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1. The Old Gold
2105 N Killingsworth St., 503-894-8937, drinkinoregon.com. 3-10 pm Monday-Friday, noon-10 pm Saturday-Sunday.
The flagship of ex-Mercury staffer Ezra Ace Caraeff's ever-expanding bar empire, the Old Gold rests its focus squarely on the immense library of international whiskeys behind the bar, but even if it were serving nothing but swill, its handsome patio would still get a ton of use throughout the warm months. Reopening for Phase 1, Caraeff is taking full advantage of the outdoor seating while expanding into the neighboring lot. He also rigged a mobile ordering system where patrons use their phones to request a finger of Buffalo Trace or a Tillamook grilled cheese. It's going to be a strange outdoor drinking season, to be sure, but the pleasures of this Overlook favorite remain more or less intact. We'll worry about the rain later.
Related: Last Night, Ezra Ace Caraeff Reopened His Bar. He Hopes He Won't Have to Close It Again.
2. Palomar
959 SE Division St., No. 100, 971-266-8276, barpalomar.com. 4-10 pm Wednesday-Saturday. By reservation only.
A reflection of owner Ricky Gomez's Cuban American heritage and his hometown of New Orleans, Palomar doesn't look like many other Portland bars, nor does it taste like one. The interior could be a set from HBO's Ballers, and the drink menu is just as colorful, full of piña coladas, daiquiris and all things slushy and beachy—plus Cuban diner staples like bistec, lechon asado and a Cuban sandwich topped with matchstick fries. In other words, it was already a great summer bar, and now that it's moved operations to its roof deck overlooking Division Street, it might just be perfect. Well, nearly perfect—reservations are required to maintain social distancing. But once you get a spot up there, it's hard to leave.
3. Migration Brewing
2828 NE Glisan St., 503-206-5221, migrationbrewing.com.
11 am-10 pm Monday-Sunday.
In the Before Times, Migration Brewing's converted radiator garage pub was a reliable place to find neighbors congregating after work, watching the basketball game or reminiscing about family vacations. And even in Phase 1, a pint and a massive plate of nachos remain a great idea, especially in the summer when you can bask on the sun-drenched front patio. Beers range from sweet and tart—like the seasonal Son of a Peach, a delicate aged fruit beer—to rich and hazy.
4. Shine Distillery & Grill
4232 N Williams Ave., 503-384-2585, shinedistillerygrill.com. 3-9 pm Sunday-Thursday, 3-10 pm Friday-Saturday.
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 give brewpubs like Breakside and 10 Barrel a run for their money. The focus is on liquor, and the bar churns out some fantastic cocktails. Owner Jon Poteet spent quarantine bottling hand cleaner made from his distillery's high-proof byproduct, and now that Multnomah County has reopened, he's making the bar's roof deck for safe drinking under the summer sun.
5. Five & Dime
6535 SE Foster Road, 5anddimepdx.com. 3 pm-2 am daily.
While you won't find shelves stocked with cheap talcum powder and undergarments, the year-old bar along the Foster-Powell corridor reflects the prices and spirit of a 20th century trinket emporium. The room intermingles sophistication with subversion, mixing jade shelving stocked with leather-bound books with a neon ombré portrait of Rasheed Wallace. Of course, for now, you'll ideally want to take advantage of the outdoor seating, and luckily, the bar has appropriate drinks, including frozen daiquiris and cold, well-balanced cocktails. The kitchen is closed for the time being, but there's pizza available from Atlas next door.