Where to Find House-Made Cocktail Mixers From Top Portland Bars and Restaurants

As Portland bars and restaurants remain closed to dine-in customers due to COVID-19, many restaurants pivot to takeout and delivery, even sending bottles of wine via Caviar. However, while customers can order cases of wine or beer directly from shops, liquor is still a no-go for delivery and takeout in Oregon. While Portland’s beloved cocktail scene runs dry, a number of places are offering their own take on cocktail mixers, from wine-based spritzers that can be bolstered with spirits, to margarita and old-fashioned mixes that call for a bottle of tequila or whiskey. For those seeking cocktail kits in Vancouver — including ones that come with booze, thanks to Washington’s more-lax liquor laws — the Vancouver dining and drinking guide is a better bet.

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Arden

Wine bar and restaurant Arden has created a number of wine-based cocktail kits that call for a bottle of spirits or, in some cases, wine to build drinks at home. There’s a martini mix with smoked castelvetrano olive brine, vermouth, and olives; a black Manhattan mix with house-spiced vermouth; a kombucha-based margarita mix; and a grapefruit and aperitivo blend that can be purchased by itself or with a bottle of sparkling wine. Prices range from $18 to $22 for the mixes and call for a bottle of spirits or wine for around a dozen drinks. All of it, along with select Arden wines, is available via Caviar.

Botanist

Subterranean cocktail bar Botanist has been using its time closed to serve free meals to work-displaced industry employees, but the team of bartenders has also developed a list of elegantly bottled wine-based cocktails. There’s a bright and vivid martini-style drink, a spritzy aperitivo, and a violet-hued floral cocktail with bubbles — each are lovely on their own or with the addition of a spirit to kick it up a notch, and come in both large and small bottles. Orders can be placed online.

G-Love

Fans of the bright and cheerful G-Love will likely be missing the bistro’s signature cocktails, which often involve kitchen ingredients and botanicals from the garden. Luckily, the restaurant is offering takeout Monday through Friday, and with it, two different cocktail kits — the staple is the Maria Teresa, with carrot, lemon, ginger, and bell pepper that goes well with mezcal or tequila, while a second one will regularly change. Diners can call (971) 229-1043 to place an order for pickup.

Taqueria Nueve

Taco night just isn’t complete without margaritas, something Taqueria Nueve knows well, so the taco shop is offering batches of its house marg mix for takeout orders. Diners can call (503) 954-1987 to place orders and ask about the flavor of the day, and each batch comes in a mason jar to keep.

Bullard

The Texas-meets-Portland restaurant is offering take-home meals Tuesday through Friday, and along with dinner is selling cocktail mixes for easy home bartending. It’s available via Tock through “add-ons,” and orders must be placed by 11 a.m. the day of pick-up. Mixes include old-fashioned, margarita, palomas, and mimosas, the last of which is a bottle of cava and some orange juice.

Interurban and Bantam Tavern

The neighborhood cocktail bar Interurban is offering margarita mix made fresh to order with a whole lime and rimming salt, as well as a bloody mary mix with pickled vegetables, both served in 32-ounce batches. The bar and its west side sister bar Bantam Tavern also have a selection of sangria, spritzes, and other low-proof drinks to go, nice for drinking on their own or with some added spirits. It’s all available for takeout by calling Interurban at (503) 284-6669 or Bantam Tavern at (503) 274-9032, as well as delivery via Postmates.

Que Pasa Cantina

A Mexican restaurant offering curbside takeout, Que Pasa has individual margarita mixes, including a classic for $5 or a fruit marg for $6, with flavors including mango, marionberry, and strawberry. They’re all available for online orders alongside the food menu.

Quaintrelle

Given bar manager Camille Cavan’s taste for complex and beautifully garnish cocktails, it’s no surprise that the cocktail kits available at this Pacific Northwest bistro are as robust as they are — along with syrups served in cute jars, the kits also include separately packed garnishes, limes, and even a sleeve of crystal-clear ice cubes from PDX Ice. They do take specific liquors to make, though, and may require a stop at the liquor store. There are currently two options, detailed on Instagram — each is $20 and makes four drinks. Pick-up orders can be placed by calling (503) 200-5787 or by emailing info@Quaintrelle.co (not com), and next week they will be available via Caviar.

Silver Julep

A mobile cocktail bar in an Airstream trailer, Silver Julep is delivering some playful takes on classic cocktail mixes like strawberry-jalapeno margarita and ginger-rosemary sour. Batches are available via half or full liter, with the menus regularly posted to Instagram. Orders can be made by texting (503) 974-4091 or emailing kate@thesilverjulep.com, and the bottles are also available for pickup at Freeland Spirits.

• Oregon Bans Dine-In Business at Restaurants and Bars Indefinitely [EPDX]
• Where to Find Takeout and Delivery During Portland’s COVID-19 Outbreak [EPDX]
• How to Get Booze Delivered to Your Door in Portland [EPDX]
• What the Latest Coronavirus-Related Regulations Mean for Oregon’s Bars and Restaurants [EPDX]