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The cider bar is having a moment. When Southeast Portland's Bushwhacker opened in 2010, its eight taps made it the only dedicated cider bar in the nation. But now, even Sasquatch Brewing has that many, and the Civic Taproom keeps six installed. This year, McMenamins Tavern & Pool (1716 NW 23rd Ave, 227-0929,) likewise installed six cider taps in its restaurant section to offer Northwest Portland's most extensive selection—including a dry, effervescent house seasonal that was the best domestic cherry cider I've had recently. Meanwhile, there's a second, 14-tap Woodlawn Bushwhacker (901 NE Oneonta St., 971-229-1663). The most obvious addition to the new space is a kitchen, with its cheese plate supplemented by fondue and salmon sliders, all adequate. But the L-shaped former garage feels a bit like an unfinished game room—there's the rare and perplexing treat of angled shuffleboard—and the bottle selection pales compared to the original location. The new Portland Cider House (3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 206-6283) is the cider bar to rule them all. The cedar room is so tarted up with merchandise and kitsch it looks like a Portlandified Wall Drug. But with its computerized keg system, fast-rotating 24 taps, and helpful staff offering recommendations all across the panoply of ciders (including a few English ones), Portland Cider Co.'s Hawthorne taproom has essentially made itself the Bailey's Taproom of cider bars. There's always something new to try, and a self-selected taster of five will set you back a mere $7. Perfect. The Southeast Bushwhacker still has the best cider bottle selection in the city, but if you want to hang, you'll be at the Portland Cider House.
WWeek 2015