Kask

The Freshman Fifteen cocktail at Kask.

Kask is a small, sleek candle lit cocktail bar in downtown Portland in the West End near the corner of 12^th and Alder. Kask is adjacent to Gruner, an award winning German food restaurant. I have not had a chance to eat here so I cannot vouch for Gruner’s German food.

Kask quickly became a locals favorite and was named by Esquire Magazine as one of the Best Bars in America in 2012. Sadly, they closed briefly. In fact, I thought they were permanently closed, but recently found out that they have been re-opened for a long time!

Kask boosts an amazing list of spirits including 25 types of gin and 48 types of whiskey. Many of the whiskeys are scotch; this is no surprise considering their original bartender was award winning bartender Tommy Klus. He spent time in Scotland studying scotch production. He moved on to the Multnomah Whiskey Library and then onto his on restaurant Le Moule.

Here you will find all the classic cocktails like Mint Juleps or Manhattans, plus some of the most innovative cocktail creations in Portland. Watching the bartenders concoct a cocktail is fascinating. Each drink they prepare receive their undivided attention. Their drinks are essentially a work of art. They serve 30 of their own hand crafted cocktails, plus 6 seasonal signature cocktails. Unlike many bars, Kask offers a punch of the day for only $5. If you are unsure of what to order tell the bartender what kind of drink you like and they will construct one just for you using their house made extracts and syrups. All of their bartenders are extremely knowledgeable and friendly.

My favorite cocktail here is the Freshman Fifteen. This cocktail is made with aged rum, pineapple, lime, Underberg bitters.