Local Photographer/Author Kindly Asks For Your Vote

For those that have read my blog by now know that I published a book this past year about the history behind the bars of Portland.  "Shots of Portland" was a good success in self-publishing terms.  Bud Clark and Don Younger, notab

Posted By DistilledPublishing on September 4, 2008, 10:34 pm

Shameless, Shameless

My man Kyle has been gracious enough to give me a small side advertisement for my book, Shots of Portland, for some time now on this site.  What started out in 2006 as a personal project to research and photograph older and eclectic bars around

Posted By DistilledPublishing on November 2, 2007, 12:44 am

A Summer Burnside Bar-Walk

From the book, Shots of Portland:I lay on a bed in my one bedroom apartment. It is early July. My place is on King Street, one block up from West Burnside road. Once known as Skid Road for the fact that early loggers used to fall timbers in the West

Posted By DistilledPublishing on July 27, 2007, 5:51 pm

A Brief History of Paddy's - Gay Brothel?

Welcome to Paddy's. The building was originally called the Power Building when first constructed. Later in 1888 the 3rd and 4th floors were added as a hardware store. In 1940 the bar became known as the Harbor Bar, and was primarily a gay brothel

Posted By DistilledPublishing on June 21, 2007, 6:39 pm

Hesitation, Cognac, and Consequences at the Sapphire Hotel

The Sapphire Hotel. It’s an intimate restaurant with a small bar in the back. In the late 19th century legend has it a wise and lovely Indochinese women migrated to Portland from Canada. On this present location she established a warm and exoti

Posted By DistilledPublishing on June 18, 2007, 6:12 pm

Wishing for More Than Kells Could Serve

The first bar I ever legally gained entrance to once I finished college and moved back home was Kells. I had never been to a proper Irish pub and the wall of scotches and liquors was impressive. Kells has been a stalwart of the bar scene on SW 2nd fo

Posted By DistilledPublishing on June 8, 2007, 10:31 pm

"Portland is the most oversaturated strip-club city in the world"

As if those of us here did not already know this. The WW had an article this week highlighting one of Portland's more nefarious industries. Say what you like about them, women and liquor have gone together for over 125 years in this city. It isn&

Posted By DistilledPublishing on June 7, 2007, 7:17 pm

History of Bud's Goose Hollow Inn

"Dedicated to Quality Draft, Fine Food, Pleasant Music, and Stimulating Company. We're also dedicated to extremes of opinion, hoping that a livable marriage will result. If physical violence is your nature, either develop your verbal abiliti

Posted By DistilledPublishing on June 1, 2007, 7:27 pm

Uptown Billiards - John Wayne's Bar

Pool halls still exist within Portland. But on the south end of NW 23rd there exists a small door with steps that lead to a somewhat hidden establishment unlike any other in the city. Perhaps not the most infamous pool hall to ever grace Portland, bu

Posted By DistilledPublishing on May 24, 2007, 8:48 pm

The Day Mary's Club Became an Icon

Mary's Club is practically a landmark in Portland since its inception back in 1954, and its addition of topless dancers in 1965. Now Mary's wasn't going to qualify for my book, and this blog isn't about Portland's many "acade

Posted By DistilledPublishing on May 18, 2007, 8:34 pm

The Man Behind the Brass

Some people are content within the herd. Others are driven by forces within to stray in their own directions.If you walk far enough down SE Belmont you will come to the Horse Brass Pub. An establishment dedicated to maintaining the true feel of the m

Posted By DistilledPublishing on May 17, 2007, 1:10 am

Father's Day Book Promotion

As of today I am reducing the costs of my book, Shots of Portland. The larger coffee-table size is now available for $39.95. The smaller end-table book is selling for $32.95. If you were ever interested, but just couldn't pull the trigger at the

Posted By DistilledPublishing on May 11, 2007, 3:39 pm

Bring Back World-Class Hotel Drinking Please - A Look Back

To celebrate the Lewis and Clark centennial Portland businessmen and politicians grappled political power away from the saloon and brothel owners of the North side and began a city wide clean-up of 'illicit activities' such as gambling and pr

Posted By DistilledPublishing on May 10, 2007, 3:11 pm

Will the Brasserie return?

The Brasserie Montmartre, site of some good jazz and stiff drinks (if you knew the right afternoon bartender), has been closed nearly a year now. The final word I had was there was to be a major renovation of the upper floors into new condominiums, a

Posted By DistilledPublishing on May 3, 2007, 7:27 pm

You Never Forget Your First

Before we get to another story I wrote for Wilf's I wanted to let everyone know that I am starting a new book project, tentatively titled, "The Streets of Portland".  I am organizing several photographers, artists, and wr

Posted By DistilledPublishing on April 26, 2007, 11:41 pm

Spaceroom

Every city has a bar that is tucked away from the downtown. A bar where local music bands come to toast themselves after a successful set. The Spaceroom is such a place. A look inside with the walled murals of downtown, the sun rising over Mount Hood

Posted By DistilledPublishing on April 13, 2007, 9:55 pm

A Tale from The Slammer

It’s twilight on a late June evening as I sit in a bar in Southeast Portland known as The Slammer.  This time of year, twilight lasts a long time, and I live for the coming of the darkness.  Nursing a whisky and noshing on some homema

Posted By DistilledPublishing on April 3, 2007, 8:35 pm

Pissing at the bar, those were the days...

Don Younger is the owner of the Horse Brass.  He sat down with me last winter for an interview over snifters of scotch.  We talked for over four hours, and from him I learned a great deal about the history of many of the bars in Portland.&n

Posted By DistilledPublishing on March 12, 2007, 7:43 pm

Icons

Drinking, for many, can be close to religion.  And when I think of religion I naturally turn an eye toward the Icons of faith: the Christian cross, statues of Buddha, the Star of David, the Hindu cow, Egyptian obelisks.    Years ago my

Posted By DistilledPublishing on March 6, 2007, 8:06 pm

Drinking and the Arts... or the Art of Drinking

Kyle has been kind enough to allow me to post on this site to publicize my new book, and I am very grateful to him, so hopefully he wont stuff my account in the proverbial waste basket after this post which is not so much about bars, but about writin

Posted By DistilledPublishing on February 23, 2007, 3:59 pm

Shots of History

This month I would like to thank all of those in Portland who have purchased a copy of the book.  Due to many requests, I am also offering the book in a standard size, along with the current deluxe size.  Click on the links below for m

Posted By DistilledPublishing on February 17, 2007, 4:22 am

Portland's Bar Book - Shots of Portland

A year of my life, and now it is completed.  I always wanted a cool coffee-table book about the bars in Portland, but never could find one.  So I made one.  'Shots of Portland' is now available. Photographs, history, anecdotes.

Posted By DistilledPublishing on January 31, 2007, 8:31 pm