Esquire names Northeast Portland bar among best in the United States

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A northeast Portland bar, which deems itself as “a weird little cocktail spot," has been named among the best bars in the United States in 2024 by Esquire.

Esquire's 42-bar list, published May 30, features a mix of "glamorous hotel bars in New York to cocktail dens in San Francisco.”

Topping the list was Sauvage Wine Bar and Shop in Phoenix, Ariz. for its "natty-wine-fueled" dance parties in the bar's English cottage revival home setting.

Among the bars representing the Pacific Northwest on the list: The Uncanny.

The self-described "lovechild between a speakeasy and a dive bar" opened in 2023 at 3560 N. Mississippi Ave.

"...Its location, in a house with windows lined in red neon, makes you think you’ve walked into a party. No house party has drinks (like) this high-flying, though," Esquire said. "The classic riffs are out there: The Vieux Carré has coconut Scotch and tepache sherry. The Sazerac has Träkál, a Patagonian spirit, and chanterelle. You’ll want to go on a cocktail adventure here—thankfully, there are snacks, mostly vegan, to keep things going."

Esquire highlighted The Devil in Disguise cocktail with sotol, fernet, and blackstrap rum, creating “a cacophony of difficult flavors…that just works.”

“In a city with plenty of beverage choices, this is one of the newest must-stops,” Esquire said.

The Uncanny is the brainchild of the Lightning Bar Collective and Adam LeBeau, who also owns the Victoria Bar on North Albina Avenue.

The owner previously told KOIN 6 News that some high-caliber cocktail bars give customers a pretentious attitude, but he wants The Uncanny to welcome guests in the same way that the Victoria Bar does.

LeBeau also wants The Uncanny’s drinks to speak for themselves. He says that while the bar has classically trained staff, they’ve used that expertise to make a cocktail menu that’s fun and interesting for guests, rather than unfamiliar.

Bar Bayonne in Seattle, Wash. also made the list, with Esquire highlighting the kalimotxo on tap and jambon-infused gin martinis.

Other spots making the list include Bar Next Door in West Hollywood, Calif., Chispa in Napa, Calif., Traveling Mercies in Aurora Colo., Kaiju in Miami, Fla., and Mirador in Kingston, NY.