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1. AleFire
3520 N Williams Ave., 541-207-8691, alefirepdx.com.
Portland has vape bars, pingpong bars, arcade bars, board game bars and juice bars. One thing it did not have, until recently, was a hot sauce bar. And it's about damn time. Fanning the flames of all things fermented, AleFire hot sauce shop and beer bar recently opened in the former Tin Bucket space, offering a selection of 250-plus bottles of sauce next to 100 or so beers and ciders.
Related: A New Bar Pairs Craft Beer with Obscure Hot Sauces. We Put Our Tongues to the Test.
2. Oakshire Beer Hall
5013 NE 42nd Ave., 971-323-1414, oakbrew.com.
It used to be that you had to drive more than 100 miles to Eugene to sample the full breadth of Oakshire Brewing's creative offerings. Now you just have to find your way to Cully. Housed in the former Old Salt space, the 32 taps at Oakshire Beer Hall—with a whopping 22 of them pouring beer made in Eugene—provide the neighborhood with a much-needed hub for quality kegs, plus killer Guamanian food from Ed Sablan's new Biba Chamoru Kitchen.
Read the full review: You No Longer Have to Drive to Eugene to Experience the Full Breadth of Oakshire Brewing's Creativity.
3. Ancestry Brewing
4334 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 503-764-9574, ancestrybrewing.com.
Ancestry Brewing has dropped anchor in the far reaches of Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, in a sprawling ground-floor space beneath three stories of apartments. You'll find generous pours in a sampler that arrives in a steel rack with a handle shaped like the anchor in the logo. Take your 10-pound drink holster to the hidden patio and it might motivate you to look into locking down a lease.
Read the full review: Ancestry Brewing's Third Taproom Docks Along Southeast Hawthorne.
4. Shine Distillery & Grill
4232 N Williams Ave., 503-384-2585, shinedistillerygrill.com.
It was probably only a matter of time before Williams Avenue got a shiny new two-story bar that looks teleported from the Pearl. While most distilleries are boutique affairs relegated to minimal storefronts or corners of industrial spaces, the menu and ambience at Shine should give brewpubs like Breakside and 10 Barrel a run for their money.
Related: Shine Distillery Applies the Brewpub Formula to a House of Spirits.
5. Ambonnay
107 SE Washington St., No. 167, 503-575-4861, ambonnaybar.com.
Portland's cozy, elegant and only dedicated Champagne bar nearly shuttered recently after its owner decided to move to Hood River, but a new lover of all things French and bubbly stepped in to keep it alive. It's certainly not the cheapest wine pour in town. But Ambonnay is where you'll find Champagne by the glass that's simply not available anywhere else around here.
Note: Ambonnay is still temporarily closed as a result of the ownership transition. It will reopen in two weeks.