5 Fall Cocktails in Portland

1014 SW Stark St, Portland, OR 97205 (map)

EGGNOG: When the cold snap settles in during late October, Clyde Common bartender (and famed beverage blogger) Jeffrey Morgenthaler will bring back his trademark eggnog. Get ready to change your opinion about this cold weather sipper--this version is nothing like the thick, semi-gelatinous stuff sold at the supermarket. Rather, this is a cool, smooth cocktail laced with Sailor Jerry’s spiced rum and a plain old American brandy served cold--not hot--in classic cocktail fashion.

1001 NW Couch St, Portland, OR 97209 (map)

CEDERBERG PUNCH: Let go of that preconceived notion that punch is a sickly sweet ruby red concoction because classic punch is nothing like the non-alcoholic beverage you spiked at homecoming so many years ago. It’s nuanced and complex, and exactly the style of cocktail you would expect to enjoy at the elegant t1001 bar. Here, bartender Kelley Swenson’s pitch-perfect, tea-infused punch is so refined he serves it in a Reidel decanter with four small modern rocks glasses on the side.

411 SW Third Ave, Portland, OR 97204 (map)

SPANISH COFFEE: Spanish coffee has been this historic restaurant’s signature drink since the early 70s. What sets it apart from the whole host of Spanish coffees in town is a balanced, belly-warming combination of Kahlua, Bacardi 151, Bols triple sec and coffee topped with fresh whipped cream and nutmeg. But what really makes the orders pile up at the bar is the fact that the bartenders flame the famous drink tableside. Now that’s flair.

5008 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215 (map)

THE LOUNGE SINGER: The bartenders at this sultry Eastside lounge combine two seductive ingredients: figs and pomegranates--in this twist on the classic Manhattan. In it, a fig-infused bourbon mingles with pomegranate in an on-the-rocks cocktail that keeps the bar hoppers and couples happy and pleasantly buzzed from evening to late night.