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1. LOVE SHACK
1645 NW 21st Ave., theloveshackpdx.com. 5 pm–1 am Wednesday–Sunday.
Not 15 minutes after opening on a Saturday night, hot new Slabtown cocktail lounge the Love Shack was disappointing a steady stream of the well heeled with a formidable two-hour wait. Inside, thatched-hut décor hangs from the ceiling, and waiters circle with bar carts of mini-cocktails and small plates. Be cautious when grabbing from the carts, though. Those micro-sippers of Negronis, martinis and Manhattans do not come at micro-prices; a trio ran $31. Perhaps best to commit to one of the delicious, full-sized tropical cocktails. Champagne Problems ($21) balances Grey Goose and Grand Marnier with passion fruit and lime and comes with a little shot of bubbly to boot.
2. UPRIGHT BREWING BEER STATION
7151 NE Prescott St., uprightbrewing.com/beerstation. 3–10 pm Monday–Friday, noon–10 pm Saturday–Sunday.
Sometimes you’re looking for a tasty beer without the boisterous bar vibes—Upright’s got you. The brewery’s beer station on Prescott is a quiet little den (former garage, actually) usually scattered with small groups whispering over pints, or solo imbibers with books in hand. The tap selection is small but eclectic—open fermented lagers, vintage cherry beer, English-style ales that’ve been cask conditioned, and a side-pull Czech-style smoked dark lager with a malty sweetness and slight sizzle that almost gives chocolate-caramel-bar-and-chile-heat vibes. And those creamy blue tiles (and the iridescent ones!) behind the taps? Those delightful details. Then, of course, there are the huge prints by photographer Carl Henniger of jazz artists touring through Portland in the ‘50s—Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Brubeck, Count Basie, to name a few. The next rainy night you’re looking for a quiet evening out (there will be many), go post up in the Beer Station and sip a pint as the rain falls outside the glass garage doors. (Bonus: Go during the day to see the garage transformed into Junior’s Coffee from 7 am to 3 pm).
3. PALOMAR
959 SE Division St., #100, 971-357-8020, barpalomar.com. 5–10 pm Tuesday-Friday, 10 am–2 pm and 5–10 pm Saturday-Sunday.
Sit anywhere in this ode to fine Cuban and Latin American comida and all things rum, and you’ll easily forget it’s winter here on the 45th parallel. Get there at the start of the 5 pm happy hour, and you should be able to catch a tropical sunset vibe via a blended banana daiquiri. Inspired by cocktail programs from 1920s Cuba, the bar at Palomar has always been top notch, but with the addition of chef Ricky Bella, the quality of Palomar’s plates match what’s in the cups. The Birds of Paradise is a frothy concoction of gin, egg white, raspberry, lemon and cream that goes great with a slice of tres leches. Winter schminter.
4. SAD VALLEY
832 N Killingsworth St., 503-432-8053, sadvalley.com. 4 pm–1 am Sunday–Thursday, 4 pm–2 am Friday–Saturday.
One might expect a bar evoking houses of death to have a depressed quality—perhaps dark wood walls and a whiff of formaldehyde—but Sad Valley is much more funky than formal. Sad Valley’s aesthetic includes an enormous train of flowers trails across the ceiling, leading to a white coffin flung open to reveal a spotlit disco ball. Clocks, dark bouquets, and miniature stained-glass windows decorate the walls; an Italian horror movie plays on a corner television. Umbrella-adorned cocktails are strong and made simply, like the Persephone ($10)—a mix of vodka and POG juice in a mule glass—or the Brave Marion ($12), a marionberry margarita. The Weird Paloma ($9) is a nice example of cheeky execution done right: Blanco tequila and lime, served in a Mexican Squirt bottle, are carefully balanced, tart as hell, and just so fun.
5. BIRD CREEK DISTILLERY
815 SE Oak St., Suite B, birdcreekwhiskey.com. 1–5 pm Tuesday–Saturday, or by appointment.
Oregon may be best known for craft beer and wine, but it turns out we also work wonders with whiskey. Bird Creek is the latest brand to join established names in Portland like Westward, Bull Run and Aimsir. Its pint-sized tasting room is located in the same building as Portland Coffee Roasters (Mark Stell founded both), and all of the barley used to make the whiskeys is sourced from Oregon and Washington. The company’s Baronesse variety nabbed Best American Single Malt Whiskey 2023 at the ASCOT Awards, and Full Pint, named after the barley developed at Oregon State University, won a platinum in the same competition.