McMenamins

Join fellow spirits imbibers at one of our popular Winter Scotch Dinners to hear about, smell, taste and enjoy this selection of scotches, all paired with a menu of courses to complement the flavors. Your host is the charming and edifying Stuart Ramsay.

Like clothes? Like supporting Portland's finest designers? Like music, beer, and a fashion scene that's fun but not snotty? Then you'll dig the Fade to Light Fashion show at the Crystal on Wednesday, February 29.

We'll be honest: When we first heard about this show, we weren't quite sure what the deal was. A fashion show's a fashion show, right? You know: Clothes. Runway. Models. Repeat until the drinking can start.

But Fade to Light...well, it's much more than that. For one thing, DJ Gregarious will be holding down the musical fort, along with Brainstorm* and that, friends, equals fun. But more important, event producer Elizabeth Mollo promises it will bust the boundaries of your usual fashion show, in some very creative ways. We chatted with Mollo on the phone today to get her thoughts on things.

Our 20-page seasonal newsletter was discontinued a couple years back -- so we'll be periodically pulling old stories from this, as well as from the way-way back newsletter called Resonance of the Festival. Here's a story published in our Winter 2007 newsletter about our love of a roaring, crackling fire, especially this time of year...

Our beloved red table wine is celebrating its 16th birthday this Wednesday, May 18 – and we're throwing a company-wide party, to which you're cordially invited!

But first, a little background.

It's finally happening! We're open - our first historic hotel in downtown Portland. The true gem in this crown is the Zeus Café, open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with a late-night menu.

So what's it look like? Like the pub down the street? Well... yes and no.

The first thing you might notice about the look of the place is the light flooding in through the windows. Bordered on one side by bustling Burnside St. and Stark on the other, the huge windows lend an open airiness to the place, perhaps a little different than your favorite dark-and-cozy neighborhood joint.

Less than 24 hours to go 'til the Crystal Hotel and its first-floor Zeus Café opens its doors! Whoooo-hoooooo!

True to McMenamins' form, we'll be serving drinks, and lots of 'em - McMenamins handcrafted ales, wines and spirits, of course... but what about the cocktails? We're glad you asked.

This is the second installment in a series of blogs about our new Zeus Café at the Crystal Hotel, opening on May 3 in downtown Portland. Here, we take a look at what's on the menus.

Just four more days ‘til Zeus Café is officially open to the public. As of this coming Tuesday, May 3, you can stroll in any time after 7 a.m. for a quick bite to eat or a leisurely multi-course meal. You can choose a booth by the window or sit at our open showcase kitchen to watch our kitchen staff at work. No need for reservations - just roll on by whenever you're hungry or thirsty.

So, what will we be serving, you ask? Executive Chef Barry Rumsay and Chef de Cuisine Paul Arnold have put together a set of menus slightly different than what you expect from our pubs. For example, there's nary a tater tot on the menu. Nor will you find a Captain Neon burger. But not to worry - we've got you covered.

We're just days away from flinging open the Crystal Hotel doors and letting the party out into the streets of Portland! Because a party it is, as evidenced by the sneak-peek preview bashes happening this week. Zeus Café has been bubbling over with happy guests sampling food, wine, cocktails and ales while a team of efficient servers tend to their every need.  

Put your birthday party hats on, because it's time to paint the town red -Ruby red, in honor of Ruby Ale's 25^th Birthday.

That's right, the popular ol' gal was first brewed on March 21, 1986, at the Hillsdale Brewery, and with its light taste buoyed by, of all things, raspberry puree. The original recipe (seen below) was more bitter than today's incarnation of the beer. McMenamins brewer John Richen explains, "This version was very heavily hopped among other things: six pounds of hops for a 110-gallon batch versus [today's] half-pound of hops for a 210 gallon batch."

Of course, Ruby's signature is the light streak of raspberry flavor that infuses the beer with a beautiful red glow. Ruby gets her fruity zing from 42 pounds of raspberry puree added to every 210-gallon batch. No wonder she blushes so much!

When my esteemed music marketing overlords asked me to write a blog entry giving you the lowdown on the Crystal Ballroom's 97^th Birthday Free-for-All, my first thought was, "Uh, sure guys, that's all fine and dandy in theory, but how could I possibly describe the ultimate awesomeness that this party entails? It will take 25 pages, and our readers have lives, ya know!"

So I figured I'd narrow it down. Give you a real feel for what this affair is, not just some fluffy words. To wit:

It's no big secret that some of our joints are thought to be haunted. The White Eagle Saloon & Rock ‘n' Roll Hotel, for example, has long been included on lists of Portland's most haunted spots, while Edgefield in Troutdale, Ore., even made it onto a national list of "Top Ten Most Haunted Hotels"!

Any Port In A Storm
A Port-Style Wine Tasting at Edgefield
Thursday, November 11, 2010

What does "any port in a storm" mean, exactly?

It was a phrase used by the Portuguese men and women who brought us the fortified style of wine called port. Traditionally, the Portuguese made their living from fishing the tumultuous Atlantic seas. When the weather made it difficult to continue, they would search for the nearest port in which to take refuge, where they would be welcomed with a glass of warming port and a hearty bite to eat.

Wait, "nearly halfway"... doesn't that mean you never quite get there? You're always nearly halfway??

You may have noticed the hammers and saws out at our McMenamins location on Broadway. Maybe you've heard the thud of a nail gun, smelled a hint of sawdust in the air.

Yep, we're remodeling.

Ever watch one of those beautiful elaborate Bollywood dance movies, replete with decadent hip sways and groovy gyrations, and wish you could move like that? Well, check out the Jai Ho! parties thrown by DJ Prashant at Lola's Room every month, and you'll soon find yourself channeling the feel of old Bombay.

Yay! Big ups to one of the stars of our Great Northwest Music Tour : Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside just won Best New Band in Willamette Week's 2010 Insiders Music Poll.

Over the weekend of April 24 and 25, check out this fun wine-related event...

Spring on 47 - A Weekend of Wine Tasting

On April 24 and 25, sip your way through an array of wineries and even a saké brewery along Highway 47 in the Northern Willamette Valley before making your way to the Grand Lodge for rest and relaxation.

Our very own Kennedy School got a cool shout-out today, on TripAdvisor.com. We were named the #1 Quirkiest Hotel in the U.S.!

Sure, you may have done impromptu tequila tastings at a bar - salt, slam it back, lemon, you're pretty, what was your name again? - but at our spirits tastings, it's actually not about, well, getting tipsy. We want you to know the tequila, understand the tequila, love it for what it is! Because tequila really gets a bad rap. It ain't just for Spring Break, friends. (But chances are you will leave a bit tipsy...)

Here are a few Irish toasts to get you started this afternoon (or maybe you're well on your way... or perhaps you've been properly jarred since Saturday...). Anyway, regardless your state of mind and body, read on: