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Ask A Bartender: Which Local Spirits Are The Best?

Friday, February 27, 2015

 

TOAST punch. A Portland twist on a classic cocktail

Not that it’s a competition, but if it was, Portland distilleries are giving Portland breweries a run for their money when it comes to defining our regions taste of place. The world of spirits and craft cocktails has been hitting Portland over the head with an ever-growing amount of options to choose from.

Portlanders’ well-meaning commitment to keeping money inside the community has played a significant role in maintaining this movement. 

But it’s not altruism alone that keeps these local companies afloat. The majority of Portland distilleries make a great product. Furthermore, they are being innovative. They are helping us to transcend the question of what spirit is best. Of course it’s true that not all distilleries are created equal. But in the world of spirits, where we have an almost infinite variety of cocktails to apply them to, it’s not as simple as what is best. The question becomes what is best for what? 

This doesn’t help you when you’re standing in line at the liquor store staring vacantly at bottles you know nothing about. Going to a well stocked bar and talking and tasting different boozes in different cocktails is a good way to get a grasp on the attributes of the numerous spirits coming out of Portland. This can be an expensive and time consuming process as well, though. 

See Related Story: Some Oregon ‘Craft’ Whiskeys Distilled in Out of State Factories

Thankfully, Portland’s fifth annual TOAST (The Oregon Annual Spirit Tasting) event being held in early March, gives Portlanders a great opportunity to sample hundreds of spirits in cocktails from over forty didtellers. 

Aria Gin’s, Ryan Csanky has designed a cocktail menu featuring a classic cocktail for every featured category of spirit (gin, vodka, rum, whiskey, brandy and liqueur) wherein the taster will be able to choose which local spirit he or she wants featured in the cocktail. It’s a great reminder that there is no absolute best brand of spirit. Certain brands are best suited for certain drinks. This March will present Portlanders with the opportunity to put on their critical thinking caps and support the local economy at the same time. Hooray Portland!
 
If you’re curious what the cocktails will be, the whiskey category will feature a Manhattan using various Oregon whiskeys, Interrobang Sweet Vermouth and good old angostura bitters.

The vodka category will feature a variation on the all time classic punch using various Oregon vodkas, Raft Hibiscus Lavender Syrup, fresh lime juice and grapefruit soda.   

There will also be a spirit category for rum, brandy, liqueur and gin.

TOAST will take place from 4-10pm, Saturday March 7th,  at the Leftbank Annex. General admission tickets ($45) and a very limited number of VIP tickets ($60) are still available for purchase

 

Related Slideshow: 9 Of Portland’s Top Brewers

Here's a look at 9 of Portland's top brewerers and their best creations.

All photos are courtesy of the breweries. 

Prev Next

Jason McAdam, Burnside Brewing Company

Jason McAdam from Burnside Brewing Company is a quiet craftsman. His lineage includes being at the helm of Roots Brewing. A fan once said of him "if he could get away with putting a cat in a batch of beer, he'd want to try." Even without that, his beer is the cat’s meow. From a big bold IPA as Burnside's mainstay, to a smoked wheat Gratzer, and a more than few things in between, McAdam, should be toward the top of any list of Oregon Brewers.

Recommended: Oatmeal Pale Ale

Prev Next

Doug Rehberg, Widmer Brothers Brewing

It is said Budweiser may have the best brewers in the world. You'll never hear their names. Unlike in the craft brew world, macro brewers aren't considered rock stars. Doug Rehberg at Widmer Brothers Brewing is somewhat of a crossover. He brews beer for Widmer, who brew just shy of a million kegs of beer annually. Over the past decade when Oregon Brewers entered the recent "creative" era, Doug has ensured these big boys didn't rest on their laurels. If you want to really know what I mean, go visit the brewery, where they have nearly 30 beers on tap on any given day.

Recommended: Ginger Brrrrbon 

Prev Next

Mike Wright, The Commons Brewery

There is nothing common about Mike Wright, the owner and brewmaster of The Commons Brewery. He started his business in his garage less than five years ago and is already preparing for his second major expansion. That is great news.

Commons zigs when most of Portlands breweries zag. Farmhouse style ales are a gateway drug to the Belgian beer revival that seems to be occurring. Maybe not always as sour as your typical Belgian but decidedly different than your average Portland brew. 

Recommended: Flemish Kiss

Prev Next

Alan Taylor, Pints Brewing

Pints Brewing at times seems more busy during their morning coffee hour than happy hour, which is a shame. Head Brewer Alan Taylor learned the craft while in Germany and his hiring brought new life to the fledgling Pints - literally. Pints recently opened an out of state off shoot and are in the works to open a second Portland location (each under a different brand name). Pints as a name may not ever become a household name. Taylor’s beer just might.

Recommended: Seismic IPA

Prev Next

Ben Love and and Van Havig

Ben Love was at Hopworks when Van Havig got foolishly ousted from a chain brewpub. Together they opened Gigantic. Soon the rest of the city learned what beer insiders had long known: Van is the real deal. Ben, no slouch himself serves as an equally talented brewer.  

Recommended: Pipewrench Gin Barrel IPA

Prev Next

John Harris, Ecliptic Brewing 

John Harris at Ecliptic Brewing has the longest credits of any Portland brewer. Put shortly, he is legendary. In a beer world where the brewer can be a rock star, Harris stands out for not standing out. Instead of shaking hands and retail politics with those who've enjoyed his products for decades, Harris remains behind the kettle further perfecting the craft at a level other brewers should aspire to. Haven't heard of John Harris? You may recognize some of the names of beers he's credited with creating: Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter and Jubelale for Deschutes Brewery. He went on to spend 20 years at the helm of Full Sail before setting out on his own in 2013.

Recommended: Phobos Extra Red Ale

Prev Next

Ben Edmunds, Breakside Brewery

If you gain an audience with Ben Edmunds, a former teacher, of Breakside Brewery, you'll walk away knowing that he blended that career with his current one and will have learned a few new things about beer. You'll also gain an appreciation for the creative mind that grew Breakside from a nano-brewery on Dekum to a large production facility in Milwaukie in just a few years. The array of beers that Edmunds produces is impressive. Be careful though, my recommended brew is a might bit spicy.

Recommended: Aztec Amber Ale

Prev Next

Christian Ettinger, Hopworks Urban Brewery

Christian Ettinger left Laurelwood Brewery to open up his first brewpub, Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB). Apparently he lived by the motto "go big or go home,” and therefore didn’t face the challenge of other brewers on this list spending their early years building out new space while trying to brew and serve. In what surely was considered a risky location, HUB saw gold in their SE Powell location. They were right. Having a good product surely helps.

Recommended: Organic Abominable Winter Ale

Prev Next

Alex Ganum, Upright Brewing 

Alex Ganum at Upright Brewing is another chain brewery expatriate and opened shop in the basement of the Left Bank Annex in 2009.  Upright Brewing “specializes in farmhouse inspired beers rooted in France and Belgium but made with a Pacific Northwest twist, while also dabbling in both classic and quirky projects from around the world.” Their limited taproom hours includes before each home Blazers game.

Recommended: Engelberg Pilsener

 
 

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