MxMo- Local Flavor

Well, I've been in and out of Mixology Monday for a while now. I like that it encourages my creativity as a bartender, but, to be honest, I'm doing that 3 nights a week already. I think the #1 thing that I get out of MxMo is simply additional perspectives. Other times, I look at it and, well, I just can't get into it. I particularly liked Kevin at Save the Drinkers idea, local flavor. Why? Well, I do live in Portland Oregon. I've got more "local" choices than about the rest of the country combined when it comes to distilled spirits. This should be a cakewalk for someone with spirits like Aviation gin, Trillium absinthe, and Sub Rosa vodka in his backyard. And yet, to be honest, I'm no Jamie Boudreau (or even a Jeff Morgenthaler or Jimmy Patrick either). I don't hail from beautiful Montreal. Instead I'm from one of the ugliest towns on the west coast, little Turlock, California, where black jeans still pass for formal wear and home to exactly one teeny tiny bar in the entire village. Unless I was going to make a Jack Daniels and Coors Light cocktail, Turlock is out, so I'm running with my adopted hometown of Portland on this one.
I decided to use one of my favorite spirits distilled here in Portland, Clear Creek Distilleries' Pear brandy. I use this to mix all the time, usually with great results. Today, I decided that just one Oregon spirit just wasn't enough so I hit the liquor store at lunch and grabbed a bottle of Dolmen Worker Bee Honey Spirit, thinking that honeyed notes would play well with the pear brandy. By the time I actually had gotten home, I'd also decided to work some Sake One G Joy into the drink to round it out a bit and add a little more complexity. Choosing an acid was easy, lemon juice just lends itself nicely to all of these flavors. Once home from my soul crushing corporate job today, I got to mixing.

East of Beaverton Cocktail

2 oz Clear Creek Pear Brandy
1 oz Dolmen Worker Bee Honey Spirit
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz Sake One Joy G Sake

Chill, stir and serve up.

It was almost everything that I'd been hoping for. A taste of Oregon Summer in a glass. Two dashes of the Fee Brothers orange bitters and a splash of Clear Creek's Pear liqueur it it was perfection in a glass. I took my glass outside and enjoyed the warm summer evening, sipping my cocktail as I inspected my garden tonight. Perfection doesn't taste much better.