Oregon Trail: Bar Crawling in Portland

I was back in Portland, Oregon for a long weekend again, and due to the constraints (that is, chaos) of the trip, the drinking was sort of haphazard. Like a visit there earlier in the year, there were no planned expeditions to bars carefully contemplated and chosen in advance. But urban drinking in general is getting pretty good and I didn’t have to think too hard. The job was made easier by all the spirit-forward cocktails defined by distinctive spirits. 23 Hoyt had a rich and good-looking Old Fashioned called Rum & Rye, these being Pampero and Old Overholt respectively. The Heathman Hotel’s O-N Negroni featured the assertive and elegant Organic Nation gin from Ashland. And the Living Room Theater, one of the most fun places to get a drink, had the Reel Martini, made with another Oregon craft gin, Ransom Old Tom from the city of Sheridan, which yielded not a Dry Martini but a real Martini nevertheless. The movie would’ve be fine without it, but after two, I was ready to like anything.

SE Portland Pub Crawling: Proof

Having nearly been carried off by a nasty cold, I’m back in the saddle again and not merely drinking for medicinal value. The misery cleared up enough to give me my palate back during a visit to Portland, Oregon last weekend, where I found Proof, a place on Hawthorne Boulevard I hadn’t seen before. It was especially nice because I was just fooling around on my own one afternoon without a plan and suddenly there was a cocktail bar, no pilgrimage to some must-try, no agenda. Melodie was behind the bar lending her distinctive charm to the place’s overall cocktail IQ.



Classic roots but fresh, and without straining every nerve to be different. Try the Tripple A, a rum drink that didn’t taste like the last ten things I’d had or made.

Mr. Keith

Gonna find my way to heaven, ’cause I did my time in hell
I wasn't looking too good but I was feeling real well

—Before they Make Me Run, M. Jagger/K. Richards

Tiki time again, or in this case, tikibilly cuz there’s definitely some rock and roll in this one. Inspiration came from the mug below, Ye Olde Treasure Mappe, found on a recent trip to Portland, Oregon. (There’s just something tikibilly about Portland, one of the many reasons I keep going back.) The Mappe is one of a numbered edition designed by Katie Mello of Rum Demon.



Mr. Keith

• 1 oz Bacardi 151
• 1 oz Averna
• 1/2 oz Cruzan Blackstrap
• 1/2 oz allspice dram
• 1 tsp absinthe
• 1/4 oz lemon juice

Shake with a cup of crushed ice, and pour into a 12-oz mug or glass. Crushed ice to fill, straw.
SOURCE: ROWEN, FOGGED IN LOUNGE

Dark, spicy, intense. This one made me think right away of a certain guitarist, but shares a name with my housemate’s dad as well. This drink is for him.

Space Monkey

Tiki time again. This one’s inspired by a recent visit to a science museum with Matthew. The rocket was built as a prop by another friend, Richard. I guess it could be a space rocket though it kind of looks like a missile. Hm—maybe the post has a Planet of the Apes subtext.

I notice that now and then, tiki heads into outer space. Does anyone know if there’s a name for this?



Space Monkey

• 1 oz Charbay vanilla rum
• 1/2 – 1 oz Cruzan light rum (booze up the monkey at your own risk—it could be a long flight back)
• 3/4 oz creme de cassis
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1 tsp grenadine

Shake lightly with about 6 oz crushed ice and pour into a saucer glass.

Source: Rowen, Fogged In Lounge

Cocktails at Clyde Common

I just got back from a great trip to Portland, Oregon, where my buddy Matthew and I dropped in at the cocktail hour to say hello to Jeffrey Morganthaler at Clyde Common. He and Ansel, the other gent behind the stick, showed us a great time.



As usual in a fine cocktail bar, I wanted everything on the menu, but happily settled on the Norwegian Wood, an aquavit-applejack combo with Cinzano Rosso, Chartreuse and bitters. A mellow, complex, herbal fusion that seemed like a classic member of the French-Italian family and yet distinctly original.

As for Matthew, who knows what he likes, he ordered a Singapore Sling. Ansel sprinkled a little coarse sea salt on the Amarena cherry garnish, which made me want one too.



Jeffrey came over and smiled at my empty glass and asked what I wanted. Next up for me was the Yellowjacket, a dangerous long drink with Appleton 12-Year, lavender-honey syrup, lime, their house orange bitters and soda. Since Matthew was still savoring his Singapore Sling, I tried to drink slowly—sort of.



For the final round, Matthew, true to his own taste, ordered a Sidecar. I was feeling more experimental, and asked Ansel to surprise me, which he did. He made a John Ford, which if I remember in spite of the previous two potations is Old Tom gin, dry vermouth, Benedictine and orange bitters. It had something in common with a Martinez, and the citrus oils were pronounced. Of course, by then my tipsiness was getting pronounced, so we settled up and took a walk.


Many thanks to everyone at Clyde Common for a memorable evening.