Oregon drink · Drink in Oregon
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Drink in Oregon
Drink in Oregon
From the coastal hamlets to the valley cities to the remote towns of the high desert, Oregonians drink, and proudly. Because of the growing wine and microbrewery industries in the state which produce drink of world-class quality, having a tipple and touring beverage facilities is a popular pastime for Oregon residents and tourists alike. It is occasionally joked that one cannot throw a cat in the city of Portland without hitting a bar (though one shouldn't: the PETA people there can be touchy and rather humorless, especially regarding the hurling of cute little kitties), while most other towns of any appreciable size have at least two places in which one can imbibe. Yes, the drinking culture here is strong, and if you like to pickle your giblets then you'll be in heaven.
Oregon is an "Alcoholic Beverage Control State" and as such requires all distilled spirits to be sold by state-approved outlets. Because the liquor stores purchase their wares from the state at an inflated and heavily-taxed cost, liquor by the bottle or by the shot can run your booze bill up pretty quickly. Fortunately, Oregon has no shot size regulation (such as, say, Utah has) and many bars - especially in the Portland area - pour their drinks quite liberally; in fact, a literal three fingers of whiskey is not uncommon if you know the barkeep. Bottoms-up, but don't bottom out!
There are no "blue laws" concerning time of alcohol sales other than a daily 2:30-7:00 AM restriction, so if you like "kegs and eggs" for your Sunday breakfast, Oregon's your kind of place. Also, Oregon's alcohol laws are unitary within the state and are wholly overseen by the Oregon Liquor Control Comission (OLCC), so there's no need to worry about dry towns or dry counties.
Finally, bartenders in Oregon seem to be a bit more strict about checking ID than those in many other states. This likely due to the aforementioned OLCC, which is known to be nothing short of draconian when it comes to the enforcement of laws regarding the furnishing of alcohol to minors by service workers and punishment under the same. If you look under 30 (or even 40!), just hand them your ID card / passport before you order because they will ask for it. There is also a total indoor smoking ban in all places but cigar and hookah bars.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Oregon
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Oregon - updated Apr 2024
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Oregon Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.