Ash Bar at Nomad | 575 NE 24th
An intimate horseshoe bar in a hidey-hole off Nomadâs main dining room, Ash Barâs happy hour is a prime opportunity to try their Gunsmoke, a smoke-infused bevvie made with the help of a cold smoker. Your drink rests under an inverted glass cover into which smoke is pumped (the small bar is fragranced with some of the residual smoke) and the resultant blend of cognac, rye, fernet, and smoke tastes surprisingly like Laphroaig, in all its medicinal glory. The hearty food options include a boastful âBest Queso in PDX,â served with Juanitaâs chips and ample avocado, and a Bastardized Bahn Mi, a mini sandwich made with a pork sausage patty and hazelnuts. NED LANNAMANN
Happy Hour: Wed-Sun 5-6 pm, $10 cocktails, $8 wine, $7 menu available Wed-Sun 5 pm-midnight
Aviary | 1733 NE Alberta
Brussels sprout nachos: It had to be done somewhere. Iâm glad itâs at Aviaryâs happy hour, which has everything one would expect from a creative trio of chefs. But this time weâre here for the bar: Thereâs a chess set, magazines, and just enough light and calm to settle in with a post-work book. Everything is great, and nothing is more than $11. Pair those ânachosââdeep-fried leaves topped with Mexican cheese and saucesâwith the deeply smoky $8 slaw dog, a glass of very deep red wine, and at least two of the $2.50 oysters. ANDREA DAMEWOOD
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 5-7 pm, $6 drafts, $7 wells, $8 house wine, $9 specialty cocktail, $2-11 menu
Bang Bang | 4727 NE Fremont
Before I say anything else about this Asian fusion restaurant, I have to mention Bang Bangâs drunken wings ($7). The majestically sauced gems are one of the most amazing foods Iâve ever put into my mouth and are completely worth the inconvenience of trying to make Bang Bangâs incredibly tight 5-to-6 pm happy hour window. I also enjoyed an order of the spring rolls ($6), and the services of an expertly made Bang Bang Old Fashioned ($7), spiced with housemade cardamom bitters and highlighted with a classy giant ice cube. CHRIS SUTTON
Happy Hour: daily 5-6 pm & 9:30 pm-midnight, $6 wine, $6-7 cocktails, $7 Fernet + Miller High Life, $2-7 menu
Epif | 404 NE 28th
Thereâs no shortage of bars on Northeast 28th, but just a few blocks north of the streetâs most beaten path is Epif, a vegan restaurant focusing on South American fare. Inside, Epif is cozy, warm, and friendly, with a happy hour menu thatâs light on food, but leans hard on cocktails to make things even warmer, from the $5.50 Miel (bourbon, vegan honey, lemon, angostura bitters, and soda water) to a $6.50 pisco sour. ERIK HENRIKSEN
Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm, $1 off beer and wine, $5.50-6.50 cocktails
Hale Pele | 2733 NE Broadway
Hale Peleâs cocktails arenât cheap, so the fact that there are eight happy hour options for $7 makes it easier to achieve my bucket-list drinking dream. Suck down the delightful bitters-heavy Rangoon Gimlet or go old-school with the aquamarine Blue Hawaii. The real glory at Hale Pele is the drink menu, and the hot menu items are forgettable. Soak up the rum with $1 pickled eggs or $3 sweet Hawaiian bread with guava jam. Youâll probably stay past 6 pm; thatâs okay. You may start the next day with a headache, but a temporary tropical vacation doesnât come without a price. AD
Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm, $7 cocktails, $1-6 menu
Haymaker | 1233 NE Killingsworth
The happy hour booze at the friendly Haymaker features a solid lineup of old-school cocktails for $5 each, while food focuses on a plethora of sliders, made with everything from braised pork to mushrooms (one for $4, three for $11, five for $15). The real gold, though, is the greasy fried stuff: fries gussied up with herbs, asiago, and bacon fat ($5); thick, salty, house-made chips with a fried onion sour cream dip ($4); and the piĂšce de rĂ©sistance, Mac ânâ Cheese Eggrolls ($2). These beautiful motherfuckers are exactly what they sound likeâcreamy mac ânâ cheese inside a crisp, deep-fried eggroll wrapperâand each one is a nuclear-level gut bomb. I had three. EH
Happy Hour: 3-6 pm, $4 selected draft, $5 classic cocktails, $2-15 menu
Keys Lounge | 533 NE Killingsworth
Between the iconic âKEYSâ sign out front, the packed shelves of vinyl, and the neatly lined keys embedded in the bar top, itâs hard not to immediately love Keys Lounge. During happy hour my companion and I highly enjoyed our $6 cocktails: a Brandy Zander and Wicked Daquiri. Vegan options were so-so (itâs hard to fuck up Cajun fries), but the sautĂ©ed green beans with chili-spiced and candied peanuts were tasty. Come for the drinks, the great service, and the vibes. JENNI MOORE
Happy Hour: daily 3-7 pm & 11 pm-2 am, $6-7 cocktails, $5 draft micro brews and cider, $5 house wine, half off bottle wine, $3-7 menu
The Knock Back | 2315 NE Alberta
Watch yer eyebrows: The Knock Back bartenders have a blowtorch and theyâre not afraid to use it, especially to set your drink ablaze two feet away from your face. So of course, I come here as often as I can. Itâs a mid-priced bar with serious food and drink aspirations. Sit at a long table inside or make your way to the covered outdoor fire pit to make a dinner out of an ample bowl of cheap popcorn ($2), a big bowl of fried Brussels sprouts ($6), and a tempeh Reuben slider ($5). You literally cannot go wrong. AD
Happy Hour: daily 4-6 pm, $1 off house cocktails, $1 off drafts, & wine, $6 shot & beer, $2-8 menu
Nepo 42 | 5403 NE 42nd
Nepo 42 ha one of the single most decadent and amazing happy hour items in Portland. The fried chicken and waffle ($8) is a sizable portion of fried bird with bacon and sage maple syrup, and Nepo 42 also has a deep bench of drink specials. The Champagne Cocktail ($5) is like a leveled-up mimosaâa fizzy, clear blending of bubbles and citrusâand the Ruby Press ($6) makes maximum use of grapefruit vodka. The menu is slightly at odds with the soccer hooligan-esque dĂ©cor, but once you have chicken and booze in front of you, you wonât even notice. JOE STRECKERT
Happy Hour: daily 3-6 pm, $1 off pints, $3-8 cocktails, $6.50 wine, $4-9 menu
Swift Lounge | 1932 NE Broadway
Itâs crowded, so youâll need to jockey a bit to take advantage of Swift Loungeâs excellent and always improving food menu. During Swiftâs long âJolly Hour,â the bird-themed tavern offers what might be the best happy hour selection in townâan array of quality $3 to 5 fare ranging from the satiating Lukeâs Bowl (pulled pork, brown rice, and lentils) to fried chicken to fondue fries. Thereâs a bunch of drink specials, but really no reason (except maybe temperance) to order anything but one of Swiftâs fine, varied mason jars ($6), which are certain to make your hour(s) jolly. DIRK VANDERHART
Happy Hour: Mon-Sat 4-8 pm, Sun 4 pm-2 am, reduced-price beer, wine, & cocktails, $3-5 menu
Tapalaya | 28 NE 28th
Tapalayaâs food is delicious, intelligent, and fully within anyoneâs budget for the amount youâre givenâespecially during happy hour. Try the Taste of Tapalaya ($5), a plate of three house specialties rotated daily, which during my visit consisted of delectable samples of their salad and gumbo with an expertly fried oyster. Also donât miss out on the plump and juicy pork belly banh mi ($5) and the beautiful Down River Drop ($6). CS
Happy Hour: Mon-Thurs 4-6 pm, Fri-Sun 3-6 pm, $4-6 cocktails, $5 wine, $3-6 menu
Wonderly | 4727 NE Fremont
Wonderly, the sparkly new cocktail bar tucked into Portlandâs sleepy Beaumont neighborhood, is an unexpected gem. Its happy hour menu offers simple, delicious snacks, like Brussels sprouts with bacon vinaigrette that are both crispy and juicy ($6), and deviled eggs flavored with beets and horseradish ($4). These couple well with a crisp gimlet ($6), poured by friendly bartenders. Group seating is sparse, but call ahead to reserve one of two window booths for an after-work group hang. ALEX ZIELINSKI
