Carbon
09-18-2008, 10:16 PM
I've been to a lot of different bars lately, and I'm never surprised at the lack of rum options. It seems like most bars just have Bacardi Superior and Myers's Dark with some flavored ones strewn about. I've been on the lookout for bars/restaurants with more of an appreciation for rums, so I'll try and update this list as I find more. I think I'm one of only two people in the Portland area, at least that are on the member map.
Carlyle restaurant is in Northwest Portland. It's in an odd location off by itself among warehouses, but you can imagine the rest of the Pearl District will have spread there in short time. They had a few fine rums to pick from, and the bartender seemed to be into them instead of just having them there for novelty. Unfortunately I only recall two of the three rums I sampled there. It was my first time having both Cockspur 12 and Cruzan Single Barrel (I don't recall the third), and the Cruzan was definitely the pick of the litter so to speak.
http://www.carlylerestaurant.com/carlylecocktails.html
PS (and off topic): I found out about the restaurant in an interesting way. I had bought a bottle of higher-end gin for someone as a birthday gift to make gin and tonics with. I was thinking that if you're going to buy a fine gin to make this cocktail with, why waste it on a high fructose corn syrup concoction like Schweppes? Isn't there something better out there? A simple google search for "quality tonic water" led me to find Q Tonic, sweetened with organic agave and with hand-picked quinine from the Peruvian Andes. This led me to check where I could get this in my area, and I found the restaurant. I had their "The GQ" using Junipero gin and the Q tonic water, and it was excellent. This stuff is available in many states, so this isn't just for Portland people. I'm on a similar quest to find a fine alternative to Coke/Pepsi for use with rum right now (I may have to search and/or post about this).
http://www.qtonic.com/
A very long-winded post I know, especially for only my 2nd one as a member, but I hope it was informative and didn't sound like I was advertising or rambling on.
Carlyle restaurant is in Northwest Portland. It's in an odd location off by itself among warehouses, but you can imagine the rest of the Pearl District will have spread there in short time. They had a few fine rums to pick from, and the bartender seemed to be into them instead of just having them there for novelty. Unfortunately I only recall two of the three rums I sampled there. It was my first time having both Cockspur 12 and Cruzan Single Barrel (I don't recall the third), and the Cruzan was definitely the pick of the litter so to speak.
http://www.carlylerestaurant.com/carlylecocktails.html
PS (and off topic): I found out about the restaurant in an interesting way. I had bought a bottle of higher-end gin for someone as a birthday gift to make gin and tonics with. I was thinking that if you're going to buy a fine gin to make this cocktail with, why waste it on a high fructose corn syrup concoction like Schweppes? Isn't there something better out there? A simple google search for "quality tonic water" led me to find Q Tonic, sweetened with organic agave and with hand-picked quinine from the Peruvian Andes. This led me to check where I could get this in my area, and I found the restaurant. I had their "The GQ" using Junipero gin and the Q tonic water, and it was excellent. This stuff is available in many states, so this isn't just for Portland people. I'm on a similar quest to find a fine alternative to Coke/Pepsi for use with rum right now (I may have to search and/or post about this).
http://www.qtonic.com/
A very long-winded post I know, especially for only my 2nd one as a member, but I hope it was informative and didn't sound like I was advertising or rambling on.