Killingsworth bar Tulip Shop Tavern is an industry favorite, thanks to its dialed-in smash burgers, fun scoot-and-beer combos, and its consistent late-night hours. The cocktails here get wild with a laundry list of spirits; past drinks have included a Kronan Swedish Punsch with rye and Combier Liqueur de Pamplemousse, or apple brandy with Old Overholt, Cynar, and Batavia Arrack. But the classics menu dials in standards like Boulevardiers and Sherry Cobblers, and the slushy machine is almost always spinning with something special. Keep an eye on the specials board for hardcore nostalgia — think hard-shell tacos, corn dogs, and the like.

Dark and moody, usually with some kind of classic rock or new wave record playing, Expatriate drips with style. Its cocktails match those vibes, generally deep and bold with high-proof spirits mixed with aromatic bitters and vermouths. It’s always been on the forefront of Portland’s cocktail scene, and many seasoned bartenders have put in time stirring, shaking, and swizzling its innovative drinks. Those in the mood for some fun bar snacks would be hard pressed to find a more playful and satisfying menu, as its thick cheeseburger, lemongrass-beef nachos with wonton “chips,” and James Beard onion sandwiches have wowed diners since its opening.

Hale Pele has received national attention as one of the best tiki bars in the country, from the overwrought decor to its takes on all of the tiki essentials, like mai tais, hurricanes, and zombies. One thing that can’t be found at Hale Pele are the artificial-tasting, overly juiced tiki drinks of the ’90s and early 2000s — here, everything is made with high-end rums, syrups, and juices. And outside of Huber’s, with its flaming Spanish coffees, Hale Pele sports the most pyrotechnics in town, with all kinds of flaming garnishes. 

Just off the Park Blocks in Northwest Portland, Comala not only offers a staggering selection of rare, distinctive mezcals, served in an alley of a bar evocative of 1800s Mexico; the menu itself tells stories of Mexico’s colonization and contemporary culture, incorporating Spanish, Italian, and Caribbean spirits as well as distinctive house infusions. The bar’s take on a martini, bolstered with espadín mezcal, folds in a nice toasty earthiness with sesame-infused vodka and cumin bitters; it’s unlike any martini in town.

It would be hard to overstate Teardrop’s influence on the city’s cocktail scene. It was, in many ways, Portland’s first “craft cocktail” bar, ushering in the drink culture Portland is now known for. The expansive menu is split into descriptive categories (like “bright and crisp,” “supple and herbal,” or “deep and dark”) all of which are made with meticulous care and high-quality ingredients by knowledgable veteran bartenders. Seasonal drinks are often a strong move here: In the summer, that may mean one of the city’s finest piña coladas, while in the fall, late harvest-noted cocktails like Boogie Street blend Asian pear butter and blood orange with Evan Williams 1783 bourbon and Novo Fogo cachaça. Year round, large-format punches incorporate hard-to-find spirits and liqueurs like Greek Skinos Mastiha.

Located within the Kex hotel in Portland, Pacific Standard owns its identity as a hotel bar unapologetically, adding a level of service and sophistication to its fundamentally adaptable format. The bar is home to Jeffrey Morgenthaler, long considered one of the city’s most famous bartenders, particularly during his time at the now-closed hotel bar Clyde Common. Morgenthaler and partner Benjamin Amberg approach cocktail classics obsessively, so each drink is deliberately executed. The gimlet uses Suntory Roku gin and a cranberry-lime cordial; the tartness of the berry plays off the floral, cherry blossom notes of the gin. The whiskey sour uses a Evan Williams bonded bourbon, its vanilla notes complemented by the addition of apricot brandy. This is a vacationer’s day-drinking bar, which means visitors will find a strong bloody mary, low-proof drinks for stamina, and plenty of coffee cocktails.

There is no cocktail menu at Angel Face, the sexy lounge nestled next to Navarre on Northeast 28th. Instead, bartenders create original drinks after quick conversations with visitors, using flavor notes and general liquor preferences as a jumping off point. The current staff at Angel Face is up to the challenge, offering several smart martini riffs and spirit-forward sippers on recent visits. Angel Face is absolute date night fodder, particularly before dinner at one of the neighborhood’s many strong options.

With a dining room decked out in live plants and festooned with vintage lanterns, Hey Love evokes the atmosphere of 1970s fern bars. Its drinks are executed with modern style and techniques but harken back to a similar era, never taking drinking too seriously. For instance, the refreshingly sweet-tart slushies have been on the menu since opening, and the pro move is still to go with the Utah, Gimme Two!, two slushies blended together into a beautiful dichromatic swirl. Other drinks follow the same party vibes — mango oolong mai tais, spicy margaritas, cucumber vodka sodas on draft, and the Oaxacan Sunrise, a passion fruit margarita topped with a strawberry slushy, served in cactus (naturally). However, fans of more spirit-forward drinks may prefer the bar’s take on a classic Old Fashioned, made with the Hey Love’s own single barrel of Maker’s Mark.

The lively-vibed, sultrily-lit subterranean bar from Top Chef darling and James Beard Award winner Gregory Gourdet is far more than a waiting room for the perpetually booked Kann upstairs; Sousòl is a destination in its own right, serving drinks and snacks leaning heavily on ingredients and flavors from the Caribbean with creative additions. The Jungle Phoenix uses coconut milk for a clarified milk punch, a sweet, silken layer to a funky blend of Caribbean rums; Campari adds a nice shot of bitterness to the overall drink, evading any cloying notes. For sustenance, seek out Trinidadian doubles, ginger-soy wings, and any of the bar’s fun raw fish or salad options, which may shift with the seasons. And pro tip: It is infinitely easier to get a reservation here.

In the early days of this Southwest Alder whiskey club, it was one of the city’s most exclusive bars, non-members clamoring to spend the $25 on a “hall pass” for a reservation. Over the years, the bar has opened itself up to the public more and more, for events like derby parties and lantern festivals. The Library and its more casual, easier walk-in of a bar, the Green Room, remain destinations for whiskey nerds and cocktail aficionados, where bartenders milk-wash Naked Malt Scotch and develop comically extravagant plays on Long Island Ice Tea with Laphroaig and Botanist gin. It’s not all gimmicks: These drinks are creative, balanced, and smart, without losing their sense of deliciousness.

Easily the Tabor neighborhood’s best-kept secret, the food at Bellwether is almost good enough to overshadow the drinks — almost. The bar consistently churns out cocktails following a Coco Chanel-style minimalism: No drink on the menu includes more than five ingredients, and most are closer to three or four. But every drink pulls off a shocking level of depth despite the short ingredient list, from a fennel-y aquavit-vermouth-amaro trio to the cozy rum cocktail with nutmeg, orgeat, and a touch of sherry for a nice caramel-y note. It’d be sacrilegious to dine elsewhere, however.

Belmont’s gothic-tinged Midnight quickly built up a faithful crowd due to its stylish interior, live music venue, and its agave and rum-focused cocktail menu developed by a team of industry veterans led by Estanislado Orona. In the Siren Serenade, Meletti adds a touch of dark intrigue to a blend of coconut-washed rum and pineapple. The Beso Muerte, or Death Kiss, is another favorite, a rum and white port cocktail with calendula cordial. Mestizo handles the food here, so expect snacks like vegan empanadas and yuca fries.

While many bars go for the tried-and-true “classics, but with a twist” approach to cocktails, the modernist lounge Deadshot is unafraid to get weird. It challenges drinkers with unorthodox ingredients like in the Who Is Jack Nance?, a whiskey drink with sesame, citrus, mustard, sherry, and yolk that has been on the menu since the bar was a Monday night-only affair. None of it feels arbitrary, though, but rather thoughtful, exploratory, and intentional. Those looking for something a little more traditional, though, will likely love the crystal daiquiri, a clarified version of the iconic drink that is crisp, clean, and bright. French-ish pop-up Plumb handles the food menu, which includes treats like Gruyere cheeseburgers and steak frites with harissa-sungold hollandaise.

Bible Club founder Ryk Maverick once described this Sellwood neighborhood bar as “a pre-Prohibition-era museum that you can drink in,” and that remains true: The walls, shelves, and corners of the bar are stocked with conversation-starting antiques and tchotchkes, ideal for first dates. Many of the drinks here fit the theme, like the bar’s strong Bee’s Knees and Penicillin. However, many of the others are exciting and distinct to the bar, like the First Frost, a bracing cocktail with sorrel and honey, or the Coco Laredo, with pandan-infused Altos Blanco tequila and chile oil.