Portland Happy Hour: Ate-Oh-Ate

What: Ate-Oh-Ate
Where: 2454 E. Burnside St.
When: 11am - 9pm Daily, HH 4 - 6pm
Honeys Heart: $5 HH Mai Tai 

Katie and I have been trying lots of new restaurants on our weekly dates, but we haven't made it out in time for happy hour in a while. So in the spirit of cheap dates and connecting with our happy hour blogging roots, we hit up Ate-Oh-Ate's Hawaiian happy hour on Monday night. I wouldn't say that Hawaiian food is top of Katie's and my list, but we were lured in by the fact that Ate-Oh-Ate is brought to Portlanders by the owners of Laurelhurst Market and Simpatica Dining Hall.

It took us a few minutes to make decisions, but the $5 happy hour Mai Tai pints were an easy choice. Two of those please!

Our favorite way to enjoy HH is to select a few items and share so we went for the Sliders (3 for $5)- two with Kalua Pig and one with Shoyu Chicken, 2 Scoops of Mac Salad ($2) and the Daily Poke Special ($1 off- $6.95).

The daily poke was tuna mixed with sesame oil, green onions, and sesame seeds. I'm glad we got this to balance the heaviness of the other plates. This rotates so I would be interested to try other versions.

Of the two sliders I liked the kalua pig most, it was savory and perfectly cooked. The chicken was good too, but the shoyu sauce made it a little sweet- too sweet for me.

The 2 scoops of mac salad was definitely not the healthiest option, but it felt like a true Hawaiian side and we decided to go for it anyway. I appreciated that it wasn't as mayonnaise heavy as some can be and that it's only $2.

The best part of the happy hour is definitely that we each spent less than $15 each including tip! The restaurant is very family friendly and the ambiance leaves a little to be desired. Katie and I thought the food was good, but we might not be running back in lieu of the many HH options out there. If there was a patio I could easily see myself enjoying a mai tai or two, otherwise we would definitely recommend it as "guy food" (or "people that really love Hawaiian food"). To be fair, we were sticking to the HH options so the full plates, curries and noodle dishes could bring something else to the table.

Other happy hour items included a House Cheeseburger ($5), Korean Chicken Wings (5 for $5), Fried Rice ($2), and Spam Musubi Tempura ($2)

SALEP Topic: Beer Cocktails

After a nice little holiday season hiatus, we finally managed to get together for another SALEP meeting (despite #snowpolcalypse keeping half of our members at home). Doug was in charge this time around and chose a topic near and dear to his heart: beer cocktails! 

Beer Cocktail: A libation made by mixing beer with another beverage

 Category 1: beer + a non-alcoholic drink 

Example: Radler

3 parts German Lager or Pilsner + 2 parts Lemonade

Literally meaning “cyclist” in German, this blend was invented in 1922 by Munich bartender Franz Xaver Kugler. Finding his beer garden over run by “13,000” cyclists on a hot summer day, Kugler saw his beer was starting to run out. To keep up with demand, Kugler mixed the remaining beer with lemonade and pretended he created the mix especially for the cyclists so that they could drive home without the risk of falling off their bicycle. During the summer months, radler is still very popular in Bavaria and the rest of Germany, due to its reputation of being a thirst-quencher. Many beer gardens will sell premixed radlers or will refill a half empty beer with lemonade.

Category 2: beer + beer

Example: Black and Tan

1 part Guinness + 1 part Harp Lager

Originated in England, the first written records show Black and Tans dating back to 1889, but many believe they date further back, all the way to the 1700s. The drink is not served in Ireland due its controversial name: the term “Black and Tan” is a reference to the uniforms of British paramilitary forces who opposed Irish independence in the 1920s and the name is seen as contentious and disrespectful.

Category 3: beer + spirit + other stuff

Example: Mai Ta-IPA

1 ½ oz IPA Ninkasi Total Domination IPA + 2 oz aged rum + 1 oz lime juice + ½ oz orgeat + ½ oz triple sec

Created by acclaimed mixologist Jacob Grier, this hoppy summer drink is Grier’s answer to the traditional syrupy island drink. As Jacob writes on his blog, "the classic Mai Tai offers a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spirituous elements. It doesn’t offer anything bitter. The addition of a hoppy IPA brings just a touch of bitterness to the drink while the carbonation makes it deliciously light and frothy."

Where to Find Beer Cocktails in Portland:

Free House

Try: Horse Blanket

What: IPA, whiskey, bitters

Why: Some may call it “one of the top five cocktails in Portland” (Quote: Doug Franz)

Hop and Vine

Try: Averna Stout Flip

What: Averna, stout, egg, bitters, nutmeg

Why: Head bartender Jacob Grier is the godfather of beer cocktails, creator of the Mai Ta-IPA and forthcoming book, Cocktails on Tap:The Art of Mixing Spirits And Beer.

Hopworks Bikebar

Try: Radler

What: See above 

Why: Mixing the house Lager and lemonade, it’s a perfect thirst quencher while sitting on Hopwork’s

outside patio.

Your Local McMenamins

Try: Rubinator 

What: Terminator Stout + Ruby 

Why: If you have to be at a McMenamins, might as well make the best of it. McMenamins' chocolatey stout with its raspberry ale is a winning combo every time (especially when paired with Cajun tots). 

Past SALEP Topics: 

• Vermouth
• Green Chartreuse 
• Campari