Portland is a city that loves its hidden gems — off-the-beaten-track spots without clear signage, places that indicate an intimate knowledge of the city and its concealed wonders. So of course, this speakeasy-style, subterranean cocktail bar, marked only by a blue light, is a nod to the bars and underground clubs of Ho Chi Minh City during the French colonization of Vietnam. The drinks are sophisticated nods to the source material: The G.S., for instance, is a strong but smooth sipper pairing Indonesian arrack with pinot noir-finished whiskey, the floral notes of a French aperitif complemented by pandan and Vietnamese coffee. Snacks pull from the Vietnamese culinary canon, with items like banh mi sliders and salad rolls.

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.

From the team behind Pink Rabbit and Dirty Pretty, Fools and Horses is a Pearl District cocktail bar with a singular perspective on balanced, culinarily minded cocktailing. In a dark-toned space, bartenders serve drinks combining miso curry with gin and sherry, wash tequila with bacon fat, and add dimension to the bitterness of Cynar and Aperol with grapefruit and pink peppercorn. Nonalcoholic drinks are no afterthought, with components like miso horchata.

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.

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 an 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.

Hidden under Loyal Legion, this slick subterranean bar is inspired by the architectural and design work of Charles Francis Annesley Voysey. The tiled bar and rich wallpaper play a supporting role to the cocktails, which are among the best in the city. Try the Either/or, made with Meinklang skin-contact wine and kumquat aperitif, or the Intermezzo with gin and umeshu. If drinking with a group, a large format punch is also available.

This subterranean cocktail bar is home to an A-Team of bartenders, who bend, twist, and expand what we expect of whisky. Pulling from a truly jaw-dropping list of spirits, bartenders spike pineapple daiquiris with Islay Scotch and coconut-oolong demerara to give it a touch of smoke, blend a painkiller and a sherry cobbler with a fun dose of ube cream of coconut, and combine genmaicha and lotus-seed orgeat with Japanese whisky for a floral and sophisticated sour. The food menu is full of stunners, as well, be it a pumpernickel-rolled fried brie with verjus syrup or a bowl of pasta with seaweed butter and candied duck. Scotch Lodge takes a few walk-ins, but it’s best to get a reservation.

The drinks at this Miami-vibed haven from lauded bartender Ricky Gomez are simply fun, from blended banana or strawberry daiquiris to the bar’s take on a Pimm’s Cup with guava and ginger beer. Palomar has shifted away from its daiquiri-heavy focus, making room for inventive drinks like its bell pepper-kiwi sour. Palomar’s teal and pink modernist dining room provides a fitting venue, and on warmer days the wide windows are thrown open, giving the whole place a breezy, outdoorsy feel.

While many bars go for the tried-and-true classics 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 egg 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.

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.

The Houston Blacklight and its psychedelic aesthetic have taken Portland by storm since opening in July 2023. Operated by industry veterans and partners in life, Mariah and Thomas Pisha-Duffly, the bar leans into the joie de vivre vibes with bright beaded curtains, colorful wallpaper, and pinball machines. For cocktails, beverage director Em Warden developed a creative menu featuring drinks like the Desperado, a rum Negroni, and the Twin Flame, a spicy margarita. Non-alcoholic options include a house horchata and a non-alcoholic spicy margarita. In keeping with the whimsical spirit of the bar, alcoholic slushies and jello shots are also available.

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.

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 at 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.

What used to be Vintage Cocktail Lounge is now Arbor Hall, Montavilla’s neighborhood bar for the spirit geek. The library of a back bar is stocked with around 400 individual bottles, transformed into cocktails that show off quite a bit of technique — clarified margaritas appear alongside a cucumber-shiso Collins perked up with lime acid. Bartenders here are far from pretentious, however; classic cocktails get just as much attention here, and the happy hour still includes cocktails with single-digit prices.