News of a new guild

While a lot of people still at home and quite probably recovering from the holiday revelries, some of us showed up at the office to work this Wednesday morning.

In acknowledgment that the holidays started around Wednesday and will last until New Year's for a lot of people, here is a bit of news for those who might have missed it, considering the fact that it came out right before the holidays.

The Oregon Bartender's Guild made an official announcement about its existence last week. I got the announcement on Friday via email newsletter from the TearDrop Lounge out in Portland, Ore. The announcement stated:

"A small group of us, each dedicated to the craft of the cocktail, have established a community of collaboration, both amongst ourselves & local distillers, brewers & winemakers. Our primary goals are elevating the standards of cocktail production in our industry, as well as public outreach through educational seminars & tastings."

I talked to Daniel Shoemaker, co-owner of the TearDrop Lounge and vice president of the new guild, who said that the guild had been in the works for months, and while the group wanted everything to be finalized and set, they also wanted to get the word out prior to Christmas so that people interested in the first of the Guild's seminars could get reservations. The seminar, which is a tasting hosted by several bartenders with information such as history and technique, is scheduled for January 20.

Daniel said the idea for the guild occurred several months ago when the TearDrop Lounge first opened to the public. Several of Portland's top bartenders were in attendance and it was agreed that a guild would be in the best interest not just as a means for collaboration of ideas and techniques, but also to gain better buying power for special products.

"We're really like an old crafts mens' guild. We're trying to elevate awareness in the community and increase knowledge on our end," Daniel explained. The group is looking to help inform bartenders, educate the public and reach out to a new and upcoming next generation of cocktail production.

While the guild is open to the public, it is organized in a tier system. For example, tiers can be divided up between those who are bartenders and are committed to the craft, restaurant owners, local distillers, as well as members of the general community who are "friends of the guild."

For more information about the guild or to find out more about the seminar, email the guild at info@oregonbarguild.org.