Portland Cocktail Week

Portland Cocktail Week kicks off today and runs through Sunday with a series of social gatherings and seminars for cocktail connoisseurs and bartenders from across the country.

NW Spirits & Mixology Show

We’re off to the high desert of Bend, Oregon, this weekend to judge the Bartender’s Brawl at the NW Spirits and Mixology Show. We’re hoping to fit in a little time to see a few of the volcanoes in the region and visit the new baby porcupine at the High Desert Museum, as well as enjoy some delicious cocktails and spirits throughout the weekend.

Portland’s Drinkable Day Camp

Imagine a day camp for adults that is filled with spirits tastings, cocktail classes and other cocktail geekery. Welcome to Cocktail Camp PDX, Portland’s most drinkable day camp.

A TOAST to Oregon Spirits

Portland is hosting the annual American Distilling Institute conference this week, topped off with a fun public tasting in support of the Oregon Distillers Guild on Friday, from 4-9pm at the Tiffany Center.

Great American Distillers Festival

The Great American Distillers Festival features more than 35 craft distilleries from across the nation who gather in Portland, Oregon, each year.

Diageo’s ‘Cocktails Through the Decades’ Party

The Cabildo overflowed with mixologists and cocktail connoisseurs alike during Diageo’s “Cocktails Through the Decades” party in New Orleans.

Vieux Carré

In my purse, I keep our swizzle sticks from the original Vieux Carré cocktails we had at the Hotel Monteleone Carousel Bar. When our Vieux Carrés arrive, I discretely slip them in when the bartender isn’t looking and we reminisce about our time at the historic hotel.

Brooklyn 46

We tried this take on a classic Brooklyn during the Maker’s 46 release party held at one of our favorite bars, Beaker & Flask in Portland, Oregon. Of all the cocktails stirred and shaken that evening, this one best preserved the true essence of the spirit.

Tales of the Cocktail Small Batch Roundup

While big names like Diageo, Bacardi and Pernod seem to dominate Tales of the Cocktail, there are some small batch producers in the mix, too. Some nice stand-out spirits we tasted included the following.

Black Paloma

When I bounded down the Hotel Monteleone staircase to the Kahlúa Coffee Bar on my second morning at Tales of the Cocktail I thought, “Kahlúa in my coffee sounds like a delicious way to begin to the day!” Little did I know I was about to experience what would become one of my favorite brunch cocktails.

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