JON LEWIS

RUE

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Rue hasn’t been attracting as much attention as it perhaps should be, having opened in a year with literally dozens of other restaurants, but bartender Jon Lewis shouldn’t be missed.

With drinks that include banana liqueurs (the Sharknana, inspired by his own shark/banana tattoo), or ones based on multiple types of bitters and vermouths, Jon’s speciality seems to be cocktails that shouldn’t work, but really do, and are unlike anything else in town.

ALISE MOFFATT

Shift Drinks

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It takes a lot of work to own and manage a bar, but the bespectacled Alise Moffatt does so with aplomb, and makes it look almost easy. Though it took Shift Drinks a moment to find its footing, as of 2016, it offers one of the best and most inventive cocktail programs in the city, raising the standards for everyone.

DOUGLAS DERRICK

AVA GENE'S

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The dapper Douglas Derrick is mostly known for the Negroni, having started the Negroni of the Month program at his previous restaurant, Nostrana, as well as the Negroni Social which inspired Negroni Week. In 2016, he’s been leading the movement of "farm-to-glass," with local ingredients from some of the top farmers in the state going directly into his cocktails.

With his understanding of produce’s role in cocktails, Douglas has created some unique and delectable drinks that strongly reflect the season. In the meanwhile, he spends time judging cocktail competitions, including the Northwest portion of the Espolon Cocktail Fights.

MICHELLE RUOCCO

HAN OAK

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Michelle Ruocco started her Portland career as bar manager for the now-shuttered Bent Brick. In May of 2016, she grabbed the gold at the Whiskeytown Cocktail Competition before moving on from Bent Brick and becoming possibly the city’s most ubiquitous bartender. You can find Michelle almost any time of the week at one of many bars, including the fabulous Korean pop-up Han Oak. There, she designs a unique cocktail program, with new drinks every week, often inspired by Korean dishes or just full of unexpected flavor combos.

JOE FRADE

LECHON

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Joe Frade is creating some truly exciting drinks at LeChon, especially with tequila and rum. He freezes his own ice for clarity and consistency, and hand-carves it. He smokes cocktails and fat-washes cachaça. He’s been a National Finalist twice in the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition, and is preparing for his third time, and he runs a beverage consulting and education company called the Liquid Courage Corporation.

But what really matters to Joe is his community work: With a degree in Exercise Science, he’s planning on adding a blog to his Liquid Courage website to give advice on healthier living to industry workers. As a veteran of the Marine Corps, he plans to open a nonprofit bar which will employ military veterans who are looking to join the service industry.

ESTANISLADO ORONA

The Rookery at Raven & RoseY

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Estanislado Orona, better known as Tanis, is responsible for most of the bar action happening at Raven and Rose’s upstairs bar, The Rookery. There he crafts amazing cocktails, including some of the best versions of “classics” you can find in Portland (we wait all year for his mint julep in summer). Much of 2016 for him was focused on defending his victory at the regionals for the Most Imaginative Bartender competition, which he successfully did, and traveling to London for finals. Still, he’s managed to find time to craft house syrups and spices; look for his enticing house-made cola soon, preferably mixed with red wine for the best kalimotxo you’ve ever had.