Everyone has sat at a bar and had a bartender explain the intricacies of a drink or differences between two different types of a liquor and been interrupted by another patron needing to be served. Our panel discussion, entitled “Ask your bartender”, is your chance to not be interrupted and ask not one, but multiple people who excel at their trade at crafting cocktails. We have bartenders from both top end Portland cocktail lounges and destination bars elsewhere that will be participating.

Format

The format will be a general Q&A, where questions will be provided by the attendees, with a handful or two from our moderator just to get things going. It’s not so much a formal panel, but a conversation that you, the attendees, will be having with these experts.

How To Prepare

We are going to be looking for questions from the audience, so start thinking of them. Also, since we will be filming and posting this (and all the other sessions) online, you can leave a comment here with a question you want asked, even if you won’t be in attendance.

Some sample questions to get your brain thinking:

• Did your interest in craft mixology lead you to becoming a bartender, or did it develop while you were already working behind the bar?
• What’s the one cocktail trend or habit that you would like to see thrown to the wayside?
• If a person told you they had never had a cocktail in there life, what would you make for them?

Post your questions here if you like, or just bring them with you.

Panel participants

The Ask your bartender panel will consist of these great bartenders:

• Jacob Grier, Branch Whiskey Bar, Portland, Oregon
• Suzanne Long, Forbidden Island, Alameda, California
• Ricky Gomez, Teardrop Lounge, Portland, Oregon
• Mindy Cook, Toro Bravo, Portland, Oregon
• Elizabeth Markham, Beaker & Flask, Portland, Oregon

If you’ve ever wanted to ask questions but couldn’t due to crowding at the bar, now’s your chance.