BAR PILOT - January 2010

Drinking Songs!

Got a favorite? Let’s hear it.

Posted by: John Chandler on Jan 28, 2010 at 01:00PM 19 Comments

Somehow my office posse got onto the subject of classic drinking songs.

Not my favorite, but I’ve always been partial to this one.

How about you drinking buddies? If you were making a mixed tape (Ha, ha, ha! He said, “tape”) or “play list” as you kids call it, on the subject of booze, beer, and drunken regrets, what would be on it?

Suggestions thus far:

“Whiskey River” by Willie Nelson
“More Beer” by Fear
“White Lightning” by George Jones

Sing out! Sing from the heart!

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Tags: music

Barrel Roll

Whiskey at Urban Farmer

Posted by: John Chandler on Jan 21, 2010 at 03:00PM 9 Comments

What better way to start the day than sipping whiskey straight from the barrel? I snagged an invite this morning to witness (and sample) some of the House Spirits-distilled whiskey that will be available exclusively at Urban Farmer, the spiffy steakhouse on the eighth floor of the Nines Hotel. Lee Medoff from House Spirits and Dan Stern, the head bartender at Urban Farmer, fielded my inane questions while tending to the business of tapping a 15-month-old barrel and bottling its potent contents for the restaurant’s discriminating clientele.

Medoff was the chemist in charge, dutifully adding water to the mix to arrive at a suitable proofage. We also passed around some of the “white dog” or moonshine that’s on the Urban Farmer menu, which is a lively clear spirit; essentially whiskey that hasn’t been aged at all. Both intern Robert Runyon and I found the elixir surprisingly easy to drink, with a strong floral profile.

“We’re not into labels,” Medoff explained, when I asked if the UF whiskey was based on any particular style (scotch, bourbon, sour mash, Canadian, etc.). “It’s Oregon whiskey made with Bull Run water and it’s composed of 80 percent rye and 20 percent barley.”

After several tastes (I lost count—and subsequently got lost looking for the elevator) of whiskey from different types of barrels (new American, new French, and second-filled American), I’m floored that so much of the whiskey’s aroma, mouth-feel, and flavor comes directly from the wood and nothing else. There are no additives in this mix: It’s all just hooch + barrel + time = smooth, delicious whiskey with a number of intriguing taste characteristics.

Normally, the Urban Farmer is a wee bit out of my price range (OK, it’s way out of my price range) but I’m going to put on my thinking cap and devise some ingenious way to become a regular. At least at the bar.

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Tags: Whiskey

Sprint to Spints

New alehouse has the goods

Posted by: John Chandler on Jan 20, 2010 at 11:00AM 8 Comments

I’m up to my elbows in whiskey at the moment drinking buddies, but I wanted to drop you a quick note about Spints Alehouse, a new bar and eatery at 401 NE 28th Avenue, located in a former leather shop (not to be confused with a leather bar). It’s roomy with a hospitable air, done up in dark-wood pub chic, with a lively bar side, and a more intimate dining space. It’s the latest venture from chef Alyssa Gregg and manager Ted Charak, both formerly of the Teardrop Lounge.

Went there last week with a few amigos and was impressed with the following:

Speedy and friendly service; superb beer selection, strong on Belgian-style brews like Allagash White Ale, my current fave; a sweet assortment of house-made spirits, like a really eye-opening root beer schnapps that tastes just like Hires’ root beer barrel candies; adventurous gastro-pub fare, including a lovely pretzel topped with bacon and a fried egg (pictured).

The last item has the potential to be a culinary cult classic, but it was a bit too salty on first taste. Still, the place has only been open for a few weeks, so I trust this issue will be addressed as soon as the kitchen staff gets a bit more—SEASONING! Damn, I’ve been cracking myself up all week.

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Tags: Beer, Bar Openings

Whiskey Manners

Order without embarrassment

Posted by: John Chandler on Jan 15, 2010 at 09:00AM 12 Comments

I’m currently slaving away on a feature for the magazine about Oregon-made whiskeys, so a large part of my work day of late has been taken up with research. High-level analysis of aroma, taste, finish, and secondary characteristics cannot be rushed, my friends. So it is with a single-minded zeal found only in the most devoted of lunatics that I sit here sipping whiskey from morn till quitting time. And then I spin around in my chair really fast to heighten the experience. Hey, you have your research methods, and I have mine.

During a much-needed break, one of my coworkers posed the following question: “I’d like to try more whiskeys, but I really don’t know where to start. How do you order it without sounding like a sap? And what’s a good brand to ask for that doesn’t cost a zillion dollars?”

Fair enough.

Since there are all kinds of whiskeys, each with its own nifty flavor profile, it will take some experimenting to find your comfort zone. And while it’s true that a good single malt scotch like Talisker or Balvenie is best savored neat, a couple ice cubes is always a good idea with Irish whiskeys such as Bushmills or Jamesons. Don’t let anyone tell you that a few chunks of ice is going to “dilute” the whiskey. I’ve found that light ice is a time-release flavor enhancer. The first few sips will basically reveal the true essence of the spirit, and the gradual melting slowly adds a little more water to the mix, which brings out different aromas and flavors. You really can’t go wrong ordering whiskey on the rocks or with just a splash of water. I usually request the brand with light rocks, as in, “Bushmills. Light rocks.” Try it! Remember, whiskey is meant for slow sipping; each nuance of flavor is an uncharted island that demands exploration.

For bourbon, which is primarily a corn base with vanilla grace notes, I like Eagle Rare, Woodford’s Reserve (pricey!), Booker’s, or Blanton’s. None of these (other than Woodford’s) should unduly stress out your wallet. And of course, there’s the Portlander’s default drink, Maker’s and soda.

And thanks to a timely tip from my brother Dave, I am also enjoying George Dickel 12, a really tasty—and modestly priced—Tennessee whiskey that manages a delicate balance of smoke and sweet.

OK drinking buddies, the subject is whiskey. What are your favorites, and how do you take it?

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Tags: Whiskey

Blonde Rebranding

Lompoc ale needs new name

Posted by: John Chandler on Jan 11, 2010 at 02:00PM 12 Comments

One of my favorite activities—and indeed one of my very few god-given talents—is coming up with quick, catchy names for all sorts of things, and if I can squeeze in a pun, so much the better. Naturally I was drawn to the plight of local beer barons Lompoc Brewing, who must devise a new handle for their blonde ale, which was formerly known as Blonde Bombshell. Apparently this moniker is being used elsewhere, a not infrequent occurrence in the rapidly expanding and ultra-competitive craft beer game.

For this week only, Lompoc is seeking public input on the matter. If you have a whopper of a name for its blonde ale, send your ideas to lompocbrewing@newoldlompoc.com by this Friday. The winning entrant gets a Lompoc sweatshirt and a $10 Lompoc gift certificate. The beer itself will be tapped at the New Old Lompoc Pub on Tuesday, January 19, between 4-9.

Some names that have already been suggested: Alpha Blonde, Atomic Blonde, Blonde Ambition, Bottle Blonde, Buxom Blonde, and Suicide Blonde. Others? Feel free to try ’em out here first, before risking utter humiliation in the competition itself.

You can certainly do better than my lame idea: Kegwood & Blondie. Pee-yew!

Put your nimble minds to work and pop open a winner!

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Tags: Beer, Craft Beers

Uncanny Craftsmanship!

Miracles grow on trees at Rontom’s

Posted by: John Chandler on Jan 06, 2010 at 03:00PM 2 Comments

Photos by Paul Chandler

I’m not the craftiest bear in the woods, but here are some ornaments I can happily endorse.

I was having a few beers at Rontom’s with my degenerate friends the other night, and couldn’t help noticing that their Christmas tree was still up and twinkling away in all its piney majesty. Upon closer inspection I was tickled to find some inspired homemade decorations lurking among the branches.

A seasonal salute to the staff of Rontom’s for totally nailing the whole recycle, reuse, resparkle ethos. I realize now that I’ve just been phoning it in these last five or six Christmases. Craft night at my house next December!

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Tags: Holiday Events

Embrace the Paradox

The Bar Pilot looks backward and forward

Posted by: John Chandler on Jan 04, 2010 at 01:00PM 8 Comments

Pardon me while I screw on my thinking cap.

I was at Dante’s on New Year’s Eve, awaiting the ceremonial emergence of a fresh 365-day interval. A sparkling clean 2010, as yet untainted by scandal, scuttlebutt, polemics, politics, posturing, and other distractions designed to hammer our collective IQ into the ground like a circus strongman swinging a giant mallet. A flask full of Eagle Rare Bourbon had put me in a reflective mood, and even as I was contemplating another year of cultural kibitzing about beer, bars, and booze, I was bobbing my bean to surf music, a musical genre that hasn’t evolved one whit in nearly 50 years. And then I overheard someone say to the bartender, “Embrace the paradox.” I don’t know if this fellow was ordering a fancy cocktail or what, but it made sense to me at that moment in time. So that’s what I’m going to do.

For this calendar year I’m going to take a few steps back from the daily deluge of stimulus, the media-guided slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and try to keep my temper in check and the whole picture in focus. Positive and negative, light and dark, yin and yang, Hall and Oates, a recognition and appreciation of opposite forces is clearly the way to go. The polarization of our society, (rich/poor, religious/agnostic, conservative/liberal, etc,) keeps me awake and pacing at night. But thanks to an evening at Dante’s spent guzzling hooch and optimistically looking forward to a new year—with a retro soundtrack provided by Church of Surf, the Romanes (Portland’s premier Ramones cover band), and the caped surf sensations known as Satan’s Pilgrims—I was rewarded with a measure of inspiration, even as I watched post-collegiate hipsters that have never experienced a world without email Sufi dancing to “Pipeline.”

I think it’s worth noting that our very existence contains its own polar opposite, which is not exactly news to students of physics or my old hippie housemates, Hawkwing, and Winter. Our lives are a flicker in time, but prevailing wisdom would have us believe that our souls, life forces, essences, chi, or whatever, are eternal—that is, if you’ve lived an honest life. Today you may believe that panhandlers are lazy, unmotivated bums, and a blight on our fair city. Tomorrow you might see things differently and volunteer to sling sandwiches at Sisters of the Road. We have the ability to change and adapt not only our technology, but our minds, and history has shown us that those incapable of doing so become part of the fossil record. To thine own self be true, but remember you’re another fish in the sea and we’ve all got to swim, eat, and poop here. Whether you like the guy in the turban sitting next to you on the bus or not, don’t for a moment forget that we’re all in this together. Does this make any sense?

Uhm, apropos of nothing, has anyone else who ate the brownies at Hawkwing’s potluck been bedeviled by hallucinations lately?

I would love to hear any epiphanies, resolutions, or deep thoughts on the coming year from you, my incomparable drinking buddies.

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Tags: Holiday Events