Sweat & Sip: Firebrand Sports & The Highland Stillhouse

Katie and I haven't posted a "Sweat and Sip" in quite some time, but that's not because we haven't been working out (well... maybe in my case), it's because Katie moved to North Portland. I'm not going to lie, since Katie moved and my once-a-week cycling partner was too far from Revocycle, my fitness regimen took a serious dip, but thanks to ClassPass, we've been getting back in the game!

If you have workout attention-fatigue like me and you haven't heard of ClassPass, you're missing out. With a ton of studios to choose from in different parts of town, there is probably a class to peak your interest any given day and time. ClassPass was generous enough to offer us a free month and we've been doing our best to try out at least two classes per week.

Last week, Katie and I spent our Thursday morning at Firebrand and then, to even things out, our Thursday night at the Highland Stillhouse.

What: Firebrand Sports
Where: NW Glisan and 14th
Honeys Heart: Pyrolates

I have been wanting to try Firebrand Sports, but with pyrolates classes running at about $30 to drop in, it hasn't felt fiscally responsible. Luckily, pyrolates is one of ClassPass's options.

Firebrand has a lot going on! Cycling, barre, "cardio barre", and pyrolates are all offered, of which I've tried the cardio barre and pyrolates. Katie and I really like the pyrolates class. It's challenging, fun, and requires focus moving around on that gliding platform. Plus, my inner thighs had never been that sore, and I love knowing the next day (or later that same day) that I worked hard!

The only part of our class that I thought was kind of odd was that the instructor didn't introduce herself at the beginning or end of the class. I'm used to really friendly and welcoming instructors at the other studios I've visited and I would have loved to feel a more personal connection to the class and studio. 

What: The Highland Stillhouse
Where: 201 S 2nd St, Oregon City
Honeys Heart: Mick and the weird, awesome collection of furniture and Scottish memorabilia

Pyrolates in the morning, followed by a full day of work, and then it was finally time for The Highland Stillhouse! Okay, you do have to make the trek out to Oregon City which for us city gals is the only downside, but otherwise everything about this place is awesome. It's unique, eclectic furniture - much of it actually shipped from Scotland - sets the stage for a warm and friendly environment.

There was live music playing while we perused the scotch and whiskey list, which has thousands of options. Well, that may be an exaggeration, but there is an extensive list organized by region and a storage space across the street from the restaurant in case you buy something obscure that isn't on their shelves. Knowing very little about scotch, we got a recommendation from our server and called it good. 

The first time I was at The Highland Stillhouse, the owner Mick sat at our table and gave us the scoop on proper tasting techniques and we tried to implement them during my second visit. You start by smelling the scotch with each nostril separately, with your mouth open. Then you sip the scotch and get a little air in your mouth, and let it sit for the same number of seconds as it is years old. So a 12-year-old scotch would sit in your mouth for 12 seconds. I know, that sounds hard, and it totally is - but it also completely changes the flavor of the scotch. Just like our pyrolates class- challenging, but worth it in the end!

Stay tuned for more Sweat & Sips courtesy of ClassPass!

Sweat & Sip:

• Portland Rock Gym & Uno Mas

• Burncycle & Pink Rose

• Vega Dance Lab, Water Ave Coffee, & Canteen

• YoYoYogi's Boot(y) Camp & Coopers Hall  

• Revocycle & Sisters Coffee Co. 

• Booty Bar at Aspire Total Fitness & Sip

SALEP Topic: The Old Fashioned

Adam promised us a classy SALEP meeting and surprisingly (love you, Adam!), he delivered. There were classic cocktails, jazz music, and Ginger Cats Cookies for People (the classiest of animal cookies, obvs). Does it get much better?

History:
1806: The Old Fashioned is the embodiment of the first recorded definition of cocktails in general, which comes from the letters page of a 1806 New York newspaper: "Cock tail, then is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters."

1895: The recipe for an "Old-Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail" first appeared in George Kappeler's Modern American Drinks published in 1895.

1919-1933: During Prohibition, the quality of liquor greatly decreased and The Old Fashioned's combination of sugar and bitters proved an excellent way to mask the taste of poor-quality liquor, increasing the drink's popularity in speakeasies across the country.

2007: After decades as a bar staple, The Old Fashioned had eventually become primarily known as your grandmother's drink of choice. However, the premier of Mad Men in 2007 and the introduction of The Old Fashioned as Don Draper's drink of choice coupled with the craft cocktail revival in general served as a catalyst to push The Old Fashioned back into the sphere of popularity.

Recipe:
1 Sugar Cube
3 Dashes Angostura Bitters
2 oz Rye Whiskey
Water
Orange Peel

Order At:
Pope House Bourbon Lounge
Rum Club
Interurban
Kask

Past SALEP Topics: 

• Vermouth
• Green Chartreuse 
• Campari   
• Beer Cocktails  
• Drambuie 

SALEP Topic: Drambuie

For this month's SALEP meeting (SALEP = Society for the Advancement of Libation Edification and Potation), Brian taught us about Drambuie, a new liqueur to both Kelly and me. Thanks, Brian!!

What is it?
Drambuie is a sweet, gold colored liqueur with a Scotch whiskey base that is accented with the flavors of Scottish heather honey, herbs, and spices. The whiskey is a blend of malts from the Speyside and Highland regions of Scotland.

Etymology:

"Drambuie" is derived from the Scottish Gaelic phrase an dram buidheach- "the drink that satisfies."

Origin:

(Abridged from www.drambuie.com/us/history)
-The story of Drambuie begins in July 1746. Prince Charles Edward Stuart was on the run after being defeated at the Battle of Culloden, thus ending his hopes of restoring the Stuarts to the throne of Great Britain. 

-The Prince was pursued by the King’s men across the Highlands and Islands of Western Scotland, aided by many Highland Clans. Among them was Clan MacKinnon whose chief, John MacKinnon, helped the Prince escape from The Isle of Skye. In thanks for his help and bravery, the Prince gave John MacKinnon the secret recipe to his personal liqueur.

-In 1873, the recipe was passed on to John Ross of The Broadford Hotel on Skye, who started making it to serve in his hotel. Customers who tasted it commented in Gaelic that it was “an dram buidheach," the drink that satisfies, shortened to Drambuie. The name stuck and in 1893, John’s son James registered it as a trademark. 

-Malcolm MacKinnon travelled from Skye to Edinburgh in 1900 to work in the wines and spirits business. He recognized the opportunity that the liqueur offered and in 1909 produced Drambuie for the first time. By 1914 he had acquired the recipe and the trademark and he established The Drambuie Liqueur Company.

-Word began to spread about the Drambuie elixir and it became the first liqueur to be introduced to the House Of Lords in 1916. The following year, Buckingham Palace ordered a case for its cellars. The breakout of WWI interrupted the rise of Drambuie’s popularity commercially, however it did gain favor amongst many Army officers, becoming an Officers Mess staple in the Highland regiments. 

Zesty Irishman:

- 3/4 oz Drambuie
- 1 oz Irish Whiskey
- 1/4 oz triple sec
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Ginger Ale
- Lemon twist  

Find Drambuie at: 

Raven & Rose 

Hale Pele 

Clyde Common

Past SALEP Topics: 

• Vermouth
• Green Chartreuse 
• Campari   
• Beer Cocktails 

Portland Restaurant: St. Jack - New location!

What: St. Jack
Where: NW 23rd and Raleigh
When: Opens at 5pm 7-days per week, Patisserie to open soon!
Honeys Heart: The new digs

Katie and I first experienced St. Jack at their old SE Clinton location where we were introduced to Kyle's (now owner of Expatriate on N. Killingworth) excellent concoctions.

It's where we photographed this quote, which describes us well:

It's where I returned with my family to enjoy a fantastic, and expectedly pricey, French dinner:

Steak Tartare ($11) hand cut steak, cornichon, capers, red onion, quail egg yolk, & toasted baguette 

Butternut Squash Soup En Croute ($11) 

Roasted Beet Salad ($10) chèvre, arugula, toasted walnuts & red wine-dijon vinaigrette

Onglet Steak Frites ($24) with shallot, red wine demi-glace & pommes frites with bearnaise

Lamb Navarin ($28) braised lamb shoulder, cream, sherry, potatoes

It's where Adam had his "favorite cocktail ever"...it involved plum whiskey, but it's been a while so I can't name the drink.

So when we heard St. Jack was relocating to our hood, we were on board! It absolutely brings some cool points to NW, which seems to be making a bit of a "trendy comeback" with the recent additions of Barista, Little Big Burger, Pacific Pie Co., Bamboo Sushi, and Salt & Straw.

Adam and I met third-cousin Chase and his fiance to check out the new digs and try a cocktail. The space is much larger with a more open bar to one side of the restaurant and the restaurant to the other. On a Sunday night it was busy but we didn't have a wait, which was excellent.

I opted for White Lady ($11) with gin, lemon juice, and something else... it was very good. In hindsight it was a cocktail that I could have made at home so on my next visit I will branch out.

KB (Chase's fiance is also a Katie so to avoid confusion she'll be KB on the blog) ordered the L'Americain ($11) with campari, lillet rose, combier pamplemousse rose and chilled seltzer.

The important thing to note here is this drink is available by the carafe for $32. Yes please on a warm sunny day!

Adam and Chase went for the St. Jack Manhattan, but it's made with rye so though my inexperienced whiskey palate kind of liked it, it wasn't Adam's favorite.

We didn't order any food during our visit but the guys next to us had each ordered the cheeseburger ($9) and were sharing the fries ($5) off the bar menu and it smelled so good.

It's not in the budget to become a regular here, but it's definitely a worth while stop on NW 23rd and I'm sure we'll be back!