The Rookery Bar at Raven and Rose

Up in the eaves of an old English Stick-style house in Southwest Portland is the Rookery, a funny little bar with a quaint musty quality reminiscent of an old ski lodge (it was once the carriage house for merchant William Ladd’s estate in the late-18^th century). Manned by longtime Portland bartender David Shenaut, the bar excels at classic cocktails and riffs thereof, but it also takes a fervent interest in whiskey and apple brandy (they acquired their own private barrel stock). There are menus dedicated to each spirit category and, if you inquire, an earful of spirits knowledge will be enthusiastically delivered.