swizzle
BEST OF EUGENE
BOOZE , BARS & NIGHTLIFE 2018
SWIZZLE EDITION
Gambit (krupnikas, Pom, soda, cherry bitters). But, overall,
we simply like our whiskey drinks. — Camilla Mortensen
BEST BAR
PINT POT
BEST LOCAL
DISTILLERY
I used to live right across the street from The Pint Pot
Public House, and although I don’t miss the crappy student
housing I had, I do miss that homey little spot. Pint Pot’s
regulars and bartenders are always friendly and helpful
and down for some banter.
Those who love whiskey can enjoy a comprehensive
tasting list divided among countries of origin (you can
probably guess which countries).
I’m more of a cocktail and beer gal myself, and Pint
Pot always pleases with stiff mixed drinks, including an
incredible Moscow mule, and hot toddies that warm your
hands and your heart. Guinness, of course, is on tap.
What’s more, Pint Pot is home to all kinds of tasty
Irish cuisine, from bangers and mash to shepherd’s pie.
I recommend heading there for brunch on the weekend
— $10 gets you a scotch egg, soda bread, blood sausage,
corned beef hash and beans.
Old Nick’s (211 Washington Street) and The Vintage
(837 Lincoln Street) tied for second in the voting for Best
Bar. — Kelly Kenoyer
THINKING TREE SPIRITS
The Pint Pot Public House is at 195 E. 17th Avenue. See its Facebook page
for more details.
making sure we have sports on all the time — and getting
the right people in the door.” — Bob Keefer
BEST BAR TO
WATCH SPORTS BEST COCKTAIL
WETLANDS BREW PUB
& SPORTS BAR
When Darci Lien started work at Wetlands more than
five years ago, being a sports bar was more of a target than
a reality.
“I don’t know that when I first started here I would
have called it a ‘sports bar,’” says Lien, the bar’s general
manager, when EW called to say her establishment, at 922
Garfield Street, had come in at the top of our readers’ list.
“That’s so surreal!”
It was also no accident, she says. “I decided to change
the culture here three years ago. We’ve really homed in on
ANYTHING WITH
WHISKEY IN IT
Jameson Sour, old fashioned, hot toddy, whiskey gin-
ger. We admit we were looking for specifics when we
asked you for your favorite cocktail in Lane County. But
it turns out the overwhelming favorite was pretty much
anything with whiskey in it.
We did see some specific vote-getters like Party Down-
town’s Smoke Break (Pueblo Viejo reposado tequila, fresh
pineapple, Jose’s signature smoked tiki syrup, squeezed
lime, rocks) and Deep Woods Distillery’s Persephone’s
Thinking Tree Spirits opened about a year ago last
solstice, founder Emily Jensen says. “We’ve been busting
our butts, and it’s exciting to hear people are liking what
we are doing.”
Thinking Tree is a “farm-to-flask” distillery. “We’re
in the Whiteaker,” Jensen says. “And we source 98 per-
cent of every ingredient in our spirits within 45 miles of
our front door. We are super-committed to the Eugene
community, and are a family owned and operated busi-
ness proud to live in this lush valley.”
The wheat for the spirits at the base of the Genius Gin
and the MainStage Vodka comes from Camas Country
Mill, the botanicals for the gin are from Mountain Rose
Herbs, grapes for absinthe are sourced from Sylvan Ridge
Winery and the blackstrap molasses for the Whiteaker
Rum comes from Glory Bee — not locally grown, but
locally sourced, Jensen says.
Jensen — together with her husband Bryan Jensen,
distiller Kaylon McAlister and a small group of investors
— started the company, and it’s primarily female-owned.
The tasting room features the work of local artists such as
sculptor Jud Turner, and even the labels for the bottles are
produced here in town.
Thinking Tree makes about 150 bottles of every batch,
and doesn’t source its spirits from other distilleries. Jen-
sen points out that some new distilleries in Oregon will
source their neutral grain spirits from Indiana, but Think-
ing Tree has pledged to keep it local.
If you want to drink it local, you can check out Think-
ing Tree’s tasting room, or find the vodka, gin and rum at
Hot Mama's, Tacovore, Valley River Inn, Café Soriah and
Davis, to name just a few.
“Our entire business is built on the idea of the local
economy,” Jensen says. — Camilla Mortensen
Thinking Tree’s tasting room is open 4 pm to 10 pm Tuesdays through
Sundays, located at 88 North Jackson Street.
eugeneweekly.com • February 22, 2018
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