The Top Five Places to Drink in Portland This Week

Your weekly Buzz List.

(Ian Stout)

1. 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.

Read the full review: Shine Distillery Applies the Brewpub Formula to a House of Spirits.

(Andrea Johnson)

2. Impala

1900 NW 27th Ave., 971-288-9651.

The beach vibes are strong at Impala. The tequila-heavy cocktails are named after professional skaters, the menu is Mexi-Cali drive-in fare, the décor is all potted ferns and pastel paint. But what matters most is the taco special: two crunchy, Old El Paso-style crisp tortilla and ground beef babies overflowing with shredded cheese, served with crinkle-cut fries and a Rainier for $9. It's the best dinner deal on the westside.

Read the full review: The 1980s Called. Impala Brought Their Tacos Back.

(Briana Ybanez)

3. The Automatic

3652 SE Division St., 503-206-5371, theautomaticbarpdx.com.

Replacing one of Portland's most distinctive bars is tough, so perhaps it's good that the Automatic—which moved into the space abandoned by Victory Bar in June—is doing something different. It's aiming to be the opposite sort of bar: the bright, comfortable neighborhood hang, with good food, good cocktails and minimal aesthetic distractions aside from a lovely mural stretching across the back wall.

Read the full review: Victory Bar Is One of Portland's All-Time Great Bars. The Automatic Is…Well, a Bar.

(Wesley Lapointe)

4. 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.

Read the full review: A New Bar Pairs Craft Beer with Obscure Hot Sauces. We Put Our Tongues to the Test.

(Christine Dong)

5. Jinx

3000 NE Killingsworth St., 503-288-8075, jinxpdx.com.

Though full of high-end culinary hot spots, Northeast Killingsworth and 30th Avenue offer little solace for house-bound punk parents in need of escape. Enter Jinx. With a clutch of newish pinball machines and modestly priced kids' menu, there's plenty to keep the offspring occupied while unwinding with a $3 Miller High Life tallboy as the Buzzcocks and Suicide play on the stereo.

Read the full review: For Housebound Punk Parents in Need of an Escape, Jinx Is a Godsend.

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