Portland bar manager named among best new bartenders of 2024

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The bar leader at a celebrated restaurant on the Central Eastside has been named among the best new bartenders in the nation.

On Wednesday, drink-focused media brand Punch announced Portland’s Jordan Valls as one of 10 awardees.

He currently works as the bar manager at Palomar, a Cuban-inspired restaurant and bar on Southeast Division Street that first opened in April 2018.

According to Punch, Valls previously worked at his family’s liquor store before becoming a barback and later being promoted as a bar manager at Multnomah Whisk(e)y Library.

He began the same position at Palomar in November 2021, working alongside owner Ricky Gomez to expand the drink menu. The business has since become a finalist in the Spirited Awards and Liquor Awards for best U.S. restaurant bar.

Valls named the Vieux Carré, a famous New Orleans drink, as his favorite classic cocktail. He also listed the Trinidad Sour, an Angostura-bitters-based drink, as the most underrated cocktail.

Additionally, the bartender gave Punch the recipe to Palomar’s “Rusty Nail” cocktail made with scotch, Drambuie, papaya and cacao.

“For him, there is no drink beyond rescuing or too passé to be given a turn in the spotlight — so long as it’s made with high-quality spirits and thoughtful techniques,” Punch wrote. “It’s an approach that works well at Palomar, where the menu is built on pre- and post-Prohibition Cuban and rum classics, including drinks that Valls says are often referred to as ‘guilty pleasure’ cocktails, like the Piña Colada.”

The media brand called for best new bartender nominations in May, before announcing the 20 finalists in June. Valls was the only Pacific Northwest finalist or winner.

Other awardees include Kitty Bernardo of New York’s Paradise Lost, Shaun Williams of New Orleans’ Jewel of the South and Antonio Jimenez of Philadelphia’s Bolo.