High-Proof Preacher

Cocktail and Spirits blog re-launching Fall 2018

 
JRDN-blog-8765.jpg
 
highproof, Portland, High Proof Preacher

My name is Jordan Hughes. I am a food & beverage photographer and writer from Portland, OR.

I've grown up in the Pacific Northwest my whole life and I have no plans to ever leave. Since starting "High-Proof Preacher" I've gotten to work with some amazing spirit brands and distilleries. I have a passion for the craft spirits scene here in Portland but love connecting and partnering with different brands around the world whenever I have the opportunity.

I hope I can be a resource to "home bartenders" everywhere, as well as an asset to craft spirit companies that are trying to up their digital content & social media game!

 

Connect with me on Instagram

#PatronTheSummer? Don’t mind if I do! . @patron is stopping by various culinary events and music festivals throughout the summer and mixing up all the perfect-for-summer drinks! They hooked me up with a couple tickets to Portland’s @polonoirpdx event last weekend, so I grabbed my buddy @threefingerdrink and headed out to @hiddencreekpoloclub (check out my story highlights for more). Who knew that Portland was into polo?! . I don't know any of the rules to the sport but it was still a blast to watch. Plus there was plenty of tequila and refreshing cocktails to go around. My favorite was the Tiki Rita, which was actually created by my friend @drinkswmindy. Tiki drinks and margaritas are already everyone’s Summer favorites, so might as well combine them! . Tiki Rita . 2 oz @Patron Reposado ½ oz @Patron Citrónge Orange ½ oz fresh lime juice ½ oz fresh grapefruit juice ¼ oz Vanilla syrup ¼ oz Allspice dram . Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice. Strain over crushed ice in a Hawaiian sea salt rimmed glass. Garnish with fresh grated nutmeg and a lime wheel with cloves ✌🏼 . #highproofpreacher #patron #sponsored
Great times shooting at @lamoulepdx this week 🍸 . Weekends don’t always happen when you’re freelance but I’m going to try hard to have one! Anyone have some fun cocktail adventures planned? . #highproofpreacher
Do you even purple Negroni bro? . Here’s another favorite off of @deadshotpdx’s cocktail menu: The Diplomatic Prince. If you live in Portland and haven’t visited @a_w_robinson at his new spot yet, what are you doing with your life? . It’s a majestic drink that gets its stunning deep purple color from cabbage-infused aquavit 😍 Adam was kind enough to share the specs and you can find them on @thirsty [link in bio] . #highproofpreacher
Portland-area bartender friends! 🍸🤘🏼 . Most of you know I make a good chunk of my living from working with brands and distilleries who often send me around to bars to take photos. But hey, thought I’d create an affordable option for any of you hard-working-cocktail-slinging-pros who might benefit from some high-quality imagery 📸 . Sooo I’m doing 10 discounted shoots for Portland-area bartenders only. . ▪️$100 flat-rate ▪️1 hour(ish) of shooting ▪️I’ll give you all the *good* photos we take together (unless you want the ones with your eyes closed too 😵) ▪️ Use them for social media, send them to your mom, whatever! . Hit me up in the DM’s and let’s create some cool stuff 📸🍸 . #highproofpreacher
I was honored to have an original cocktail on the menu tonight at Portland’s favorite cocktail pop-up @shipwreckpdx ⚓️ . Every month @shipwreckpdx features food and drink from the best bartenders and chefs in Portland. For whatever reason, @ericstevennelson decided to hit up a few of us kids who make drinks for Instagram... so here we are! . I sent this recipe to Eric but decided to test it out on a few friends before the event. A few of them loved it but a couple said “you’ve done better” 🤷🏻‍♂️ I guess that’s how it goes. Here are the specs, if you can get your hands on the Cascara let me know where you land... . Kanye’s Next Album 🔥 . 1 ½ oz Mezcal 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice ½ oz @newdealpdx Cascara liqueur ½ oz Falernum Pinch of cayenne pepper . Combine ingredients and shake with ice. Double-strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish. . #highproofpreacher
I really enjoyed hanging with @westwardtrailblazer, @apartment_bartender, the @housespiritsdistillery crew and many other super rad people the last few days 🥃 . Learned about all things @westwardwhiskey; a true grain-to-glass American Single Malt made from scratch right here in the #PNW 🌲 I’ve always been a fan of connecting with and supporting local brands, so it was especially fun to get a more detailed look behind the scenes of Westward ✌🏼 . #highproofpreacher #gowestward
Who is Jack Nance? . I don’t know, but it’s an amazing cocktail. . This fun take on a classic whiskey sour is one of the mainstays of Portland’s new @deadshotpdx. What once was a Monday night pop-up with @holdfastdining, is now a sweet new bar with one of the best cocktail menus in town (no exaggeration). @a_w_robinson is the mastermind behind Deadshot and the creative force behind their imaginative drink menu; full of exciting cocktails with unique ingredients. . The “Who is Jack Nance?” here is made with whiskey, sesame, citrus, sherry, egg yolk and MUSTARD. Don’t knock it until you try it. It just might change your life 👌🏼 . #highproofpreacher
Portland hangs with my dude @lettersandliquor 🥃 . Matt is a crazy talented freelance designer and cocktail guy based in San Fran. Of course he’s in town to speak at something called @typecon where he’ll be sharing about cocktails and lettering 🖋🍸 . We’ve been Insta-buddies for a while now so it was a blast to finally meet for some drinks at @palomarpdx and @deadshotpdx 🥂 . #highproofpreacher
I’ve really been feeling some classic cocktails lately and what’s more classic than a gin martini with @bombaysapphireus? . Everyone seems to have their own set of “rules” around making a martini, or at least some strong opinions on it. I think making drinks with precision and excellence is important but hey, make a martini the way you enjoy making a martini. Don’t let anyone put you down for making it dirty or adding a little extra vermouth 🍸 . I keep my martinis pretty simple but will occasionally add a few drops of citrus-based bitters, or in this case rose bitters🌹 Then of course, you can’t go wrong with a quality gin like @bombaysapphireus. . Bombay Sapphire Martini . 2 ½ oz @bombaysapphireus gin ½ oz Dry Vermouth 2 drops rose bitters . Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled then strain into a chilled coupe. Gently express the oils from a lemon peel over the top of the drink, then garnish with the lemon peel. . #highproofpreacher #BombaySapphirePartner #StirCreativity
I really enjoyed getting to both stay and shoot at the @catahoulahotel while in New Orleans 📸✌🏼 . It’s a rad little boutique hotel in a restored creole townhouse. It’s close enough to all the action in the French Quarter but nicely tucked away on a quiet side street. Their @piscobarnola in the lobby is definitely worth stopping into even if you aren’t staying there 👌🏼 . I shot a lot of their food and drink menu, including this spicy watermelon Caipirinha 😋 Swipe to see a few more glimpses of this cozy spot. . This post isn’t sponsored, just super thankful for the hospitality and the opportunity to work with these fine folks! . #highproofpreacher
I’m just over here making one of my favorite go-to cocktails with @russellsreservebourbon. . A Boulevardier is a solid go-to for a lot of reasons. Any bar or restaurant you visit will generally have whiskey, Campari and sweet vermouth. Since it’s equal parts of each ingredient, it’s also a pretty hard drink to mess-up. If I’m heading over to a friend’s place and they ask me to bring some cocktail stuff, I just pre-batch boulevardiers for everyone. It’s a quality cocktail that isn’t too uppity, and I’m all for that 👌🏼 . For this drink I used @russellsreservebourbon 10 year 🥃 It’s bold and flavorful but well balanced. It’s the perfect budget-friendly bourbon for sipping on its own or mixing in a spirited cocktail like this one. . Russell’s Reserve Boulevardier . 1 oz Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon 1 oz Campari 1 oz Cinzano 1757 Sweet Vermouth . Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled then strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a twist of orange peel. . #highproofpreacher #RussellsReserve #Campari #Cinzano #Ad 21+
A definite highlight of @tales_of_the_cocktail was the @diplomaticorum pop-up, which I was honored to be hired to shoot, so I got some crispy photos! 📸 . Guests had to RSVP in advance, then they’d receive an actual key in the mail that would get them into a hotel room on the 4th floor of the @old77_hotel. Only around 10 guests were allowed in at one time. Once inside, they found the hotel room transformed into a beautiful bar, manned by the award-winning crew from the @thenomadhotel slinging some killer Diplomatico cocktails 👌🏼 . It was my favorite experience of the week! Plus I got to enjoy it with some great people👇🏼 . @tarafougner @shanikahillocks @licensed_to_distill @jeffreymbell @aurbot . #highproofpreacher

 

 

I run my own creative business full-time

 
JRDN-Ox-2.jpg