Portland Tartare Tour Week Offering for March 18-24 – five Westward Whiskey special edition cocktails crafted to pair with a beef tartare dish from five participating locations in Portland, to benefit three local food-focused charities: Hunger Free Oregon, Zenger Farm, and Milk Crate Kitchen.
Which pairing do you want to try?
Scotch Lodge:
🥃CURIOSER AND CURIOSER: Shiitake Butter-Washed Westward American Single Malt, Giffard Cacao, Vanilla
🍴TARTARE PAIRING: Pine Nuts, Shiitake, Cacio de Roma, Rakkyo
(raising funds for Zenger Farm)
I admit this was my favorite because I loved how the two complimented each other, and it was the cocktail that I was the most tempted to have a second round. I didn’t think the Cacio crisp was that great of a vehicle for the tartare, but I was more than happy to scoop it up by the spoonful directly to my mouth and take a bite of crisp. Be careful though – once you visit Scotch Lodge you may find yourself staying to order more of the incredible food and drink here, soaking up the elegant speakeasy vibes, and never proceed forward on your tartare crawl!
Bellwether Bar:
🥃NO. 56: Westward Whiskey Original, Salted Maple Syrup, Tiki Bitters and Citrus Oil
🍴TARTARE PAIRING: Northwest Beef, Cured Duck Yolk, and Aioli served with Rustic Sourdough
(raising funds for Milk Crate Kitchen)
This cocktail has a sweet saltiness from the maple syrup, but is the perfect balance for the classic tartare here which has a touch of saltiness to it and that freshly toasted buttery bread is so good we asked for extra just of the bread. I love that they have an outdoor patio space in the back that is covered and has some heaters if the weather is nice, but the homey interior of this Mt Tabor bar is also so comforting and cozy.
Olympia Provisions:
🥃 RAWHIDE: Westward Whiskey Original, Fennel Simple Syrup, and Cardamom Bitters
🍴TARTARE PAIRING: Teres Major, Chopped Cerignola Olives, Shallots, Chopped Parsley, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, and Olive Oil
(raising funds for Zenger Farm)
The most classic of the pairings, and the one where I was able to appreciate the taste of the steak the most as they kept the additions simple. Tucked into an industrial building in an industrial SE area, but if you visit you cannot miss also getting one of the iconic charcuterie boards that sets the standard I think in Portland and maybe even the US (at least for me) of delicious meat spreads. Plus, rest easy that OP sources sustainable meat, is family owned and run, and has a mission to revolutionize the industry with regenerative agriculture, which is very important to me.
LeChon:
🥃STAINED GLASS: Westward Whiskey Original, Pineapple Rum, Aloe Liqueur, Luxardo, Honey and Lemon, Garnished with a Cherry
🍴TARTARE PAIRING: Snake River Farms Wagyu Beef, Fermente Fresno Peppers, Pickled Pebre, Aji Crema
(raising funds for Hunger Free Oregon)
This one starts to diverge from classic to new adventure profiles in flavors. With the addition of the Pineapple Rum and Aloe Liqueur this cocktail has a stronger citrus and herbal flavor where the whiskey is more in the background, which may be perfect if you have imbibers who may not want strong whiskey flavors. Meanwhile, there is more heat with this tartare with the spicy chip and the peppers so you will want the fruity fun of the Stained Glass to cool you down! I love recommending LeChon for when you have a party with multiple food diets as their tapas menu can accommodate everyone.
Fools & Horses:
🥃TALLOWED GROUND: NY Strip-Washed Westward Whiskey Stout Cask, Pan Fried Capers, Dill, Olive Juice, Lemon, Simple Syrup and Egg White
🍴TARTARE PAIRING: Prime Organic Grass-Fed Top Sirloin, Shallots, Caper, Herbs and Dijonnaise served on Parmesan Mushroom Risotto Cakes
(raising funds for Hunger Free Oregon)
This is the most “out there” of all five of the participating restaurants. The Tallowed Ground cocktail surprised me with every sip where it could be salty or sour, it could be creamy, it could be citrusy, thanks to their unusual craft ingredient list. This was a contender for the best steak tartare of the bunch with the fun texture contrast with the crispy risotto cake, but the amount of steak tartare was so small it was more of a risotto cake dish with some tartare than a steak tartare dish. Of the five participating locations, this is the one that feels much more like hip bar than restaurant or elegant speakeasy, with fun music and trendy flirty vibes.
I loved how each restaurant offers a totally unique take on the cocktail and the tartare – and you can order each separately. This is only available for a limited time so I hope you can take your Portland Tartare Tour! Where are you going to head to?
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