drink’s death. The ceremony of retiring a cocktail so far has been devoted strictly to these 80’s and 90’s party drinks beginning with the Appletini, Red-headed slut, and last year’s Sex on the Beach.

So what gives? Are party drinks really experiencing a comeback or is the bar community just poking fun at our embarrassing past?

Hard to tell just yet, but for the moment let’s all enjoy this journey to a simpler time. A time when people rode skateboards, wore flannel shirts, slept till 11, and drank Flaming Dr. Pepper shots. What a magical time indeed.

“How to Gain Fame and Fortune as a Mixologist”

A video game guide to greatness

I grew up with video games. They were a part of my life since I opened my first Nintendo Entertainment System on Christmas morning when I was eight. We, of the video game generation, have sought the glory of saving a princess and collected a fortune in coins from question marked blocks. Imagine my surprise all these years later when I was informed there was a game where you are challenged to ‘gain fame and fortune as a mixologist’. Time for a trip to Gamestop…let’s just call it ‘research’. Here’s a rundown of what the brilliant minds at EA Sports and some folks in the bar business have to say about getting famous behind the stick.

Level 1: Read books on mixology to increase your skill level
Centuries of history shape the barmans’ legacy. In the Sims 3: Late Night Edition, one of the first opportunities to grow as a tender is by reading up on the subject. Books are available for your virtual character to purchase with your hard earned ‘simoleans’. Fortunately, so are classic cocktail books for us corporeal mixers. Learning the history of bartending can help to avoid some rookie mistakes along the way.

“It sucks when you realize your newest creation already exists. It’s even worse when a customer tells you,” says Mary Bartlett of the Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon.

For me it was David Embury’s ‘Fine Art of Mixing Drinks’ that first opened my eyes to the rich tradition of tippling. From Jerry Thomas to contemporary scribes like David Wondrich there exists a living history in print of the evolution of cocktail culture from which to shape your path to greatness.

Seattle’s bar star Evan Martin of Naga Cocktail Lounge sums it up well, saying “Education is important because you can't know where your craft is going without knowing where it's been.”

Level 2: Attend mixlology classes
In the Sim’s virtual world there are mixology classes which will build upon your skill set and create some flashy career opportunities. Most of us ‘in the business’ agree that the bartending classes you see on the back of those alternative newspapers are bullshit. Well, I suppose if you’re not looking to actually bartend and just want to learn how to make a Slippery Nipple then those classes are just fine. There are, however, a few real life courses that can help you become adept at slinging drinks. Conventions like Tales of the Cocktail and the Manhattan Cocktail Classic also offer a slew of classes and workshops face to face with leaders in the industry.

“Events like MCC, Portland Cocktail Week and Tales have inspired me to want to be a better bartender,” says Mindy Kucan of Anvil in Houston, one of GQ magazine’s Top 25 Cocktail Bars.

For some hands on learnin’ Pernod Ricard sponsors BarSmarts, which travels to major markets and offers certification courses. There are also organizations such as T.I.P.S and Techniques of Alcohol Management (TAM) that preach the gospel of responsible service and provide their own certifications.

Level 3: Practice makes perfect
So you’ve read the books and studied up, but only perfect practice makes perfect. And without someone to show you technique all the recipes in the world aren’t going to help. If you want to be the best, you’ll need to beat the best, or at least study them. Mike Tyson’s Punchout taught me that.

“I’ve learned that the best bartenders are just as dedicated to technique and form as athletes,” says Ron Dollete of Lushangeles.com. “What separates the average bartender from the cream of the crop is attention to technique.”

I recommend to all those in search of fame and fortune as a bartender, find a good mentor from whom you can learn. Just by sitting at good bars and striking up conversation with the bartender much can be learned if you know what questions to ask. Mindy says that when she was learning the craft she’d drive two and a half hours just to learn and absorb from Bobby Huegel. Now that’s commitment!

In the video game you can buy a bar for your home to practice making drinks. The real life equivalent I suppose would lead to blogging about booze. And lemme tell ya, there ain’t much money in that! A well stocked home bar is a good way to experiment on wastey-faced house guests at your next dinner party but it gets expensive buying hooch out of your own pocket. I might recommend in both the game and in life, if you want to get rich and famous as a mixologist plan on spending time behind a professional bar to back it up.

Level 4: Use better ingredients to make more tips and gain celebrity
In Chicago I did an event with Adam Seger, well regarded barman and proprietor of Hum liqueur, famous for using interesting ingredients and flavor combinations. He showed up at my bar with an effing kaffir lime tree that towered almost to the tin ceiling from the mahogany bartop making drinks with the freshly picked fruit. While I’m sure it was a pain in the pinstriped vest hauling a damned citrus tree around, using only the freshest ingredients is the difference between good drinks and swill.

The video game version of intoxicology agrees, allowing for new ingredients to be unlocked as your skill level increases. I’ve never mixed a drink at my bar with “life fruit’ or ‘flame fruit’ but you can impress all kinds of fancy folks in the game that way. And by making fancy new friends with your fancy drinks your celebrity level grows.

And let’s not forget about the booze! Just because of the glaring omission of alcohol in the game doesn’t mean that’s not what we’re talking about here.

“The more the bartender knows about their craft, the ingredients on the bar with which to play, all the tools at their disposal, the better they will be able to serve the needs of the patron,” attests Danny Ronen, representative of Fair Trade Spirits and artist of fine cocktails.

Know your product. Taste every day. Develop your palate by tasting London dry gin next to London dry gin, and taste those against Old Tom, Genever, New Western gin..you get my drift. The subltleties of each expression can help you bring out layers of flavor that often are masked in cocktails by dominant complimentary components.


Level 5: Complete mixlology challenges
In the virtual world one can rise to the auspicious designation of Master Mixologist through meticulous accumulation of knowledge, skill, and networking. Challenges like the ‘Cool Creator’ challenge exist where new drinks can be unlocked like the Glow Goo, Morcubus Molotov, Llama Head, and Woohoo on the Beach. I kid you not, those are actually drink names in the game.

The cocktail competitions that exist in the bar community are a great way for up and coming bartenders to get their name out there. Notoriety, prizes, travel, and going toe to toe with other talented bartenders are great incentives to hone one’s craft. And if there’s a way to better explore new flavor combinations than picking random ingredients on the fly when there’s a huge cash prize on the line I haven’t found it. Winners are often flown around the world and earn press and accolades for their libational creations, often providing their first intoxicating taste of the glamorous side of the booze world.

Level 6: Boost your star status by hanging out with celebrities
Impressing celebs with your drinks is the quickest way to entrée into posh society in the Sims. Master mixologists like Tony Abou-Ganim rub elbows with A-listers on a regular basis, but that doesn’t happen overnight. Once you know what you’re mixing with it’s a good idea getting to know the people behind it.

To each brand there is a face. Larger brands have brand ambassadors with big budget dollars behind them, an oft sought after job by many bar folk. Prove your worth as a bartender to these brands and they may be flying you around the world in style. Parties, dinners, and all kinds of excess will unfold before you. A cover story in Time and TV appearances are sure to follow. Welcome, young apprentice, to the glamorous world of mixology! Champagne wishes and caviar dreams are now part of your jet set lifestyle. Just don’t forget to break down your well and take out the trash before you turn out the lights.

Level 7: Livin’ the Dream
I’ve been making drinks behind a bar since before I could legally do so, certainly not in search of celebrity. Most of us do it because we love the expression of creating an experience for our guests, much the same as any chef worth his fleur de sel. Often the career chooses us, igniting our passion through the rich history of cocktail culture or the exhilaration of a three deep bar full of thirsty patrons. But to set out with the goal of fame and fortune as a bartender most of us do not. However, if that is your aim there are some notable parallels from this video game so you, too, can have success as a mixologist of tipulars. Bon santé!




“Dealer’s Choice”

What’s your favorite old school video game?

Dave Shenaut Beaker and Flask, Portland Oregon- “Contra. The Code that everyone knows. Never beat the game without out it..”

Ali Tahsini Bourbon and Branch, San Francisco “I have to go with table top Ms. Pacman....
you can set a pint (or several pints) right on the video game itself. I set high scores son!!”

Jenn Hegstrom Pope House, Portland OR “Super Mario 3... Best video game of all time:)”

Neil Kopplin Clyde Common Portland OR- “Doom, the first, first person shooter, with real life slayer gore”

J.W. Pascoe Pearl’s, Traverse City MI- “Mike Tysons Punchout-Nintendo. What made it fresh: let me count the ways”

Sal Corpuz Thatch Tiki, Portland OR-“Pac-Man, simply classic”

Why would you drink that?

In an age where a good libation is more accessible than ever, booze aficionados are gravitating towards barely potable potions of late. From shots to craft cocktails, bartenders are pouring fashionable tipples that cause us to ask, ‘why would you drink that?”

Raise your hand if you’ve ever grabbed the pickle jar from the fridge and taken a big ol’ swig of the brine. How about taking a shot of whisky before that pull from the jar? Anyone? Alright, a few of you have and I may or may not be among you. But what is done in the comforts of home at 3am is rarely done in a polite social setting.

Chasing whisky with pickle juice, or Pickle Backs as they're known, have become quite the vogue amongst even the most sophisticated tipplers. In fact a number of otherwise unthinkable libations have come to fashion of late, leaving some of the bar community bewildered at these shocking trends.

I’ve long mixed cocktails with amaris, Fernet Branca, Cynar artichoke liqueur, and other such bitter potables. Recently, however, these spirits and liqueurs have taken center stage with booze hounds. Fernet is a popular sipper and shot amongst those in the business and can even be found on tap in a number of markets.
“We’re in San Francisco, the industry drink is Fernet, why not be the first to put Fernet on tap?” says Duncan Ley, owner of the Russian Hill bars Bullitt and Tonic. (link to previous blender post)
Kirk Estopinal from Cure in New Orleans currently has a cocktail featured at Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, with a base of Cynar and Punt e Mes (two of the most bitter digestives on the market). Aptly titled “The Search for Delicious”, this cocktail is a hit with the industry crowd and highlights ingredients that could give the unwitting a facial expression as bitter as the spirits of which it’s comprised.

At Tales of the Cocktail this year I was kindly treated to a newer favorite amongst the daring. A straight shot of Angostura bitters, a cocktail flavoring classified as ‘non-potable’ and as Gary Regan asserts (in The Joy of Mixology) “are not meant to be consumed neat or on the rocks.” While I knew what I was getting myself into I can’t help but be a little concerned if the college crowd catches a whiff of this in the wake of the Four Loko ban. It was less than pleasant, I assure you young readers, and one is better served keeping the dasher on for use in their Old Fashioned or Manhattan.

Another order that might make your bartender cringe is any number of the party drinks made popular in the 1990’s. While thankfully the Flirtini has gone out of fashion the Pomegranate Cosmo and Dirty Martini are still going strong. On paper some olive juice or brine should add some salty and savory notes to a cocktail, but having seen the brine that goes into most dirty birds a guest is perhaps better off adding a splash of dishwater.

While drinking trends are constantly evolving it never ceases to amaze what curious lengths folks will go to for a little flush to their cheeks. Should you find yourself at a bar where these or other dumbfounding drinks are ordered you can likely share a knowing look with the bartender who’s probably asking the same question you are: “Why would you drink that?”

The Bartender Wears Prada

In my days in the restaurant industry I've worn many different hats. Donning a suit and tie as a Food and Beverage Director was a bit more cumbersome than the weathered jeans and sport coat worn as a General Manager, and as a barman I've worn a variety of getups behind the stick. But I've never worn a fedora...

Harry Johnson proclaimed in his timeless Bartender's Manual first published in 1860"It is absolutely necessary to be neat, clean, and tidy in dress, as that will be more to the interest of the bartender than any other matter."

Most bars, especially those housed in a restaurant setting, establish guidelines for employee dress. The encouragement of staff members to personalize their style within those guidelines, remarks Rocky Yeh of Seattle cocktail bar Vessel, "allows an outlet to express individuality, creativity, and care towards professionalism."

Though few patrons take notice of the first, and often lasting, impression of the person assembling their drink it is uniquely in this moment when a bond of trust can first be formed.

According to Tommy Klus of Portland's Bluehour and Teardrop Lounge, it has less to do with the libation or technique of the barkeep and more to do with appearance.

"So much of the guest's experience is based on aesthetic. If you see a well dressed bartender, you might expect that you'll get a better drink," notes Klus.

Since the resurgence in classic cocktails, bartenders have become known for their moustachioed, vested, and neo-classicist attire as much as their libations.

"Pride in one’s appearance is also often indicative of pride in your work" states Rocky Yeh of Seattle's Vessel cocktail bar.

But why the vest, arm garters, suspenders, fedora combo?

In keeping with the style of classic cocktail culture bartenders have adopted the style of bartending's heyday. Tommy Klus earned the nickname "Tommy Tweed" after peers remarked that he dressed like an 'old man'. A return to the tradition of bartending pioneers like Jerry Thomas and 'Cocktail' Bill Boothby is evidenced by the trends in dress.

Not everyone shares the same opinion on bar fashion, however. Chicago bartender Benjamin Schiller vented in a recent interview with online zine 'The Spirit'.

"Far too many bars are infested with pompous, vested gentlemen adorned with curly mustaches, ridiculous headware, and perhaps an arm garter or two" rants Schiller, head barman of Chicago's BOKA restaurant.

Suffice to say that Schiller's beef has more to do with substance than style. "Invariably," Benjamin lamented, "they are hocking their own latest and greatest 'riff on a Manhattan.'”
Love it or hate it, this look seems to be here to stay as long as the classic cocktail resurgence continues to focus on nostalgia.

In true northwest style, some craft bartenders of Portland seem to be adopting their own dressed down code. David Shenaut, of Portland cocktail destination and hipster hangout Beaker and Flask, takes his own approach to bar-wear.

"I just wear what's comfortable," Shenaut says, "and I have so many free liquor brand tee shirts I don't have to do laundry for a month this way."

As craft cocktails become more commonplace perhaps this more casual approach will follow suit. Until then keep ordering drinks from the vested ladies and gents at our nations finest cocktail bars, but don't be surprised when the bartender in well weathered jeans makes you a perfect Holland's Pride cocktail.

Vermouth Making a Splash with Craft Distillers

As we pulled into Lemelson winery Neil Kopplin, distiller of Imbue Vermouth, and I shared one of those rare surreal moments that remind you of your place in the world. Surrounded by the rolling hills of Oregon's Yamhill Valley we knew that we were about to participate in something special as the rolling fog lofted over the vines. Being part of the artisan spirits movement is nothing new to the northwest, but something in the air told me that we were on the cusp of something great.

In the last five to ten years we have seen beverage culture take great strides in most major markets. Boutique spirits began to pop up on the backbars of cocktail bars and finer restaurants alongside the 'bar wallpaper' of the big box spirits brands we grew up with. Bartenders began to experiment with new expressions and consumers began to expect more in their libations. Classic cocktails re-emerged with a vengence as did the comsumer's desire for high quality ingredients. Enter artisan vermouth, a fortified wine enhanced with botanicals essential to the Martini and Manhattan cocktails.

A few years ago, sitting on a rickety barstool in a small Chicago bar, I had my moment of epipheny. In came by way of a well made Manhattan, and what struck me was how simple but perfect the cocktail became when Carpano Antiqua Formula was introduced in lieu of el cheapo vermouth. To that point I'd only been exposed to what was avaialble in your average midwestern bar, be it Noilly Pratt sweet vermouth or what have you. Since then more and more bars began to mix with craft products like Carpano, as well as brands like Dolin and Vya vermouths, thus leading us to this misty morning in Western Oregon

"Imbue vermouth began as a quiet little idea over dinner with friends," notes Kopplin. "Who would've thought less than eight months later we'd be here bottling our own vermouth."

Imbue is seeking to capture what they recognize to be a growing niche in the beverage market by focusing on the locovoires of the Pacific Northwest. As a barman at Portland cocktail destination Clyde Common, Kopplin became accostomed to using the finest potables. After much recipe development and dialogue with business partner and winemaker Derek Einberger, they thought they'd try their hand at producing their own. If the local community embraces the first 112 cases of their reisling and grappa based aperitif, expansion to other markets may happen in the very near future.

Only the third domestic artisan vermouth to hit the market, Imbue is careful to learn from established models. Andrew Quady, winemaker and vermouth producer, is one producer that might warrent notice. Quady's 'Vya' vermouth is a favorite amongst bartenders due to its amped up herbacious notes and rich flavor profile.

Like Andrew Quady, Tad Seestedt of Ransome Spirits began as a winemaker prior to distilling spirits. Through interacting with Oregon bartenders as well as cocktail historian David Wondrich he decided to enter the market with small batch spirits that have become highly sought after. At a recent trip to Ransom's distillery in Sheridan, Oregon, Seestedt eluded to an interest in entering the burgeoning vermouth market.

"I still need to taste what's out there and fully research vermouth, but I'm really interested in seeing what we might be able to produce," he remarked to Oregon Bartenders Guild president David Shenault and myself.

Given the success of Ransom's Old Tom gin and its cousins Small's gin and Whippersnapper whiskey, it's expected that his vermouth will make a big splash. Owner of beverage industry consulting firm 'Live the Lush Life Productions', Lindsey Johnson, has seen artisan spirits take off in New York and San Francisco cocktail bars as well.

"I think it's education more than anything else. Companies that reach out to bartenders show they really care, that they're not just a faceless company," Johnson surmised.

In a section of the country where 'stay green, buy local' bumper stickers are as abundant as hipsters and micro breweries, it will be surprising if Imbue doesn't find its way behind the majority of Portland bars. Kopplin has plans for future releases, such as an Italian style vermouth and something that may create its own category altogether.

"We're really focusing on taking care of Portland first before we expand to other markets," Kopplin says emphatically.

It will be interesting to see the market trends of artisan spirits in the coming years, but rest assured the Pacific Northwest will be at the forefront of that trend. With the most micro-distilleries per capita of any city in the United states Portland is now host to one more product of the people, by the people and for the people.

"Everyone's hearts are in the right place. It will be a matter of time though until everyone is finished polishing their products," says Rocky Yeh of cocktail bar Vessel in Seattle.

Time will indeed tell, but in that time our glasses will be full and our barmen busy crafting potent potables with these unique expressions.

-Brandon Wise is a featured contributor of Daily Blender and presiding barman of Portand's Irving Street Kitchen.