THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019 // 5
READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
BEST WINE BAR AND WINE SHOP
BEST BARTENDER
Cory Teubner
ASTORIA
COFFEEHOUSE
& BISTRO
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
Runner-up: Jeany Birdeno,
Merry Time Bar and Grill
Honorable mention: Juan
Meza, Shelburne Pub
C
Danny Miller
WineKraft co-owners Rebecca Kraft, right, and her daughter April Thorgramson, inside their
Astoria wine bar.
WineKraft
ASTORIA
By EDWARD STRATTON
Runner-up: The Wine Shack,
Cannon Beach
Honorable mention: The
Cellar on 10th, Astoria
R
ebecca Kraft and
her daughter April
Thorgramson
opened WineKraft nearly
four years ago.
“I wanted to have a
place you could relax and
enjoy a good glass of wine,
and enjoy some good local
music,” Kraft said. “It’s
really important these days
to have places where people
can meet up and chat, and
connect.”
The two opened in a
suite on Pier 11 with pan-
oramic views of the Colum-
bia River. Visitors there can
taste up to 34 different wines
— whites, reds, rosés, bub-
bles and dessert wine — fi ve
types of beer, cocktails and
nonalcoholic drinks, along
with small plates of cheese,
charcuterie and other snacks.
WineKraft also offers a wide
variety of events, from open
mic poetry nights and music
to paint-and-sips.
“It’s an alternative to all
the beer places in town,”
Kraft said. “Not that there’s
anything wrong with the
beer business. I like beer.”
A former hairdresser
whose mother ran restau-
rants, Kraft said she wanted
something of her own and
saw a similar wine shop
model in Sisters. Even
through trolley track con-
struction and closures on the
Astoria Riverwalk, people
have still been searching out
WineKraft, she said.
“I just think it’s all about
taking care of our custom-
ers, and being consistent
with things, offering locals
different things, like the
tipsy painting and the wine
tours,” Kraft said. “This is
my feeling on how to pro-
mote a business to locals.
They in turn will tell others
to come to my place.” CW
Danny Miller
A red wine from WineKraft in
Astoria.
ory Teubner
doesn’t under-
stand why you
like dirty martinis, but he
will make you a really,
really good one.
For him, though, a
great cocktail begins with
fresh ingredients.
“Liquor is step num-
ber two,” he said. “I often
start with something
fresh and see what liquor
pairs with it.”
Teubner has been the
bartender at the Astoria
Coffeehouse & Bistro for
nearly seven years. In the
seasonal menus he cre-
ates throughout the year,
he’s known for play-
ing with fl avors, using
fresh herbs, fresh fruit
and unusual ingredi-
ents (dill? yogurt? sam-
bal sauce?) and making
his own infused liquors.
Katie Frankowicz
Cory Teubner, seen here working at Astoria Coff eehouse & Bistro,
was voted Best Bartender in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
A cranberry hibiscus vodka
he made on a whim to fi ll an
immediate need has since
become a staple at the bistro.
Every year, he tries to
branch out a little more,
exploring new fl avors and
ingredients.
He tries to source liquors
from North Coast distilleries
and makes frequent use of
Pat’s Pantry, a spice store in
downtown Astoria.
For anyone ventur-
ing into the world of mak-
ing their own cocktails, he
suggests fi nding balance. A
really good lemon drop, for
example, is simply a balance
between sweet and sour, he
said.
“Play with everything
and see what ratios you can
mess with,” he said. CW
COASTER THEATRE PLAYHOUSE
Sip, Savor & UnWined
$40 ticket
includes:
-
-
-
-
UnWined
March
2, 2019
10 wine tastes
tasting glass
appetizers
access to 140+
wines from 35
Oregon wineries
- live music
and more
An intimate WINE TASTING
TING EVENT previewing Crab,
Seafood and Wine Festival wine competition entries at
the Liberty Theatre in downtown Astoria.
Tickets available at the Chamber or at oldoregon.com
oldoregon.com.
Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce · (503) 325-6311
FEBRUARY 1-23, 2019
Tickets $20 or $25
Shows begin at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday shows starts at 3:00pm
Sponsored by Mike & Tracey Clark
Tickets: 503-436-1242 or coastertheatre.com
108 N Hemlock Street, Cannon Beach, OR