Portland Cocktail Week - Day 2: The Seminars
By Geoffrey Kleinman on 10/22/2011
Day two of Portland Cocktail Week started with a 4k run / walk with bartenders getting hot and sweaty for charity (all proceeds benefited the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center). In true Portland style there were Voodoo Doughnuts at the finish line. While it wasn't a race, some bartenders couldn't leave their competitive spirit behind, and made the 4K into quite a dash.
Day two was all about the seminars, with a highlight being a tasting lab session from Absolut with Don Lee and Chris Patino that explored how people taste and smell. The session focused on the difference between taste and smell, and the way in which smell has a fast track into the core of our brains. "We are able to create an emotional experience through the use of smell and taste for our customers, whether they know it or not," explained Chris.
Another session, "Drinking is Fun" with Rocky Yeh and Jim Romdall, focused on reminding bartenders not to get lost in the craft of making cocktails, and to remember that making great drinks doesn't have to be a somber affair.
The day saw two key tasting rooms: one from Alpen Hauz showing off their products, including the amazing Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum and Barolo Chinato Cocchi, and one from Experience Cognac with a wide selection of cognac for people to taste, as well as discussions about cognac and cocktails.
The real blockbuster session for Day 2 was "Half Way To Bar Smarts" with Dale DeGroff, Misty Kalkofen, Eric Alpern, and Jacques Bezuidenhout. This session was a sampler of the Bar Smarts Advanced course, which has many dates across the US with a scheduled stop in Portland on December 8th. The session ended in a cocktail party where past grads of the program mingled with current students and some of the luminaries who teach and judge the program.
With the learning done for the day, the focus shifted to the parties. DonQ threw a "Yacht Rocking" party at Lola's Room, part of Portland's famous Crystal Ballroom. The party was an odd mix of nautical theme, 80's music, burlesque, and "Karaoke from Hell" with bartenders singing karaoke in front of a live band. Some of the more notable people to hop up on stage and sing for the crowd were Josh Harris from The Bon Vivants, Ron Dollete of Lush Angeles, and Don Bourassa from Yelp Portland. Another highlight was Denver bartender Michelle Baldwin who did double duty as both MC and a performer in the burlesque show (performing as Vivienne VaVoom).
The night ended across the street with Diageo Master Mixologist Elayne Duke giving a midnight toast with Ketel One and caviar.
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