COLUMBIABAR
Crucial conversations
continue at Astoria Library
GIGGLE JUICE
BY RYAN HUME
ot unlike its Bermuda counter-
part, the Triangle Tavern on Marine
Drive is a fine place to lose some
time. There is a sense of timelessness in
the air. I recently sought some refuge there
on a padded stool during a particularly tor-
rential afternoon, and refuge was certainly
found.
N
Along with Worker’s and the Portway
down the road, Uniontown may have claim
to some of the friendliest bars in the world,
and the Triangle is definitely among them.
It has all the trappings of a classic Asto-
ria bar, including the door cut into the floor
for shanghaiing sailors.
In fact, there’s some debate about which
is the longest-standing establishment in
town – the Triangle or the Portway – both
of which have their loyalists and a his-
tory just murky enough to keep the debate
rolling.
I met an old fixture at the bar named
Randy who referred to the Triangle as “my
other living room.” Randy spilled a little of
the building’s history for me, including the
fact that he’d done the carpentry to repair
the original stools we sat on – as have
countless others since the Triangle opened
as a luncheonette during Prohibition.
Randy claimed the Triangle obtained
the first liquor license in town after Amer-
ica’s dry spell. Until just a few years ago,
the Triangle was a true tavern, slinging just
beer and wine. But it has changed hands
a number of times in recent memory, with
Jim and Carol Major, owners of the Long
Beach Tavern on the peninsula, taking over
stewardship this last June.
This drink, bartender Missy Harley told
me, harkens back to the last era of owner-
ship, when the joint was run by Mark and
Nadine Cearley. Nadine’s sister, Marsha,
came in on a hot day in need of something
cold but not too sweet, and Harley went
to work. It soon became Marsha’s go-to
drink.
Giggle Juice is reminiscent of drunk
punch – the kind you might make for a
crowd during a summer barbecue – but
is elevated by the use of purely fresh-
squeezed ingredients. Harley suggests add-
ing a little more orange juice if you pre-
fer the final product a bit sour, or adding
a splash of cranberry juice to up the sweet
factor.
When Martha asked Harley why she
named the beverage Giggle Juice, she
answered, “Well, whenever you drink it,
you are always giggling.”
Whether the day is hot or not, I think
we could all use a good giggle.
Giggle Juice
¾ ounce Smirnoff Raspberry Vodka
¾ ounce Burnett’s Whipped Cream Vodka
Splash of di Amore raspberry liqueur
½ lemon, juiced
1 whole orange, juiced
Slice of lemon for garnish
Ice
Set a pint glass full of ice. Add all ingre-
dients to a cocktail shaker and give it a
lively go. Strain into the pint and garnish
with lemon.
Ryan Hume
Missy Harley is the bartender at the Triangle Tavern.
14 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
—Recipes courtesy of Missy Harley, bar-
tender, Triangle Tavern, Astoria.
ASTORIA – We live in a state with
abundant forests, and yet we don’t all
see the same thing when we look into the
woods. Oregon is known for both its timber
industry and its deep environmental values.
What are the beliefs we have about our for-
ests and what will we, as a state, do to stew-
ard, manage and protect this resource?
This is the focus of “Seeing the For-
est and the Trees: Stewarding Our Public
Lands,” a free conversation with Mariah
Action at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11 at the
Astoria Library, 450 10th St.
Mariah Acton is a recent graduate whose
master’s work focused at the intersection of
conflict resolution, nonprofit management
and public administration. She currently
works in Salem as a strategic business ana-
lyst at Oregon Housing and Community
Services.
Through this lecture series, “Conver-
sation Project,” Oregon Humanities offers
free programs that engage community
members in thoughtful, challenging con-
versations about ideas critical to our daily
lives and our state’s future. For more infor-
mation about this free community discus-
sion, please contact comments@astoriali-
brary.org.
For information about library programs
and services, contact 503-325-7323 or visit
astorialibrary.org.
The spookier side of the season
ASTORIA — As the darkness of winter
descends, the Krampus comes. The Labor
Temple, 934 Duane St., will host two nights
of entertainment to appeal to Krampus and
the darker side of the season including sul-
try burlesque, Sword Swallowing side
shows, magic, metal and goth.
Costumes are encouraged.
Friday night will feature story telling,
a visit from Krampus, burlesque dancing,
music from Portland metal band Dinner
for Wolves and an appearance from Titano
Oddfellow.
Saturday features a full length
sword-swallowing show headlining Titano
Odfellow with appearance by burlesque
performers, magic and a Portland goth DJ
finishing the evening. There will be oppor-
tunities to have your picture taken with
Krampus.
Tickets are available at brownpapertick-
ets.com. General admission is $15 for each
night or both nights for $25. Persons will
current OLCC or Food Handler cards may
purchase discounted tickets directly from
the venue. 21 and over only.