History by the Glass

Anthony Bourdain...a fellow enthusiast gone too soon, but never forgotten.  On Friday, June 8, 2018 we lost our muse. And it really hurt. Our previously scheduled History by the Glass visit to Steinhaus in NE Portland went on as planned that night, but took on a special significance as we mourned the loss of our philosophical patron. Anthony Bourdain never met us and, of course, never knew about this journey through Portland's most venerable drinking establishments. But I'd like to think, if he'd somehow learned of it, that he might've given us a quick nod of approval and lifted his glass in appreciation of our Quixotic mission. Over the past week, I've learned how far from alone I am in my appreciation of Tony Bourdain and how many others there are like me who experienced his profound impact on our world view. To see the outpouring of mourning and personal testimonials from friends and celebrities, both expected and unexpected, has been quite uplifting. ...

Inside the "War Room" of each HBTG location selection.  Oh I know you've been dyin' for this one. An exclusive, behind-the-scenes look -- an expose, if you will -- into just how each location for a History By The Glass episode is determined. It's even dumber and more inane than you could've possibly imagined. But dammit, we're committed to doing this thing in the most ridiculous way possible! First, my distinguished colleague and I review the list of historic drinking establishments that we've cataloged using the commercial organization tools provided by our friend at Asana . (Asana is not a paid sponsor of this project...but it'd be a lot cooler if they were). Behold, the organizational glory of Asana!  Using Asana, we can export all the locations into a spreadsheet so that they can then be cut and pasted into a randomizing program for the final selection stage. Now, for all our list randomization needs, there's none better...