The Cascades

The second of our Portland Piano Virtual Extravaganza events kicks off with our new cover of “The Cascades” from Fleet Foxes, one of the 21st century’s premier indie rock bands. The band was formed in the Pacific Northwest and its culture, environment, and sensibilities play an integral role in the band’s earthy, folk-inflected sound.  

“The Cascades” captivated us from our first listen. The celestial interplay of the melody gave us the feeling of soaring above the trees with the wind rushing upon our faces, and the subtle harmonic changes evoked the image of light and shadow dancing upon distant mountaintops. We hiked the Cascades in 2015, experiencing for ourselves the wild beauty we aim to capture in our two-piano arrangement and simple, hearty, Old Fashioned-inspired cocktail.

Portland’s Freeland Spirits makes their rich, velvety bourbon uniquely Pacific Northwestern by giving it a final rest in Oregon’s Elk Cove Pinot Noir barrels. The wine barrels impart a smoky berry layer to the Bourbon that pairs perfectly with Oregon’s famous marionberries (blackberries are a suitable substitute for those of you elsewhere). Marionberries have a complex, earthy flavor that is both sweet and tart, nicely accenting the caramel and vanilla inherent in Freeland’s exceptional bourbon. Orange bitters and zest add bright citrus notes and draw out a hint of marmalade hidden in the bourbon’s spicy aroma. We invite you to experiment with more/less sugar or soda water to find the perfect Cascadian cocktail for you.

The Cascades

(A Marionberry Old Fashioned)

Yield: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Freeland Spirits Bourbon

• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters

• 1-2 dashed orange bitters

• 5 fresh marionberries (or substitute with blackberries)

• Ice cubes

• Orange peel strip

• Club soda (optional)

Instructions:

Combine the sugar, bitters, and three marionberries in a cocktail shaker. Muddle the mixture until sugar is dissolved, then add the bourbon and ice cubes. Stir well and strain into an Old-Fashioned glass. Top with soda (if so inclined), add a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange peel and two berries on a skewer… a cocktail umbrella will do in a pinch pandemic.

Cheers!

Everyone is welcome to participate with an alcohol-free, Cascadian creation.

Marionberry Lemonade

Yeild: 1 drink

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup simple syrup*

• 4 marionberries

• Juice of one lemon

• 1 cup water or soda

• 3/4 cup ice

Instructions:

*Simple syrup is even parts sugar and water heated in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water make about a quart of syrup which can be stored in the fridge and used for several lemonades.

Muddle three marionberries in a cocktail shaker, then add the lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice cubes. Stir well and strain into an appropriate glass. Top with water or soda, add a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange peel and a berry on a skewer.

The Corona Meditation

Our upcoming Portland Piano Virtual Extravaganza program will feature Corona Mediation, a new work written in April 2020 by Austrian composer Gerd Kühr in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Expansive and reflective, the piece provides a compelling musical commentary on the time we’ve all spent in quarantine together, yet isolated apart. Blossoming forth then collapsing, brilliantly clear then seemingly disordered, Kühr’s Corona Meditation creates a quietly cosmic play of opposites and inspires a cocktail redolent of a stroll in a mystical garden.

Wishing to feature local ingredients in our cocktail, we selected a deliciously fragrant gin from Portland’s Freeland Spirits as the perfect base for our meditative cocktail. At once earthy and light, its quintessential herbs and spices are brightened by a crisp citrus pop. We leaned into the gin’s citrus notes by adding fresh lemon and tied the botanical hints together with a delicate floral layer of St. Germaine elderflower liqueur and our divine chamomile syrup. An egg white froth adds an extravagant texture and the perfect finishing touch to our cocktail. When experienced with Gerd Kühr’s Corona Meditation, we’re instantly transported to a garden blooming with sounds, flavors, scents, and textures to delight and soothe the senses and the soul.

We recommend a warm, calming cup of chamomile tea to our friends who wish to participate, but prefer not to consume alcohol. 😌🍵

The Corona Meditation

Yield: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1½ oz Freeland Spirits Gin

• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice

• ½ oz white tea syrup*

• ¼ oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur

• ½ oz egg white, lightly beaten (substitute with aquafaba for a vegan cocktail)

• slice of lemon peel (optional)

Instructions:

*Prepare the white tea syrup by bringing six ounces of water to a boil. Add two bags of your favorite chamomile tea and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and add 3/4 cup of granulated sugar (or 12 ounces sugar by weight) and stir over heat until clear. Bottle and chill your syrup until ready for use.

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake until very cold, then fine-strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Express the oils of a lemon peel over the surface of the drink, discard the peel, sip, and savor in bliss. 🧘🧘‍♀️

P.S. Special thanks to Jeffrey Morgenthaler and Freeland Spirits for the creation of this recipe!

Chillin...

Who would have guessed our combination of cocktails and classical music would land us a cover with Metallica? 😮🤘🍸 Check out our full interview and Musical Mixology recipe on the Chilled Magazine website. Cheers!

The Brandenburg

We’re commemorating the dedication Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos in true A&R fashion: with a cocktail (and score)! On March 24, 1721 Bach gave us six concertos that would become benchmarks of Baroque music. On March 24, 2019 we’re returning the favor with a delicious Black Forest twist on a classic Manhattan.

The Brandenburg is a hearty and festive triumvirate of cherry, chocolate, and bourbon inspired by German Black Forest cake and Doppelbock beers, as well as Bach’s penchant for all things “three.”

Velvety, bittersweet crème de cacao and Kirshwasser (a cherry brandy from Germany’s Black Forest region) were selected to add subtle chocolate and cherry undertones to the sweet, oaky bourbon base. These three spirits combine to create a cocktail delightfully reminiscent of a Black Forest cake, without entering into dessert cocktail territory. Like a rich and weighty German Doppelbock, the Brandenburg’s sweetness is perfectly balanced by a touch of bitterness, provided here by the chocolate and cherry liqueurs, resulting in a joyous and robust blend of flavors.

Chocolate bitters were added to entice the nose, hinting at vanilla and cinnamon, and a dash of Cherry Heering for an extra pop of sweet cherry flavor. A brandied cherry garnish was the perfect finishing touch to harken back to the classic Manhattan cocktail and complete another Bachian set of three.

The Brandenburg is a simple, everyday cocktail that (much like the music of Bach) is timeless, sophisticated, and spirit forward.

THE BRANDENBURG

Yield: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces bourbon

• 1/2 ounce crème de cacao

• 1/2 ounce Kirschwasser

• 1/4 ounce Cherry Heering

• 1 dash chocolate bitters

• 1 brandied cherry garnish

Instructions:

Stir ingredients with ice until well chilled, strain into a small coupe glass, and enjoy while listening to one of the joyous and hearty Brandenburg concertos!

Note: much of the drink’s sweetness comes from the Cherry Heering. Tread cautiously if you happen to be sweet-adverse; you can always add more after testing.

The Tango Amargo

Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us and Musical Mixology is back with a brand new recipe to meet all your (anti-)Valentine’s needs. The Tango Amargo is a rich, complex, and blissfully bitter drink concocted especially for all the sexy singles, cynics, and contrarians out there. It also pairs perfectly with the music of Astor Piazzolla and our seductive new music video featuring our arrangement of his Oblivion.

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We spent many evenings searching for just the right cocktail to complement the dark, sexy undercurrents of Piazzolla’s endlessly passionate music. His tangos conjure up a complex mix of emotions and we wanted a recipe that captured all the contradictions of yearning. We also sought to incorporate Italian and Argentinian liquors in homage to Piazzolla’s roots. The chamomile, bitter orange, and myrrh-infused Fernet Branca (an Argentinian staple) came instantly to mind, but also presented a challenge given its bold flavors. Cue the voluptuous red hue and sapid bitterness of Campari! To that we added artichoke-based Cynar, an herbal gin, and the elegant Dolin Blanc Vermouth for balance. The Tango Amargo begins sweet, then turns dark and bitter; it’s the perfect cocktail for your anti-Valentine’s Day fete this Singles Awareness Day (Isn’t that… S.A.D. for short? 😜).

(For those who can stomach this happy holiday "straight up,” our sweet and bubbly Elixir of Love is the quintessential Valentine’s Day cocktail. Lovebirds and spurned lovers alike will also adore a batch of The Rachmaninoff Heartbreak.)

THE TANGO AMARGO

Based on “Eeyore’s Requiem” by Toby Maloney of Chicago’s Violet Hour

Yield: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Campari

• 0.5 oz gin

• 0.25 Cynar

• 0.25 Fernet Branca

• 1 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth

• 15 drops or 0.2 oz orange bitters

Instructions:

Stir with ice until well chilled, then strain into a serving glass (coupe or cocktail glass). Drink yourself into Oblivion.