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If you’ve got an Instagram or TikTok account and an interest in cocktails, you’ve likely heard of Jordan Hughes—if not by his given name, then because of the Parmesan espresso martini that he ushered into viral fame in 2023. But well before that briefly inescapable becheesed drink, Hughes was already well known online as the photographer, videographer, and recipe developer behind High-Proof Preacher, the award-winning Instagram account he started in 2017. Hughes brings the enthusiasm and energy he once employed as an actual Christian pastor to demonstrations of cocktail and garnish-making; he also demystifies mixology concepts (how do you know when to shake or stir?), collaborates with liquor brands on original cocktails, and, most mesmerizing, posts sumptuous photos and slo-mo videos of his creations. His first book, Twist: Your Guide to Creating Inspired Craft Cocktails, was published in 2022.
I started the High-Proof Preacher blog/Instagram while I was still working as a pastor. At the time, it was just a fun way to combine two hobbies: photography and making cocktails. I got to a point at the church where I was pretty burned out, dealing with anxiety, and just ready to do something else. Cocktails and spirits remained an interest and hobby until I started getting local Portland distilleries wanting to work with me. In those early days, I would develop recipes that featured local spirits and create imagery of these cocktails to use as market- ing assets. As my social-media following grew, it opened up opportunities to work with larger brands and travel to industry events like Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. It just kind of snowballed from there.
I grew up in the Tigard area, and with my church-kid back- ground and pastoral career, I didn’t have much experience with alcohol. I didn’t even have a drink on my 21st birthday. So the world of cocktails and spirits has always been about discovery for me. Since I came into this as a curious enthusiast with a cam- era, not actually working in a traditional bar or restaurant role, I feel like the Portland hospitality industry just sort of adopted me. My first paid gig involved shooting gin cocktails at 12 different bars and restaurants around Portland. That allowed me to meet a ton of different bartenders and bar managers, and helped immerse me in the industry fairly quickly.
I’ve had videos go viral before, but the Parmesan espresso martini thing was on another level. I was getting messages from bartenders all over the world saying that the drink was being requested by customers, or they were putting it on their menus. Just wild. As with most viral things, it was both a bless- ing and a curse. For example, it landed me on the Today show, which was a cool opportunity. But they wanted me to come up with crazy and “gross-out” drinks, which is not my thing at all. I don’t want to be the weird, gross cocktail guy.
Something that feels very special about Portland cocktail culture is how collaborative it all is. So many bartenders and owners seem to know each other, and help each other out—it seems like a “rising tides raise all ships” sort of mentality, which isn’t something you see in every city. It’s also just really good— the service, the cocktails, the food menus, it’s all phenomenal. I travel fairly often for work now, and every time I leave Portland I’m reminded of how good we have it here. Our standard of excellence in food and drink is just set really high.
People message me on social media all the time asking for my top three or five Portland bars. I’m always like, “In what neighborhood?!” As a smaller city compared to, like, Seattle or L.A., we just have so many amazing cocktail spots. I was in Texas recently, in a major city that will go unnamed, and I found maybe three decent cocktail bars. None of them were even close to the caliber of what we have here in Portland.
I do have favorites. Definitely the Multnomah Whiskey Library, especially recently: They’ve been pushing away from the stuffy members-club reputation and really working hard to make the Library an inclusive and welcoming space. It’s an incredible hospitality experience. Their staff is amazing and super knowledge- able (they have to be, with thousands of spirits on the wall), but they can still connect with the cocktail and spirits novice and make it a wonderful experience for anyone. That’s not easy to do. I also really love Palomar—Cuban comfort food, daiquiris, and coconut-masala old fashioneds. I often recommend out-of-towners visit Hey Love, Normandie, Scotch Lodge, and Rum Club, as they are all within walking distance of each other. Pacific Standard, The Uncanny, Fools and Horses, Teardrop...I can keep going!
It’s not nearly as unorthodox as espresso and cheese, but with cocktails I’m on a big coffee-and-fresh-pineapple kick lately. That combo isn’t necessarily a straightforward pairing, but it’s fantastic in several rum and tequila cocktails.
This story is part of Taster Magazine, Willamette Week’s new guide to the best of beer, wine and spirits in Portland. It is free and can be found all over Portland beginning Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Find your free copy at one of the locations noted here, before they all get picked up! Read more from Taster magazine online here.