A Sultry, Wine-Centric Cocktail Bar Will Open on SE Belmont This Year | Eater Portland

"I'm looking forward to a new bar called Bar Midnight opening at 3341 SE Belmont Street from bartender Estanislado Orona, who’s known for inventing elaborate, complex cocktails; the bar will showcase his high-end, botanical and floral drinks amid dark, romantic vibes and vegetarian tapas. Orona — an alum of spots like Raven and Rose, Botanist, and Nomad.PDX’s Ash Bar — will run the bar with Martin Kraenkel (his friend and owner of San Francisco dive Molotov’s) as general manager and bartender Zachary Morena joining the team. Rather than “classics with a twist,” the menus are expected to be entirely original, featuring elaborately constructed high- and low-proof cocktails that often use fortified and aromatized wines (vermouth, sherry, amari, port) to add complexity and richness without relying on processed sugars; an early draft included a rosé, vermouth, and white port drink flavored with rose petals, rhubarb, and cardamom. Drinks are often as stunning as they are complex, with floral garnishes, elaborate glassware, and signature ingredients like butterfly pea flower (which shifts from sapphire to violet with acid) — an early spritz draft mixed it with gin, bianco vermouth, citrus, and sparkling wine. Despite multi-ingredient recipes, Orona prioritizes hospitality with some pre-batched cocktails for service ease; he plans about a dozen cocktails priced $8–$12, six draught beers, and several wines by the glass. The food program will be tapas (all vegetarian or vegan, described as playful, fun, and approachable) once a chef is found. Aesthetically, he’s aiming for a “sexy, approachable” space with lots of black wood, black-and-gold wallpaper, and velvet, and the plan is to retain the Liquor Store’s horseshoe-shaped bar while repurposing the record-lined shelves for art. With an expected early-March opening, Bar Midnight will start Tuesdays through Saturdays and initially offer limited outdoor seating and a takeout menu while the basement and full indoor programming remain closed for now; DJs and occasional performances are possible further down the line." - Alex Frane