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1. Papa Haydn Sellwood
5829 SE Milwaukie Ave., 503-232-9440, papahaydn.com. 11:30 am-10 pm Wednesday-Sunday.
Papa Haydn is best known for its desserts—and its cafe on Northwest 23rd Avenue—but the original location across the river boasts both a charming patio and a long list of cocktails for those days when you want to end (or start) your meal with a liquid confection. Opened in 1978, the restaurant and its shaded terrace are a hidden Sellwood gem—the perfect place to sip on the Secret Garden (citron vodka, strawberry purée, muddled basil) while seated in an actual secret garden.
2. Flora
4500 SW Watson Ave., Beaverton, 503-372-5352, exploretock.com. 6 pm-close Thursday-Sunday.
You can now reserve a stool inside the hidden bar perched above the new Beaverton Loyal Legion taproom. Flora is an intimate and refined cocktail-focused venue, serving concoctions in crystal glassware in a swanky setting—here the lights are dimmed and the wallpaper depicts mythical creatures. Customers can expect an eclectic, plant-based drink menu that’s as playful as it is colorful. Opening offerings included a Caribbean horchata, a Tang-based cocktail, and a whiskey-Aperol mix with a kick thanks to the addition of cayenne simple syrup.
3. Backyard Social
1914 N Killingsworth St., 503-719-04316, backyardsocialpdx.com. 4-9 pm Monday-Tuesday, 4-10 pm Wednesday-Saturday.
Names don’t lie: Counting its previous incarnation as the Hop & Vine, Backyard Social has been one of Portland’s best outdoor spots for over a decade, and its verdant, could-be-a-neighbor’s-garden charm is hard to resist now that temperatures are warming. It’s also a real restaurant, with duck leg confit, crispy fingerling potatoes, and a perfect, tavern-style burger that comes off a mesquite charcoal grill you can see and smell from your table. The list of about a dozen cocktails also includes two shots: Jell-O and pudding.
4. Suckerpunch
1030 SE Belmont St., 503-208-4022, suckerpunch.bar. 6-10 pm Thursday-Saturday, 6-8 pm Sunday.
You will leave Suckerpunch as sober as you were when you walked in, but the thing is, Portland’s first non-alcoholic bar still works its magic: It’s a place where adults can enjoy some complex yet balanced cocktails in a cozy place and catch up with friends. Andy McMillan, who founded the business because he was desperate for better zero-proof concoctions around town, recently changed the three-item menu, so you’ll find some new options if you’ve already been.
5. Portland Cider Co.
3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 971-888-5054, portlandcider.com. 3-9 pm Wednesday-Thursday, 1-10 pm Friday-Saturday, 1-9 pm Sunday. 8925 SE Jannsen Road, Building F, Clackamas, 503-744-4213. 3-9 pm Wednesday-Thursday, 3-10 pm Friday, noon-10 pm Saturday, noon-9 pm Sunday.
Back by popular demand, Portland Cider’s Tangerine Dreamsicle was designed to trigger summertime notalgia, with its bright, tangy fruit juice swirled together with rich vanilla from Singing Dog in Eugene. It’s one of the brand’s most requested small-batch beverages ever, and it’s only available for a limited time. Drink up. Summer is too short.