Douglas Berdie '79
President and Author
Ph.D. '79 (College of Liberal Arts)
Alumni Association Life Member
About Damn Near Perfect Cocktails
“Do not judge a cocktail by the first sip.” That was one of the key lessons Doug Berdie learned during his years of research in pursuit of Damn Near Perfect™ cocktails. A seasoned marketing researcher, Doug spent his career—and retirement—traveling the world, savoring the flavors of diverse cultures through their food and drinks. Inspired to recreate those exceptional tastes at home, he used the scientific method—testing, refining, and testing again—to pinpoint the ideal brands, supporting ingredients, and techniques that consistently produce perfectly balanced cocktails. Now Doug is sharing what he learned so you, too, can create Damn Near Perfect™ cocktails.
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Address
110 Bank Street SE #2005
Minneapolis, MN 55414
About Douglas
I have a Ph.D. in Philosophy and began a marketing/social/educational research career in 1971 at the U of M Measurement Services Center--where I became a survey research expert and co-authored the text, Questionnaires: Design and Use (two editions). I worked in that field for 45 years--specializing in customer service/satisfaction research. When I retired, I put my research skill to use to test and refine cocktails, and in 2016 published Damn Near Perfect Cocktails, that was awarded by the International Bartenders Association as "One of the Top 7 Cocktail Books of the Year." The book was released in 2025 with an additional 25 cocktails and refinements to the 30 in the 1st edition. I also recently published the "thriller" novel, The Campaign.
