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1. The Houston Blacklight
2100 SE Clinton St., 503-477-4738, thehoustonblacklight.com. 4-11 pm Monday-Thursday, 4 pm-midnight Friday, 10 am-midnight Saturday, 10 am-11 pm Sunday.
The Houston Blacklight works because it does something a lot of people forget to do when they open a bar in this city: It feels like a place made for Portland, not shuttled in from somewhere else. It’s not a faux dive, and it’s not swanky or elevated; it’s just a goofy fun thing with wildly juicy cocktails and some solid bar bites. Embrace the vibe by ordering a slushie: the turquoise Thot Experiment combined with whatever other flavor is available. Also watch for Many Things Cannot Fly to return to the menu. The blackberry gin concoction is served in a speckled-blue dinosaur egg with a toy dino riding the straw.
2. Heathman Hotel Holiday Tea
1001 SW Broadway, 503-241-4100, heathmanhotel.com/event/holiday-tea. 11 am-3 pm Friday-Sunday, through Dec. 31. $65 for adults, $25 for children 3-12.
Holiday Tea was long one of the Heathman Hotel’s most popular traditions that was suspended (just like pretty much everything else) once COVID hit. Now, for the first time since 2019, you can indulge in tiny cakes and sandwiches served on tiered silver platters as well as hot herbal beverages poured from beautiful porcelain pots at the iconic downtown business. Service began the day after Thanksgiving in the handsome library and mezzanine, where you’ll have six Smith Teamaker varieties to choose from, including three holiday-themed flavors: Ho-Ho-Hoji-Chai, Silent Night and Chocolate Peppermint Pu-erh. You can also get your tea in a mixed drink: The G&Tea is a gin and tonic with Lord Bergamot.
3. Straightaway Cocktails
901 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 971-255-1627, straightawaycocktails.com. Noon-7 pm Monday-Tuesday, noon-4 pm Wednesday, noon-8 pm Thursday, 11 am-8 pm Friday-Saturday, noon-5 pm Sunday.
Relive the snow days of your youth with a hot beverage that’s got an adult twist. Straightaway is best known for its ready-to-drink cocktails (enjoying an old fashioned, paloma, espresso martini and more is as easy as popping open a can), but the bartender can also prepare drinks for you at the Hawthorne tasting room. Through December you can order a boozy hot chocolate sampler made with Accompani liqueurs, locally produced Ranger Chocolate, and whipped cream. And since Straightaway celebrates its fifth anniversary this month, it’s offering $5 off all flights. Bonus: Pair your hot chocolate with a Dapper Dog, made with Zenner’s linguisa, a traditional Portuguese pork sausage.
4. Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House
210 NW 11th Ave., 503-296-4906, deschutesbrewery.com/visit-us/portland-public-house. 10 am-2 pm Saturday, through Dec. 30.
Maybe it’s the early sunsets, the holiday vacation vibes, or both, but a boozy brunch always sounds inviting this time of year. And fortunately for midday meal lovers, Deschutes is hosting a lineup of new weekly holiday-themed brunches through the end of the year. Every Saturday, you can get your crab Benedict, shakshuka or sausage scramble with a side of festivities—everything from an ugly sweater fun run to a Christmas cookie decorating party to a New Year’s Eve Eve bash with bottomless mimosas. But take our advice: Pass on the sparkling wine-spiked OJ and go for the seasonal Jubelale (you are at a brewery, after all), which has notes of hot chocolate and Grandma’s toffee.
5. Old Asia Teahouse & Restaurant
12055 SW 1st St., Beaverton, 971-249-3763, oldasia.co. 4-9 pm Thursday-Friday, noon-9 pm Saturday-Sunday.
Top Burmese, the miniature empire known for its curries and cute robot servers, has opened a new property—the first not bearing its name. In late October, the company launched Old Asia, dubbed “The Biggest Little Restaurant” because the dining area is about as big as a generously sized walk-in closet—though one that is ornately decorated. Shelves behind the counter are filled with jars containing tea leaves (green, black, oolong and pu-erh), but if it’s booze you’re after, we recommend the Koji Afternoon Coffee, which has deeper, more satisfying flavors than an espresso martini thanks to the combination of Vietnamese milk coffee and Jameson whiskey. Though if you’ve already had your daily allowance of caffeine, opt for First Love, an effervescent blend of passion fruit, ginger beer and rose vodka.