Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland

Portland’s weather isn’t always sunny, but we are fortunate to have a handful of tiki bars that serve fruity tropical drinks and help give the illusion that you’ve escaped to a South Pacific island for a quick blast of warmth, even if the effect is only temporary.

Portland has three great tiki establishments to visit. The first, and most widely known, is The Alibi in close-in North Portland. With a neon sign that’s impossible to miss, friendly staff, a full menu, access to MAX light rail, karaoke seven nights a week and, of course, plenty of cocktails, The Alibi will have you longing for the beach in no time.

Thatch Tiki Bar is another gem nestled into a row of businesses on Northeast Broadway. Upon entering you must stop and admire the exceptional water feature before taking a seat at the sunken bar for some of the best mixed drinks around. Plan ahead and you and your friends can grab the VIP table in the back for a private tropical gathering.

Lastly, we have a new — but classic — addition to the lineup: Trader Vic’s. With a great location right in the heart of the Pearl District, tropical paradise is only a short walk away from downtown. We may be a long way from the South Pacific, but Portland’s tiki bars help will get you there in no time.

Lucy Brennan behind the bar at Mint/820

Note: This is the third in a series of posts about Portland’s craft spirits movement.

The beautiful truth is that many, many Portland bars and restaurants serve locally distilled spirits. Blame it on our local pride and dedication to supporting the “little guy.” Here’s a quick guide to a few of my favorite spots for cocktails mixed with local spirits. If you’d like to recommend others, please add them in the “Comments” section.

Far more than an average hotel restaurant, The Heathman Bar and Restaurant is widely respected for its French Northwest cuisine (available at a deep discount during the recently extended happy hour). The James Beard award-winner helped establish Portland’s reputation as an “eat local” mecca. The Heathman applies the same philosophy to their cocktail list (PDF), employing more than 20 Oregon spirits in drinks — both classic and cutting-edge — that incorporate fresh, local flavors. Try the summer special, Grapes of Wrath, made of pressed Willamette Valley red grapes, fresh lime, sugar and Sub Rosa Tarragon Vodka. (more…)

Did you know that some people are caffeine intolerant? I discovered that this was my case during my first internship. I was 14, living in France, and to be like everybody else in the office, took up smoking and drinking coffee on my very first day. That’s when I realized that caffeine could make my heart explode, and that my asthma was deeply aggravated by cigarette smoke. I had to come to the conclusion that I might not have the required French genes, so I left my country …

… To land nowhere else than Stumptown, Oregon. The land of serious coffee. And tea. And drinking chocolate. And Red Bull. I thought at first that I was destined to a life of drinking water (which is very good here, by the way), or wine and beer. The latter might sound appealing, but not advisable when you’re doing your 30-day review with your boss.
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