Portland Cocktail Week 2013 opening shakes things up

The fourth annual Portland Cocktail Week (PDXCW) opened Saturday in Portland, Oregon, bringing together bartenders, cocktail luminaries, and cocktail enthusiasts for a celebration of craft cocktail culture.  Bartender education is one of the key components of PDXCW; this year over 1,000 bartenders applied for the 260 slots.  Each will take classes in one of four major course studies offered by the Portland Bartender Institute (Advanced Craft Cocktail Bartending, Beyond the Bar, Bar Ownership, and Product Development). Classes will be held in Portland’s Downtown and Pearl Districts and are intended to improve bartenders’ technical skills as well as help them prepare for long-term career aspirations.

“The Portland Bar Institute not only covers spirits training,” said Jeffrey Morgenthaler of Clyde Common. “It also provides bartenders the tools to focus on developing individual professional aspirations – whether they be behind the bar, developing products, or building a personal brand.”

This year the major opening event was the “Swig n Swine,” a charity pig roast sponsored by the Bon Vivants of San Francisco as part of their Pig and Punch on the road program that supports different charities.  This year’s PDXCW event benefits Self Enhancement Inc. Charter School, a local nonprofit organization supporting at-risk urban youth.

The bash, which took place at the Jupiter Hotel, had the usual selection of new cocktails to sample.  These were mixed in 50 gallon garbage cans (talk about scaling-up a recipe!), each accompanied by a recipe poster that listed the ingredients.

This year the major opening event was the “Swig n Swine,” a charity pig roast sponsored by the Bon Vivants of San Francisco as part of their Pig and Punch on the road program that supports different charities.  Party goers made their donation by purchasing a T-shirt.

Most PDXCW events are staffed by bartender-attendees who volunteer part of their time to support the program.  This pair is showing their support for a recipe poster...

Recipe posters or cards accompany most of the cocktails that may be sampled during cocktail week.  These usually promote the featured brands and provide a passable description of the recipe (without proportions).

Cocktails were mixed in 50 gallon garbage cans (talk about scaling-up a recipe!) accompanied by a recipe poster that listed the ingredients.  The tiny pumpkins specified in the recipe surround a big block of ice.  That's a large dipper if you're having trouble getting the scale.

The Sleeping Beauty is a hot, flavorful cocktail made from D'usse Cognac and Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth with a bunch of other ingredients, including Maple syrup, thrown in.  Note that while oranges are on the recipe card for this one, the walnuts definitely are not.