Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Jeff Morgenthaler is one of the most influential bartenders of the past 25 years. He’s a pioneer of modern bar technique, an early blogging heavyweight, the former bar director of Portland’s iconic Clyde Common, and the author of the industry staple The Bar Book. His website remains one of the internet’s most useful archives for anyone who cares about cocktails, technique, and hospitality.
Jeff had a hand in shaping my own career early on. His mix of humour, logic, and obsessively clear thinking validated the path so many of us were taking — and his influence on the global cocktail community is far bigger than most people realise.
Although we’ve known of each other for nearly two decades, this recording was our first time meeting. It turned into a wide-ranging conversation covering bartending, drink culture, technique, creativity, and the changing landscape of our industry.
In this episode:
• how Jeff got into bartending
• why baijiu deserves more respect
• how to make your own cola
• the early-2000s figures who shaped both our careers
• how Jeff tweaks and personalises eggnog
• why most people batch flavoured syrups incorrectly — and how his tools can fix it
• what writing a drinks book is really like
• our take on The World’s 50 Best Bars
• what defines a truly great bar
00:00 Jeff’s Entry into Bartending - Old School Bartending, Restaurant Bars
06:11 Jeff’s Blog & Early Blogging - Paul Harrington, The Blogosphere, Martin Millers Gin
11:00 Simon Difford - Sauce Guide, Class Magazine, Books
15:20 Changing Landscape of Knowledge - Product Range
18:30 Baijou Appreciation
25:10 Most Read Blog Posts - Tonic Water, Ginger Beer, Amaretto Sour, Grenadine
27:45 Homemade Cola
31:55 Clyde Common & Moving to Portland - Hotel Bars Modern and Old
40:50 Customising Eggnog
43:00 Guest Bartending at Edison Bar in LA - The Problem with Guest Bartending
48:50 Becoming Famous for the Amaretto Sour, Reviving 90s Drinks, Changing Nature of Bartending, Consumer Confidence, Education
1:03:00 Where to Trends Come From? Barrel Aged Cocktails
1:14:15 Web Calculators - Batch Calculator, Syrup Calculator
1:18:10 Why Educate? Writing The Bar Book, Oxford Companion to Spirits, Future Projects, The Joy of Mixology
1:34:20 Bar Technique & Bar Myths
1:43:20 Social Media and Bartender Influencers, 50 Best Bars, Bars with a Sense of Place
1:57:45 What Makes a Great Bar?
2:03:50 Women & Whisky, American Whiskey
2:09:00 Podcasting, Future Goals, Product Design
2:12:00 Closing Words
jeffreymorgebthaler.com
📷 Follow me on Instagram - instagram.com/tristanstephenson
📚 I've written quite a few books on spirits and cocktails - thecuriousbartender.com
Jeff Morgenthaler is one of the most influential bartenders of the past 25 years. He’s a pioneer of modern bar technique, an early blogging heavyweight, the former bar director of Portland’s iconic Clyde Common, and the author of the industry staple The Bar Book. His website remains one of the internet’s most useful archives for anyone who cares about cocktails, technique, and hospitality.
Jeff had a hand in shaping my own career early on. His mix of humour, logic, and obsessively clear thinking validated the path so many of us were taking — and his influence on the global cocktail community is far bigger than most people realise.
Although we’ve known of each other for nearly two decades, this recording was our first time meeting. It turned into a wide-ranging conversation covering bartending, drink culture, technique, creativity, and the changing landscape of our industry.
In this episode:
• how Jeff got into bartending
• why baijiu deserves more respect
• how to make your own cola
• the early-2000s figures who shaped both our careers
• how Jeff tweaks and personalises eggnog
• why most people batch flavoured syrups incorrectly — and how his tools can fix it
• what writing a drinks book is really like
• our take on The World’s 50 Best Bars
• what defines a truly great bar
00:00 Jeff’s Entry into Bartending - Old School Bartending, Restaurant Bars
06:11 Jeff’s Blog & Early Blogging - Paul Harrington, The Blogosphere, Martin Millers Gin
11:00 Simon Difford - Sauce Guide, Class Magazine, Books
15:20 Changing Landscape of Knowledge - Product Range
18:30 Baijou Appreciation
25:10 Most Read Blog Posts - Tonic Water, Ginger Beer, Amaretto Sour, Grenadine
27:45 Homemade Cola
31:55 Clyde Common & Moving to Portland - Hotel Bars Modern and Old
40:50 Customising Eggnog
43:00 Guest Bartending at Edison Bar in LA - The Problem with Guest Bartending
48:50 Becoming Famous for the Amaretto Sour, Reviving 90s Drinks, Changing Nature of Bartending, Consumer Confidence, Education
1:03:00 Where to Trends Come From? Barrel Aged Cocktails
1:14:15 Web Calculators - Batch Calculator, Syrup Calculator
1:18:10 Why Educate? Writing The Bar Book, Oxford Companion to Spirits, Future Projects, The Joy of Mixology
1:34:20 Bar Technique & Bar Myths
1:43:20 Social Media and Bartender Influencers, 50 Best Bars, Bars with a Sense of Place
1:57:45 What Makes a Great Bar?
2:03:50 Women & Whisky, American Whiskey
2:09:00 Podcasting, Future Goals, Product Design
2:12:00 Closing Words
jeffreymorgebthaler.com
📷 Follow me on Instagram - instagram.com/tristanstephenson
📚 I've written quite a few books on spirits and cocktails - thecuriousbartender.com
