Getaway in a Glass: 6 Tropical Drinks at Portland Bars

We all deserve time off, but time doesn't always comply. Because we've got kids to raise, deadlines to meet, and projects to complete, we often find ourselves unable to fly away to white sandy beaches where we could stretch out with good books, good company, and good, stiff drinks.

While Portland isn't known for its tropical climate, it is a city that prides itself on its cocktails. So, while your responsibilities might prevent you from flying off to an island getaway, you can still find a tropical escape right here within city limits, and here are six Portland watering holes specializing in equatorial cocktails that will make you feel like you're in the midst of that much-needed vacation.

 

Margarita at Corazón ***CLOSED***

When the sun is high and your clothes begin to cling to your body, downtown Portland's concrete environs can seem oppressive. So when you need to cool off and escape the heat, head over to one of the city's newest Mexican restaurants for a nice, cold, classic margarita. Bar manager Brian Gilbert's Esquina Margarita is made with a 100 percent agave tequila blanca, fresh lime juice, and a simple syrup made from pure cane sugar. But rather than using what is the now standard (and much sweeter) Cointreau triple sec, Gilbert instead favors the far drier, orange-flavored liqueur Combier. Shaken and doubly strained to capture any errant slivers of ice that might sneak into your cocktail, the Esquina is a dry, tart, slightly peppery margarita, served up in a chilled glass sans salted rim, that will refresh your body and let you forget, if only for a moment, about all the concrete and steel outside.

Corazón, 1205 SW Washington St., 503.241.1133

 

Margarita at Island Cafe

"Who knew?" That's what Neighborhood Notes reader Eecole Copen kept enthusiastically saying during our visit to Island Cafe. If you don't know about the spot, you're forgiven. Even though it's been floating on a dock in the Columbia River for more than 20 years, it's out of the way for most, and not necessarily easy to find. Plus, it's only open for six months each year, from mid-April to mid-October. But the cafe has deep roots: Present owner Sean McMurray worked here when he was in college and then returned to it nine years ago, when he and his wife (also his high school sweetheart) bought it. The cafe seats about 100, but if the weather is warm and sunny, expect a lengthy wait for a table. But as you do, sit back and relax—that's why you're here—with a strong, slushy, frozen margarita, which is, in keeping with the cafe's party atmosphere, served in a plastic cup with a fat, plastic straw. Just remember to sip yours slowly to avoid the dreaded "brain freeze,” warned reader Albert Kaufman.

Island Cafe, 250 N Tomahawk Island Dr., Slip 22, 503.283.0362

 

Daiquiri at 820

"There's a lot going on" in 820's frozen avocado daiquiri, Kaufman said. It's made with light and gold rums, and is blended with lemon and lime juices, ice, cream, and a fresh quarter-slice of avocado, resulting in a smooth yet "solid" drink that's poured into a goblet and drizzled with pomegranate molasses. This tropically inspired, mint-colored daiquiri starts strong—the first thing you taste is the rum—and finishes tart, but the drink's middle is round, creamy and puzzlingly complex. Eecole compared it to a deeper, richer creamsicle. Ultimately, though, the cocktail can be potentially dangerous, because your stumped tongue will keep trying to communicate to your brain about what, exactly, is happening in this drink. And, of course, it doesn't help that the daiquiri seems to taste better and better with each subsequent sip.

820, 816 N Russell St., 503.284.5518

 

Daiquiri at Rum Club

Rum Club's Michael Shea says his goal is to reintroduce us to the daiquiri as it was, when it was enjoyed by presidents and famous novelists. Today, Shea says, many people think of the daiquiri as a sweet summer drink, but it wasn't always so. His version includes a shot of dark, aged Bacardi rum, maraschino cherry liqueur, fresh lime juice, a 2-to-1 housemade demerara simple syrup, a couple of drops of Angostura bitters, and, at last, a few drops of absinthe. Shaken, twice-strained and served up in a coupe glass, Shea's rose madder daiquiri has a slightly sweet start, but the middle is tart, and the finish is surprisingly dry. This classic island daiquiri, Shea says, is one of Rum Club's signature drinks, so you'll always be able to find it on the menu, which means you can find an escape no matter the time of year. "Even though it's really delicious in the summertime, it's really delicious in November too," Shea says.

Rum Club, 720 SE Sandy Blvd., 503.467.2469

 

Piña Colada at Teardrop Lounge

You have to give Teardrop's bar staff credit: They make crafting cocktails look effortless. But that's an illusion. The real work is in the prepping, done hours before the doors open. It doesn't take bar manager Sean Hoard long to make Teardrop's piña colada, but that's because he and his staff have spent hours cracking coconuts and then harvesting and simmering their essential ingredients to use in their compelling take on this quintessential tropical cocktail. Made with Flor de Caña aged rum, cream of coconut, pineapple juice, pineapple gomme, and lime juice, this piña colada is as good as one can get—it's a favorite of some of the city's most talented bartenders. Served in a hurricane glass filled with hand-crushed ice chips, this phenomenal drink is finished off with a fresh grating of nutmeg and garnished with a paper umbrella that’s anchored by a late-season, house-brandied Rainier cherry. If you've had one, you know how good it is, but if you haven't, hurry: This seasonal drink is retired each year at the end of August.

Teardrop Lounge, 1015 NW Everett St., 503.445.8109

 

Singapore Sling at Beaker & Flask

This Side of Paradise is an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, but it's also the name Beaker & Flask's presiding barman, Brandon Wise, has given to his wonderfully elaborate, escape-inducing Singapore Sling. Wise says he wants to make a "summer sipper" that is "gorgeous to look at while still friendly to taste." His mildly tart and not-too-sweet, blue-hued sling is mixed with housemade pineapple gomme syrup, fresh lime juice, a dash of absinthe, and two light rums (including an earthy, complex five-island blend). Wise brings the drink home by straining it into a vintage glass, finishing it with a bit of Blue Curaçao and garnishing with an origami-like orange rosette, pearled in the center with a brandied amarena cherry. But the master stroke may lie in smallest detail: The ice cubes over which the drink is poured are made from frozen coconut water. Should they melt into your drink, an extra, delayed flavor will be revealed, although it's far more likely that you'll finish your sling before they melt. Still, you can enjoy this hidden treasure, sucking on them while your next sling is being made, as Eecole pointed out.

Beaker & Flask, 727 SE Washington St., 503.235.8180

What's your favorite tropical drink and who makes it? Let us know what we're missing in the comments below.

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