Drink Guide 2009

[May 20th, 2009]

It’s May! The sun is out! And suddenly drinking alone in your living room just doesn’t seem as inviting as it did a month ago. It’s time to get out of the house, to your favorite haunt or maybe—hey!—even a new hangout. May we suggest one of the fine drinking establishments reviewed herein?

This isn’t by any means a comprehensive list, and we haven’t made any attempt to accurately or objectively represent the breadth of Portland nightlife—you won’t find many dance clubs or country bars in these pages. We’ve simply reviewed 125 of our staff’s favorite places to drink, play and shoot the shit. We like them a lot, and hope you will, too. Each listing includes a suggestion of what to order, any discounts offered at happy hour and the entertainment options available (live music, karaoke, pinball, strippers, etc.).

We’re always open to adding new bars to our list of favorites. If you know of a great watering hole that we should check out, send me an email (bwaterhouse@wweek.com) and we’ll pay it a visit.

The reviews are organized alphabetically by quadrant, beginning in North Portland and moving clockwise through the city. They are all indexed alphabetically on here. Since summer is fast upon us, we’ve also included a list of eight of the city’s finest drinking patios and indexed every bar with substantial outdoor seating, along with those that offer live music.

Finally, in the interest of safe consumption, we’ve proposed two options for car-free drinking excursions. Should you attempt any of the suggested itineraries in whole or in part, send us an account of your adventures and we’ll post it on the website.

Salud!

Ben Waterhouse
Special sections editor