And now, for the most innovative way to gamble and booze this holiday season: Drink Deck PDX. The 52-card deck — which functions simultaneously as a bar guide, coupon book and deck of cards — makes its official debut this week.
Each of the deck’s playing card features a Portland watering hole and a coupon for $10 off its food and drinks. So, for example, if you’re playing Go Fish at the Night Light Lounge (2100 SE Clinton Ave.), slip the bartender the appropriate card (in this case, the six of spades), and you’ll get 10 bucks off all the shots, pints, nachos and steak frites you’ve been imbibing. (Don’t worry, you redeem your coupon by ripping off the bottom left corner; no need to play with less than a full deck.)
Portlander Rob Laing, 35, created the deck with his high school buddy Will Glass, who released the original version in Chicago last year. He hopes the deck will help visitors navigate the Portland bar scene and motivate locals to venture out of their ruts.
“If you live in Northeast, how often do you get to Northwest to go to bars?” Laing said. “It’s a good incentive to go check out bars in other neighborhoods.”
He and Glass hope to expand the enterprise to other cities in the coming years.
Want to pick up a deck in person? The Drink Deck PDX Launch Party takes place at the Bar Bar Apartment at Mississippi Studios from 6-11 pm on Thursday, Dec. 16 and will feature Blackjack tables with the opportunity to win both drinks and decks. RSVP by emailing thedrinkdeck@gmail.com or registering through the event page on Facebook. You can also order the decks online (here) and look for them in retail locations toward the end of the month.
A full list of the featured Portland bars is listed here, but for the sake of example, here’s a hand you might be dealt:
- Eight of clubs: Bunk Bar (1028 SE Water Ave.)
- Ace of spades: 21st Avenue Bar & Grill (721 NW 21st Ave.).
- Five of diamonds: Prost! (4327 N. Mississippi Ave.)
- Ten of hearts: Teardrop Cocktail Lounge (1015 NW Everett Street.)
- King of diamonds: Slow Bar (533 SE Grand Ave.)
