Updates to On Portland have been a little sluggish over the past month or so and that’s because we’ve been hard at work on launching a new site and project focused on spirits like Top 10 Irish Whiskey Picks, An Exploration of Tequila and Mezcal, The Gin Fizz called Drink Spirits.
Portland is at the center of a revolution in spirits that is very reminiscent of its role in the explosion of micro brew beer. Now on the SE side of Portland there’s an established Distillery Row with several key micro distilleries making artisanal and craft spritis.
Some of these notable distilleries include:
- House Spirits Distillery – home of Aviation Gin, Medoyeff Vodka and House Spirits Whiskey. (2025 SE 7th Ave.)
- New Deal Distillery – home of New Deal Vodka, Portland 88 and Mud Puddle (1311 SE 9th Ave.)
- Integrity Spirits Distillery – home of Lovejoy Vodka, 12 Bridges Gin and Trillium Absithe. (909 SE Yamhill St.)
- Highball Distillery – home of Elemental Vodka (600 SE 10th Ave.)
- Sub Rosa Spirits – home of tarragon and saffron vodka (909 SE Yamhill St.)
In addition to exciting things happening on the micro distillery front Portland’s cocktail scene has been exploding. Some of the cocktails being served in Portland are as good or better than you’ll find in places like Los Angeles, Chicago or even New York.
Some of the notable things happening in this space:
- Teardrop Lounge launched a massive new cocktail menu with a mix of classic cocktails, cocktails from notable bartenders around the country and home grown drinks from the amazingly talented: Daniel Shoemaker, David Shenaut and Ricky Gomez. (1015 Northwest Everett Street)
- Beaker & Flask another bar getting national attention with a mix of classic cocktails and locally designed drinks and buzz worthy bartender Elizabeth Markham behind the bar (727 SE Washington St)
- Laurelhurst Market award winning bartender Evan Zimmerman is doing monsterous things with a tiny bar at the back of this notable ‘steak/deli’ restaurant. Hand cut ice and extremely inventive drinks have won Evan huge acclaim (3155 East Burnside Street)
- Clyde Common – Neil Kopplin has helped put Clyde on the map with extraordinarily solid classic cocktails and a bar menu which consistently draws the crowds. (1014 Southwest Stark Street)
In some cities you’d find bartenders competing against each other, but in Portland they all come together an collaborate under their Oregon Bartender’s Guild with monthly events you don’t have to be a bartender to attend and an annual distiller’s festival that has been getting some national attention.
With Drink Spirits now off the ground and running we’ll have a lot more frequent updates here at On Portland and we invite you to check out some of the key articles on the spirits site: