Portland Cocktail Week is an awesome event held right here in the Rose City and put on by Lush Life Productions.  This annual gathering is legit with thousands bartenders and service industry peeps from around the world coming together to talk about cocktails and booze.  Ummm.  The difference with this festival and other liquor driven events is that a majority of your time can be spent in a class like atmosphere studying about every facet of the pub world.  LL calls this The Bar Institute.  Funny, most of y'all thought all a good bartender needed to know was how to make a tasty martini.  Shaken, not stirred please...  yeah, you know you've heard that stupid line.  This couldn't be farther from the truth in today's growing international cocktail scene.  

To get this week started off correct, a couple of local distilleries offered open house parties for the incoming crowd to get their first taste of the yummy liquid treats that PDX has to offer.  And here we go to the Clear Creek and House Spirits distilleries!

Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith. Local distillery parties kick of 2015 Portland Cocktail WeekPortland event and cocktail photography provided by Cameron Smith.