Earlier this year, my friends over at the Portland Art Museum reached out to me about doing something to support Everybody Is an Art Person, part of their larger connection campaign which includes the new Rothko Pavilion expansion. The goal is to open the museum up – literally and figuratively – by celebrating Portland creativity in all its forms, from fine art to design, food, and of course drinks.
I loved the idea right away but I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. Creating a special cocktail and putting it on the menu felt like just phoning it in and I knew I wanted to bring a different energy to the project. So I called my friends at Freeland Spirits here in Portland and asked if they’d be interested in collaborating on something like a liqueur or amaro they didn’t hesitate for a second. We started talking about what an amaro made for Portland might taste like – something layered, generous, familiar, but still a little surprising.
Over the next few months we went back and forth, tasting, tweaking, and trying to build a profile that felt like the city itself. The final version has bright notes of chamomile, blood orange, strawberry, and grapefruit that open into deeper flavors of sarsaparilla, chocolate mint, and roasted chestnut. It’s one of my favorite collabs I’ve been involved with; they are some of my favorite people in the business.
Three dollars from every bottle goes directly to the Portland Art Museum, helping support the people and programs that keep this city’s creative energy alive.We are really proud of how this one turned out. You can pick up a bottle of Amaro for Art directly from Freeland Spirits and support the museum!
