Back
to Basics
Eugene
bars cater to classic tastes.
BY
VANESSA SALVIA
I don't drink much. Between being a student and
a parent, I can't bring home the bacon or fry it up in a pan if I'm
soused half the week. But when my editor told me to taste and write
about popular cocktails, with the emphasis on tasting the cocktails,
I said "Hell yeah!"
My first thought was to find out what Jeffrey Morgenthaler
serves a lot. He's the hunky guy behind the bar at Red Agave, and
I completely trust his opinions about alcohol. Morgenthaler says drinkers
are returning to the classics like Manhattans, Sidecars and Martinis
– the kinds of drinks you can get at almost any bar in the world.
"I think people are getting a little overwhelmed by all the exotic
ingredients," he said. "I've been selling a lot of nice, simple drinks
lately."
Manhattans are one of my favorite drinks, always have
been, always will be. The bite of the bourbon is uniquely complemented
by the sweetness of the vermouth and the dash of fresh cherry. It
piques the appetite but leaves the palate clean. I wanted to sample
Red Agave's Manhattan, which they make with Punt e Mes, an Italian
vermouth made with quinine, in place of the traditional sweet vermouth.
Morgenthaler said it was fantastic, and he was right. As a mixologist
who creates his own elixirs, Morgenthaler's added other popular drinks
to the Red Agave menu, including the Bad Apple, the quirky cousin
of a Red Apple, made with blended fresh green apples, lemon juice,
sugar and Absolut Citron Vodka. Garnished with a slice of fresh green
apple, it's yummy.
Over at Soriah, orders for Cosmo-politans and Lemon
Drops rang through the room like church bells on the hour. Feeling
urbane out on the town, I had to have a Cosmo. With fresh lime, powdered
sugar, vodka, cranberry juice and triple sec, it's tart, sweet and
lusciously pink in the glass. Next I tossed back a perfectly puckery
Rum Collins (rum, lime juice, orange juice, powdered sugar and a squirt
of Collins mix) and found them both exquisite. My drinking companions
opted for the classic Margarita, another ever-popular drink according
to bartender Andrea Kaady, and were not disappointed.
Chanterelle's bartender, Dave Lawrence, echoed Morgenthaler's
sentiments about the classics. Lemon Drops and Margaritas are what
their customers crave. "There's been a resurgence of classic cocktails,"
he said. Through access to the Internet and a trend toward "retro
style," 50-year-old cocktail recipes are finding their way into modern
culture. Plus, Lawrence notes, flavored liquors like citron or vanilla
vodkas can splash fresh life into a stale recipe. "There's variations
on those classic cocktails and it's almost like a rebirth of those
drinks when you can add something new to it," he said.
Rum and Cokes, Cosmos, Lemon Drops and Margaritas
are "standard fare," according to The Horsehead's daytime bartender
J. R. Ogden. He says, "We don't have a lot of the exotic liquors so
what we sell is pretty basic." And, he added, he sells mostly beer.
Ring of Fire's Lava Lounge seems to defy the trend
away from exotic ingredients. Brandon Davis says their fruit-infused
liquors, which they began selling about seven years ago, are still
their most popular bar item. "We turn them into cocktails called Kamikazes
and we also have a Chili Margarita, which are by far our most popular
drinks," he said.
The Lounge has its own specialty drink menu with so
many delicious options most people forget about Martinis and down
a "Thai Me Up" with Thai iced tea and Stoli Vanilla Vodka or a "Dragon
Fly" with Crater Lake Vodka instead. Davis said he's seen no slow-down
of interest in their exotic potions.
Whether you want to toast with a time-tested classic
or a redefined trendy cocktail, you'll find it in Eugene's bar scene.
