Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/133302
MASTERS OF THE CRAFT PHOTO: COURTESY OF RAVEN & ROSE History Bar Director David Shenaut outside Portland's Raven & Rose. in the Mixing DAVID SHENAUT BUILDS THE RAVEN & ROSE BAR PROGRAM ON HISTORY AND A GREAT TEAM by Breanne DeMore "I 've come a long way from counting sugar packets and running bottomless fries," admits David Shenaut, now the precision craft mixologist and Bar Director of the historic Raven & Rose in Portland, OR. Clearly humbled by his beginnings, Shenaut isn't shy about crediting others for what he has learned. "There was a period in my life when I worked under and with as many people in Portland as I could, just to learn as many styles and techniques as possible." Shenaut looks back on that time and recalls specific lessons that became vital to his growth away from a sugarpushing entertainer/bartender and toward becoming an informed mixologist. "Watching these guys balance the sour and sweetness in the drink blew my mind," he begins. "It made me want to put down the flare bottles and pick up the jiggers and bar spoons." He quickly got to work learning the essentials and classics—knowledge that he now draws on every day. At Raven & Rose, Shenaut's beverage philosophy has two main facets: history and his team. Since the restaurant and its two bars are located in the historical Ladd Carriage House, built in 1883 for politician William S. Ladd's horses and carriages, Shenaut draws inspiration from that era and is insistent that his team know more about the cocktails than the numbers and words on the menu. Speaking of his team, Shenaut prides himself in the bartenders he chose to represent his program. "I took my time to hire people that fit the space and made sure they had a proper foundation of classic knowledge," says Shenaut. "If you have someone really strong in your well program, everything else goes smoothly." june 2013 / the tasting panel / 79 TP0613_042-79.indd 79 5/23/13 4:34 PM