Shaken, not stirred
Saturday | 11 October 2008 CategoriesIn the news
Ashland Daily Tidings
By Hannah Guzik
Melodie Buell tended to her gaggle of gooseberries, muddling them with pear pieces in a pint glass, shaking them in a bath of vodka and black peppercorn syrup, and straining the liquid into a martini glass. Hands fluttering around the Standing Stone Brewery bar, she added five gooseberries to the drink, tucked a pear slice on the edge of the glass and floated semi-sparkling chardonnay on top.
"There it is," she said, standing back to admire her work. "Goose's Pear'd Up."
On the counter, glowing and golden in the bar's half-light, was Buell's award-winning drink.
Last month the Ashland native won the Southern Oregon Regional Oregon Bounty Cocktail Contest, put on by Travel Oregon, and advanced to the statewide competition in Portland Oct. 1.
There she competed against the six other regional winners, mixing her drink for a panel of judges.
Although Cheryl Meloy of Portland won the competition with her Hike, Fish & Go Camping Punch, Buell — who had never entered a mixology contest before — finished in the top three.
All seven finalists received a $200 gift card for Best Western Hotels of Oregon and their drink recipes will be included in the Oregon Bounty Recipe Book.
"My drink is very fresh and unique to Southern Oregon," Buell said. "I love to envision flavors together and use local and seasonal ingredients. Since it was August when I was creating the drink, I thought about what was unique to Southern Oregon and I felt it was essential to use pears somehow, because pears are a huge part of our agricultural exports. I wanted to pair that sweet flavor with gooseberries, which are unique to the state of Oregon."
In fact, all of the ingredients Buell used were grown or produced within about 30 miles of Ashland, she said.
"I used black peppercorn because I love playing with flavors and spices that you don't expect," Buell said. "The warmth and the spicy flavor that the peppercorn brings to the palate is essential. At first I made it without the semi-sparkling chardonnay float, but it didn't have that wow factor, like, 'Wow, I want six of these.' People don't expect to have a float of champagne on a martini."
Buell, who primarily works as Standing Stone's event planning manager, has only been bartending for about two years at the restaurant and only recently began creating drinks. She tends bar on Tuesday and Friday nights.
Goose's Pear'd Up will be added to the Standing Stone drink menu, said bar manager Adam Benson.
"I think it's great that it brings attention to local products and that Melodie could stand up against statewide competition," Benson said.
Buell credits her mom, who owns Bellissima Catering in Ashland, with teaching her to experiment with flavors and be creative in recipe development.
"I grew up in the kitchen. I think being allowed to play with cookie dough as a kid and make my own items really helped me learn to taste things and develop my palate," she said.
Since winning the regional contest, Buell has created several drinks for special events in Oregon.
In September she created French Fields, a drink with lavender, honey and lemon, for the Oregon Environmental Council's 40th Anniversary Festival in Portland, which was co-sponsored by Standing Stone.
She planned to serve another of her signature drinks, Divined, at the Oregon Distillers Guild Spirits Tasting at McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale on Oct. 11.
On the last Friday evening of every month, Buell creates a Green Drink made from local ingredients, as part of an event Standing Stone hosts to bring community members together to talk about sustainability.
"All of us at Standing Stone are very proud of her carrying through this whole contest, entirely in her own, which is awesome," said brewery owner Alex Amarotico.
Buell also works closely with Organic Nation, using the local company's gin or vodka in all of her drink creations and making some drinks specifically for the company.
"The contest has really opened up a lot of doors for me," Buell said. "I constantly have random ideas and it feels so good to go out on a limb and create something and have people enjoy it. It makes me feel like I can go out on a bigger limb each time."
By Hannah Guzik
Melodie Buell tended to her gaggle of gooseberries, muddling them with pear pieces in a pint glass, shaking them in a bath of vodka and black peppercorn syrup, and straining the liquid into a martini glass. Hands fluttering around the Standing Stone Brewery bar, she added five gooseberries to the drink, tucked a pear slice on the edge of the glass and floated semi-sparkling chardonnay on top."There it is," she said, standing back to admire her work. "Goose's Pear'd Up."
On the counter, glowing and golden in the bar's half-light, was Buell's award-winning drink.
Last month the Ashland native won the Southern Oregon Regional Oregon Bounty Cocktail Contest, put on by Travel Oregon, and advanced to the statewide competition in Portland Oct. 1.
There she competed against the six other regional winners, mixing her drink for a panel of judges.
Although Cheryl Meloy of Portland won the competition with her Hike, Fish & Go Camping Punch, Buell — who had never entered a mixology contest before — finished in the top three.
All seven finalists received a $200 gift card for Best Western Hotels of Oregon and their drink recipes will be included in the Oregon Bounty Recipe Book.
"My drink is very fresh and unique to Southern Oregon," Buell said. "I love to envision flavors together and use local and seasonal ingredients. Since it was August when I was creating the drink, I thought about what was unique to Southern Oregon and I felt it was essential to use pears somehow, because pears are a huge part of our agricultural exports. I wanted to pair that sweet flavor with gooseberries, which are unique to the state of Oregon."
In fact, all of the ingredients Buell used were grown or produced within about 30 miles of Ashland, she said.
"I used black peppercorn because I love playing with flavors and spices that you don't expect," Buell said. "The warmth and the spicy flavor that the peppercorn brings to the palate is essential. At first I made it without the semi-sparkling chardonnay float, but it didn't have that wow factor, like, 'Wow, I want six of these.' People don't expect to have a float of champagne on a martini."
Buell, who primarily works as Standing Stone's event planning manager, has only been bartending for about two years at the restaurant and only recently began creating drinks. She tends bar on Tuesday and Friday nights.
Goose's Pear'd Up will be added to the Standing Stone drink menu, said bar manager Adam Benson.
"I think it's great that it brings attention to local products and that Melodie could stand up against statewide competition," Benson said.
Buell credits her mom, who owns Bellissima Catering in Ashland, with teaching her to experiment with flavors and be creative in recipe development.
"I grew up in the kitchen. I think being allowed to play with cookie dough as a kid and make my own items really helped me learn to taste things and develop my palate," she said.
Since winning the regional contest, Buell has created several drinks for special events in Oregon.
In September she created French Fields, a drink with lavender, honey and lemon, for the Oregon Environmental Council's 40th Anniversary Festival in Portland, which was co-sponsored by Standing Stone.
She planned to serve another of her signature drinks, Divined, at the Oregon Distillers Guild Spirits Tasting at McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale on Oct. 11.
On the last Friday evening of every month, Buell creates a Green Drink made from local ingredients, as part of an event Standing Stone hosts to bring community members together to talk about sustainability.
"All of us at Standing Stone are very proud of her carrying through this whole contest, entirely in her own, which is awesome," said brewery owner Alex Amarotico.
Buell also works closely with Organic Nation, using the local company's gin or vodka in all of her drink creations and making some drinks specifically for the company.
"The contest has really opened up a lot of doors for me," Buell said. "I constantly have random ideas and it feels so good to go out on a limb and create something and have people enjoy it. It makes me feel like I can go out on a bigger limb each time."