Tyler Mortensen

When someone sends you their legacy… you treat it with respect.

Every once in a while, a bottle lands on my doorstep that isn’t just a bottle.
It’s a story. A responsibility. A moment where someone says: “Here… I trust you with my family’s name.” That’s what happened when Wood Family Spirits sent me their Columbia Bourbon.

What you don’t see on the label is the depth of the roots behind it, five generations deep in the Pacific Northwest. A family that came to Oregon by ships and horses, chasing possibility and carving their own path. A family that didn’t just live in the PNW — they shaped it. Advocating for women’s rights. Protecting the land before “sustainability” was trendy. Building relationships with Native tribes. Modeling stewardship long before it became a hashtag.

And generations later, Holly and Tom Wood made a choice:
They stepped away from comfortable corporate careers and the noise of the world, and decided to honor their legacy the only way that felt honest by building something with roots. Something with craftsmanship. Something that carried the heartbeat of the Columbia River and the soul of Oregon.

That “something” became Wood Family Spirits.
And one of their flagship expressions… Columbia Bourbon.

I spent time learning their story, the history, the values passed down from generation to generation — and I knew this video couldn’t just be a “review.”
It had to feel like respect. It had to sound like legacy. It had to honor the hands, the land, and the history behind it.

If you’ve never heard of Wood Family Spirits, let me introduce you to a family that’s redefining what small-batch bourbon can look like when heritage matters more than hype.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s tasting.
It’s going to be something special.

The Surfer on Acid: The '90s Cocktail That Should’ve Been a Legend And Still Kind Of Is

This cocktail feels like it was born right out of a late-night shift, a sunburn, and a soundtrack full of '90s skate-video guitars. The Surfer on Acid — a cocktail that somehow manages to be tropical, bold, and just unpredictable enough to keep you curious.

The Surfer on Acid came straight from the 1990s bartender underground, not from some fancy lounge. It didn’t come from menus wrapped in gold leaves. We’re talking about the real bar world — the bartenders who were inventing drinks on the fly, working with whatever bottles were within reach, and creating combinations that stuck around because the people demanded it.

The Surfer on Acid was created by a California bartender named Eric Tecosky, back when Jägermeister was the bottle every bartender had to figure out how to make taste good. And somehow… this guy cracked the code.

The formula was simple: Jägermeister, coconut rum, and pineapple juice. That’s it. Three ingredients that shouldn’t work together — but do.

It showed up in college bars, beach bars, and hole-in-the-wall spots and eventually found its way into the “drink this with your friends” hall of fame. It wasn’t trying to be classy. It wasn’t trying to be complicated. It was just trying to be good. And it delivered every time.

People loved it because it hit that perfect wave between sweet, herbal, and tropical. The herbal notes from the Jäger, the island vibes from the coconut rum, the pineapple juice smoothing it all out — it created this little moment of balance that felt different from everything else on the menu.

And even today, when cocktail culture is full of fat washes, tinctures, foams, and techniques that require a YouTube tutorial… cocktails like this remind you that sometimes the OGs still hit the hardest.

It’s the kind of drink that makes you smile a little bit after the first sip — not because it’s fancy, but because it’s familiar. Because it tastes like friends. Because it tastes like summer. Because it tastes like one of those nights you didn’t plan… but ended up telling stories about for years.

And at the end of the day, that’s what cocktails are about. Not perfection. But connection.

So here’s to the Surfer on Acid — the '90s classic that wasn’t supposed to become a classic at all - but somehow earned its place anyway.

The Buttery Ni**le: The 90s Shot That Refuses To Go Away (And Why That Actually Matters)

You ever notice how some drinks show up, burn bright for a minute, and then disappear faster than your last New Year’s resolution? And then… every once in a while… one random little shot sticks around for decades like it refuses to be forgotten.

Today I’m talking about one of those survivors:
The Buttery Ni**le. Yeah, the name makes you laugh — but the story behind it actually says a lot about who we were and honestly, who we still are.

Back in the late 80s and early 90s, bars were obsessed with two things: Layered shots and names that would make your grandma clutch her pearls.
It was the era of Red-Headed S***s, S*x on the Beach, Fuzzy Navels, Slippery Ni**les — the whole catalog of cocktails that were built to get attention long before social media existed.

And somewhere in the middle of that neon-lit, shoulder-pad-wearing chaos the Buttery Ni**le was born.

No bartender stepped forward to claim it. No cocktail book crowned it. No famous bar stamped their name on it. It was just this quiet little shot that popped up in late-night bars — something sweet, simple, and fun in a world that was becoming very loud and very complicated. And honestly? That’s the part that hits me the most.

Because sometimes the things that survive the longest aren’t the ones that were marketed the hardest…
but the ones that reminded people of something they were missing.

The Buttery Ni**le is nostalgia in liquid form.
It’s dessert disguised as a shot. It’s the moment where the world stops being heavy for a second, and you’re reminded that joy can be simple.

And if you’ve been following my journey for a while, you know that’s what I stand on — the moments in between.
The stories behind the drinks.
The tiny bits of fun and connection that make life feel less like a grind and more like something we’re actually participating in.

So let’s talk about what’s actually in this thing:
The Classic Buttery Ni**le Recipe
• 1 oz butterscotch schnapps
• ½ oz Irish cream, floated gently on top
• (Shake or layer — your call. Layering just looks sexier on camera.)

The flavor? Think of a liquid butterscotch candy with a creamy finish. It’s sweet, soft, no burn, no edge — just a little reminder that not every shot has to come with consequences.

But here’s what I love most…

This shot has zero interest in being taken seriously.
It doesn’t care about trends. It doesn’t care about mixology purists. It doesn’t care about fancy garnishes with names no one can pronounce.

It’s just here to make people smile. And in 2025… that still matters.

So whether you’re a seasoned bartender, a home cocktail explorer, or just someone who appreciates a good 90s throwback — don’t underestimate the power of a simple, nostalgic drink to bring people together.

If you make this, tag me. I want to see your version, your pour, your story that goes with it.

And if you’ve got a favorite 90s shot, drop it in the comments — I’m building a whole series around the drinks we grew up on.
Let’s mix something up… and maybe remind ourselves that fun never actually went out of style.

I finally did it. I published my first Medium story.

This one’s personal — it’s about where I came from, who I’m becoming, and why I’m building this brand in the first place.

If you’ve been cheering me on, thank you. If you want to understand me a little deeper, here’s the start.

From Behind the Bar to Behind the Story: How Bartending Became the Beginning of My Real Life By Tyler Mortensen — Mixed Up With TGM