How does the national media love the man Eugeneans voted Best Bartender? I’ll spare you from counting the ways; you can check the press page of his website for that. I just want to mention the two latest, er, mentions:
• Last week, The Wall Street Journal did a story on Repeal Day, the growing-in-popularity sorta-holiday that celebrates the end of Prohibition:
The demise of Prohibition, 75 years ago this coming Friday, is something of a cause for celebration, and it will be treated as such with Repeal Day parties in Washington, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, New York and elsewhere. The trend got started a couple of years ago, when Oregon bartender and blogger Jeffrey Morgenthaler promoted the anniversary as an informal holiday suitable for quaffing.
Pretty nifty, right? Keep in mind that that is THIS Friday we’re talking about — the fifth of December. Which is also the night of the First Friday Artwalk, the Meet Your Maker craft fair, the Downtown Holiday Party and other things too numerous for me to remember off the top of my tired head. Be sure to raise a glass of free artwalk wine (or other beverage of choice) in honor of the 75th anniversary of once again being able to legally raise a glass.
• Yesterday, a The New York Times story appeared discussing what the writer calls eight new bartending philosophies. Oregonians in general make a strong showing here — the other two included are Kevin Ludwig from Clyde Common and Daniel Shoemaker at the Teardrop Lounge, both in Portland. Morgenthaler turns up under “Home Brewers,” and to absolutely no one’s surprise (this drink also turned up in our online Best Of Eugene Staff Picks), the writer highlights his gin and tonics, “made with his own recipe for agave-sweetened quinine syrup.”
It’s worth noting that the majority of the other bars and bartenders — bars on the edge, the story calls them — included in this piece are in big cities: New York, Seattle, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta. How long, we worry, until Morgenthaler ditches us for the big leagues? Maybe you should drink up while you can. I mean, since it’s legal and all.
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