Notice anything different? That’s right! The Library Journal got a little makeover in honor of the new MWL website we have coming soon! Our friends over at Weller Creative are working their magic, and we hope to have the new site online in a few weeks so stay tuned.
Also in the news, we want to thank you for your marvelous support of our curbside wine and steak pickup events! The proceeds from these events go to our own MWL team support programs and the Oregon Food Bank. On the heels of some very generous donations, we are honored to announce that MWL team and Member donations have contributed over $105,000 to the Oregon Food Bank. You can donate here – $1 equals 3 meals, so every dollar counts!
Also, a big thank you to Beam Suntory for their weekly contributions to our staff meal program. Twice a week, Chef Jason cooks up team meals to be delivered along with pantry staples and other goods to our amazing bartenders, bar backs, hosts and cooks who are unable to work while we are closed – and our friends at Beam Suntory are helping us make that happen. It’s acts of generosity and kindness, big and small, that turn a community into a home. We love you, Portland, and can’t wait to welcome everyone back in to the Library!
Keep reading for more MWL and neighborhood news, a chance to win a Library membership, and round two of Five Essential Bottles for your Home Bar with plenty of new cocktail recipes to try at home.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at the Library
MWL + BRADLEY ANGLE
MAKE A MATCHING DONATION AND WIN A MEMBERSHIP
We want to take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to our newest Member at MWL! Their generous bid in our latest Membership auction raised over $5,000 for Bradley Angle.
In Oregon, as in cities around the world, calls related to domestic violence have jumped dramatically as people feel the effects of social distancing. The restrictions necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus has had heartbreaking consequences for millions worldwide – making violence in homes more frequent, more severe and more dangerous.
Social distancing measures have splintered support networks, making it far more difficult for victims to get help or escape dangerous situations. The sad truth is that abuse thrives in this type of stressful situation – isolating vulnerable people, capitalizing on fear and anxiety, and making it possible to further tighten control on victims’ movements and interactions.
Institutions that protect women, children, elders, and other victims from domestic violence, are often underfunded to begin with, and are now straining to respond to the increased demand. The situation is further complicated by the inherent danger of leaving your home at this time to seek lifesaving shelter or escape abuse. Many fear exposing themselves, or their children, to Covid-19 by asking for outside aid.
During this health crisis, Bradley Angle is remaining open to provide support for survivors of and those affected by domestic abuse, but they need help!
MWL is ready to donate a Membership to any individual or business willing to match the winning bid by making a $5,000 donation to Bradley Angle. Email membership@mwlpdx.com for more information.
NEWS FROM AROUND TOWN
It’s pretty quiet out there. While the lockdown has devastated businesses and individuals, it’s had some positive effects as well. Pollution is down, green spaces are flourishing and Portland has less traffic on its streets than at any time since 1960. So, if you find yourself out on essential business, remember to take a deep breath and enjoy the peaceful moment!
If, like most of us, you are spending a lot of time in your house, there are some fun things that you can do to stay connected, enjoy a drink and support your local businesses. For example, if you’ve been making cocktails at home, and are running out of citrus, garnishes or bubbly water, the fine folks at Providore are delivering groceries! Just send them an email, and they’ll give you a call, go over your selections, take your payment details and drop your groceries off at your house.
Ladies, now is a great time to join your local chapter of Women Who Whiskey. It’s free to sign up, and they’re featuring all sorts of great events to keep us entertained and learning about spirits including virtual Happy Hours with Portland bar mavens, bitters makers and bartenders.
Our friends over at Westward Distillery have been keeping busy finding new ways to get their great spirits to their Oregon fans. Their whiskey line and Whiskey Cocktail Kits, featuring the talented craftspeople of @pdxbitters & @portlandsyrups, are now available by curbside distillery pickup or delivery within Oregon!
We’re especially excited about their Westward Together: At Home Experience. They’ve partnered with Kari Young (@meatballssmama) to put together a great selection of awesome local products.
The package includes an opportunity to sign up for a 45 minute online tasting session with a Westward distiller or blender and local Portland bartender who will demonstrate some Westward cocktails you can make at home. The best part is that all of the net proceeds of every bag purchase will be distributed through Family Meal PDX; a 100% non profit providing financial relief through grants to Oregon’s food service and agricultural workers in crisis.
FIVE ESSENTIAL BOTTLES
BY MWL GENERAL MANAGER KYLE SANDERS
1. Tequila (blanco or reposado – sub mezcal if you like a little smoke!)
2. Orange Curaçao (such as Combier Orange, Cointreau or Grand Marnier)
3. Brandy (we like Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac or Park VS Cognac)
4. Blended Scotch (Cutty Sark Prohibition is one of the best for cocktails)
5. Benedictine
“It’s looking like you’re not going to be able to come in and visit us any time soon to have one of our wonderful bartenders mix your favorite drinks for you tableside,” Kyle says. “So we’re going to help you to continue to build up your home bar and fight off the quarantine blues at home. By adding these next 5 bottles to your cache you’ll be able to open up another big range of cocktail possibilities.”
Tequila:
Margarita
2oz tequila
1oz orange curaçao
.75oz fresh lime juice
1tsp cane simple syrup or agave syrup (optional depending on how sweet or dry you like your margarita)
Add ingredients to your shaking vessel, add ice and shake, then strain into a rocks glass over ice, or up (no ice) if you prefer, Garnish with a lime wedge
**Optional salted rim: the easiest way at home is to put a little bit of kosher salt on a small plate or dish, then cut a lime wedge down the middle and use that to run the lime around the rim of your glass and then dip that into your salt.**
Tequila Daisy
2oz tequila
.75oz fresh lemon juice
1tsp orange curaçao
soda water
Add ingredients to your shaking vessel, add ice and shake.Strain into a rocks glass over ice and top with soda. Garnish with a lemon wedge
Paloma
1.5oz tequila
.5oz fresh lime juice
grapefruit soda (Squirt is the classic)
In a tall glass add the tequila and lime juice then top with soda. Gently mix with a spoon to not lose too much carbonation. Garnish with a lime wedge.
*salt rim optional
Siesta
2oz tequila
.5oz Campari
.5oz fresh grapefruit juice
.5oz fresh lime juice
.5oz cane simple syrup
Add ingredients to shaker, add ice and shake. Strain and serve up
Brandy
Sidecar
1.5oz cognac (sub vodka for a lemon drop!)
1oz orange curaçao
.75 fresh lemon juice
Add ingredients to shaking vessel, shake with ice, strain and serve up.
*optional sugar rim
Between the Sheets
1oz cognac
1oz white rum
1oz orange curaçao
.75oz fresh lemon juice
Add ingredients to shaker, shake with ice, strain and serve up, garnish with a lemon peel.
Vieux Carre
.75oz cognac
.75oz rye (if you don’t have rye, bourbon is fine too)
.75oz sweet vermouth
.5 tsp Benedictine
1 dash Peychaud’s bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
Add ingredients to your mixing glass, add ice and stir. Strain over rocks and garnish with a lemon peel.
B&B
1oz cognac
1oz Benedictine
Build in glass and serve neat or on the rocks.
Horse’s Neck
2oz cognac
ginger beer
Pour cognac into a collins glass with ice, top with ginger beer and garnish with a lemon peel.
Scotch
Bobby Burns
1.5oz scotch
.75oz sweet vermouth
.25oz Benedictine
Add ingredients to your stirring vessel, add ice and stir. Strain into an old fashioned glass over the rock, garnish with an orange peel.
Mamie Taylor
1.5oz scotch
.5oz fresh lime juice
ginger beer
Add scotch and lime juice to a collins glass filled with ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Penicillin
2oz scotch
.75oz fresh lemon juice
.75oz honey & ginger syrup
Add ingredients to your shaking vessel, Add ice and shake. Strain into rocks glass over ice. If you have a peated scotch, or were already using a peated scotch drizzle .25oz of that over the top to add some extra, smokey aromatics
*Honey and ginger syrup recipe – if you have a juicer and fresh ginger run the ginger through the juicer. Add 2 parts fresh ginger juice to 3 parts honey by weight then heat and stir until they’re fully combined. If you can’t get fresh ginger juice you can just use honey syrup (2 parts water:3 parts honey by weight) and then add a little ginger beer for a close approximation.
Rob Roy
2oz scotch
.75oz sweet vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters
Add ingredients to your mixing vessel. Stir with ice. Strain and serve up. Garnish with a lemon peel.
Orange curaçao and Benedictine cocktails you can make with bottles you might already have:
Pegu Club
1.5oz gin
1oz orange curaçao
.5oz fresh lime juice
.5tsp cane simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
Add ingredients to your shaker. Shake with ice, strain and serve up.
Frisco & Frisco Sour
Frisco:
2oz rye
.5oz Benedictine
Add to your mixing vessel and stir with ice. Strain and either serve up or on the rocks and garnish with a lemon peel.
Frisco Sour:
2oz rye
.5oz Benedictine
.5oz fresh lemon juice
Add ingredients to your shaker. Shake with ice, strain and serve up.
