Kelley Swenson, Ten 01, Portland, OR

The first two cocktails Kelley Swenson, Mixologist at Ten 01 in Portland, OR, remembers tasting were a Gin Gimlet and a Tailspin. He credits those drinks with inspiring two insights that are the basis for his professional creativity.

His first epiphany, he says, was that a really good cocktail requires fresh juice. “The Gimlet was basically a Gin Sour. I remember being struck by the complexities of the gin. Of course, when I first tried this drink it was still being made with commercially sweetened limejuice, called Roses. I tried it once with just gin and Roses and then with a squeeze of fresh limejuice. It didn’t take me long to realize the importance of fresh juice. I now make a gimlet with fresh lime, gin, and sugar. Fresh pear, in my signature drink, the Oregon Anjou, is a natural extension of the epiphany to only use fresh juice in cocktails.”

Second, a good cocktail is greater than the sum of its parts, he says. “The Tailspin was a wicked concoction of gin, sweet vermouth, and chartreuse. This would change the way I thought about bartending and drinks and how the synergy of ingredients creates a drink that was greater than its parts.”

Swenson sees cocktail trends following food trends: “local, organic, artisan ingredients. A natural extension of the slow food movement will make its way into the bar. Small craft distillers are popping up all over the country and bartenders are increasingly excited to use these local products.”

In fact, his signature cocktail is comprised completely of local-artisan ingredients: Medoyeff Vodka, an artisan vodka from Portland; fresh Oregon pear puree; fresh lemon juice; Clear Creak Pear Brandy, an un-aged eau de vie from Portland; and house-made pinot gris syrup, local pinot gris wine and sugar.

“I was inspired by wonderful seasonal pears,” he says. “Thinking seasonally naturally led to thinking locally. Sourcing ingredients from the same region often leads to great synergy of flavor—a simple philosophy used in the kitchen applied to the bar.”

Oregon Anjou

1 1/2oz   Fresh pear purée
1/4oz      Clear Creak Pear Brandy
1 ½ oz    Medoyeff Vodka
1/2oz      Fresh lemon juice
1/2oz    Oregon pinot gris syrup

Shake and strain into large cocktail glass. Garnish with a thin slice of fresh pear.

Another trend he sees is the return of the classics. “You will see gin and rye whiskey gain in popularity. These are often the spirits of choice in the cocktails of America’s past– they are also the focus of artisan distillers.”

As classics take the forefront, so will forgotten ingredients, he says. “Cocktails from the golden era of cocktails will return, the brothers, sisters, and cousins of the great Manhattan and Martini. These drinks call for ingredients of old, some of which are unavailable today. As a result, you will see bartenders making their own replicas of such spirits. You already see this trend as bartenders across the country, including me, are making house made bitters. Making their own liqueur will come next.”

So what is Swenson’s favorite cocktail? “That’s an impossible question to answer if you truly love cocktails! The Negroni (equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, Campari) is one of the most perfect drinks ever created.” Among his favorites are several other drinks from the past, the Corpse Reviver #2, Napoleon, Tailspin, Corn n Oil, and Arrack Punch. “Of course, the Gimlet (with a great genever-style gin) is still one of my favorites.”

Seattle, he says, has some of the best bartenders in the country. “I learned a lot from drinking at their bars and paying attention. Also, Jerry Thomas a bartender from the 19^th century, who is considered the father of the cocktail. To this day, he’s one of America’s best bartenders.”

Edited by Patricia D. Sherman

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