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Portland now has another outlet where you can sample draft cocktails right next door to the source.
503 Distilling has opened a lounge adjacent to the distillery at 4784 SE 17th Ave., Suite 150, inside the Iron Fireman Collective building, which also houses Ruse Brewing.
The 5-year-old company, best known for its ready-to-drink canned cocktails and craft spirits, says it’s taking the typical distillery tasting room experience to the next level with this new space. Inside, you’ll find six rotating cocktails on tap, plus made-to-order mixed drinks, beer and wine.
The draft options offer visitors first tastes of some of the newest concoctions coming out of the distillery, acting as something of a laboratory, where the producers can gather real-time feedback from guests about recipes in development.
“We love hearing what people think of our draft creations before we commit to canning a larger batch,” Dave Schleef, 503 Distilling’s president, stated in a press release. “We’ve been able to make more thoughtful decisions about our ready-to-drink canned cocktail line through this process—plus, we get to spend more time with visitors to our distillery in a laid-back environment full of great food and drinks.”
The food component of that equation is prepared by Chaat Wallah, a new business from the operators of DesiPDX food cart on North Mississippi Avenue. They’ll be serving Indian street creations like masala pulled pork sandwiches topped with a turmeric mustard slaw and nacho chaat covered in paneer cheese crumbles and pomegranate.
“The complex, spice-laden flavors of Indian food are a perfect match for the drinks that they are serving,” added Chaat Wallah owner and chef Deepak Saxena, “and we look forward to adding more items to our menu as we grow.”
503 Distilling’s Cocktail Lounge is open 3-9 pm Thursday through Saturday, and 1-7 pm Sunday.