Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/832383
56 / the tasting panel / june 2017 At Loyal Legion, set in a former police academy building in Portland's Central East Side, we meet hyperkinetic bartender Adam Keefe. As he whips up a nouveau Old Fashioned, he keeps up a running commentary: "I like local things. There's not that many good spirits com- ing out of Oregon. The value in Eastside is they come out with a good product." Salty's on the Columbia is right on the river, boasting a spectacular view from the big wrap-around bar upstairs. "We try to keep it fun and classy at the same time," says Jesse Entwistle, Bar Manager. "We offer a little of everything. Customers ask for local products, and that's where Eastside products fit. They have a pretty wide variety. The Barrel Hitch whiskey is a big one. We use it in one of our house cocktails—the Portlander, a sweet and savory play on a Manhattan." To further prove the broad appeal of Eastside's portfolio, the next stop is E-San Thai. It's been a popular downtown spot for Asian cuisine for the past 17 years. General Manager Rafael Rodriguez proudly notes, "We have families that have been coming here since day one. It's very rewarding to see kids who were babies now going to college and still com- ing." His special cocktails were designed to accompany the ginger-inflected Phad King on the menu. Touring the Bars During a whirlwind tour of Portland bars with Mel Heim and Pat Roth, it became obvious that Eastside's canny portfolio of bourbons, rums and vodka not only has broad appeal, but serves a spectacularly diverse clientele. and craft beer is definitely leading the rest of the country," he says, "and we're in the forefront of that movement." Heim's mastery of blending begins with a firm grasp of the competition, especially bourbons. "A lot of the fun part for me is doing reverse engineer- ing," she says, pointing to a table loaded with bottles of well-known national brands. "I enjoy sampling finished products and seeing if I can figure out how it was done." Distillation is science, she believes; blending and aging are where the art comes in. "The value is added after- wards. The hardest part of this industry is that you need to predict trends while simultaneously trying to set a trend. It At Loyal Legion, Adam Keefe whips up a Smoked Marionberry Old Fashioned. PHOTO: LEAH NASH PHOTO: LEAH NASH Smoked Marionberry Old Fashioned ◗ 1½ oz. Burnside Bourbon ◗ ½ oz. Marionberry Whiskey ◗ ¼ oz. smoked simple syrup ◗ ¼ oz. Lagavulin 8 Year Old ◗ Walnut bitters ◗ Aromatic bitters ◗ Orange bitters Stirred, not shaken, and served in a bucket glass over a single cube. Garnish with a charred orange peel and an Amarna cherry. Ginger Snap Martini by Rafael Rodriguez, E-San Thai, Portland ◗ 1½ oz. Below Deck Ginger Rum ◗ 1 oz. Stoli Vanil Vodka ◗ 2 oz. white cranberry juice ◗ Dash white crème de cocoa ◗ Squeeze lime ◗ Simple syrup Shake and pour into a Martini glass with Maraschino cherry garnish. Warm Me Up ◗ 1½ oz. Below Deck Ginger Rum ◗ 1 oz. gin ◗ 2 oz. white cranberry juice ◗ Splash ginger beer ◗ Squeeze lime juice Garnish with a slice of kiwi and serve in a pint glass. The Portlander by Jesse Entwistle, Salty's, Portland ◗ 1½ oz. Barrel Hitch whiskey ◗ ½ oz. sweet vermouth ◗ ¼ oz. Bing cherry juice ◗ ¼ oz. Triple sec Shaken and strained; then garnished with Bing cherry. PHOTO: LEAH NASH Salty's Bar Manager Jesse Entwistle mixes up The Portlander with Barrel Hitch Whiskey. At E-San Thai, GM Rafael Rodriguez serves up his Ginger Snap Martini.