Lerxst
spaghetti and blankets
The library is divided into two sections. There's a street level bar, The Green Room, that functions as a waiting area to get into the Back Room and an overflow bar when the Back Room is full. You do not need to be a member of the library to get into the Back Room but membership grants you immediate access & you can reserve a table or bar seat.
We decided to grab a bite to each for a late lunch/early dinner then get there around 4pm, when they opened so we could get a seat in the Back Room. Hit Lardo for some fantastic sandwiches & couldn't resist a half pint of Boneyard Notorious IIPA
Got into a small line at the door of the library shortly after 4pm and were seated in the Back Room within 15 minutes.
The view from our seat at the bar:
The atmosphere is super cozy and all the staff were very friendly and helpful, making some well though out suggestions with the customers price range in mind. We decided that since it was our first visit, we'd just to get a couple reasonable drinks & not go for whales or high-end pours. We started off with a dram of Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Scottish Barley Scotch & a house Old Fashioned, made w/ Old Forester Signature 100 proof Bourbon, demerara sugar, bitters, orange peel and some fresh orange zest. The Old Fashioned was balanced, super tasty. Highly recommended as this empty glass attests:
The Port Charlotte Scottish Barley was something I missed out getting a bottle of when they were available locally so it was nice to have a chance to taste it. Really nice Islay peaty mineral characteristics minus the salty ocean notes. Has some really nice honey, hay, citrus & licorice flavors with the smokey peat.
For our second round, it was Brazilian Eggnog made with Novo Fogo Barrel Aged Cachaca & a dram of Russel's Reserve 6yr Rye. When our bartender asked what we wanted next, I said rye. He asked me what rye whiskeys I usually drink at I mentioned my go-to was Rittenhouse and I also like Bulleit rye and like a rye with some creamy body. He came back with the RR6, which was a nice choice; pepper, vanilla, leather, tobacco, woody flavors & oily viscous body. Nog was tasty and my Wife enjoyed it. I'm not a fan of dairy based mixed drinks so I only had a couple sips of this one.
We had some good conversation about the library and whiskey in general with our bartender. He mentioned that there are currently over 1,500 people on the membership waiting list but many are not in a position to join when openings are available so it moves pretty fast.
The patrons, while we were there, were all over the map in demographics and from what I saw, the staff did a great job accommodating everyone's tastes and preferences & the experience was very welcoming...not snooty or stuffy at all. If you want to go out and chase whales, this is a great place to do it with some crazy rare and insanely expensive pours. OTOH, if you just want a couple drinks in a really nice atmosphere, I highly recommend a visit if you're ever in PDX
https://mwlpdx.com/
We decided to grab a bite to each for a late lunch/early dinner then get there around 4pm, when they opened so we could get a seat in the Back Room. Hit Lardo for some fantastic sandwiches & couldn't resist a half pint of Boneyard Notorious IIPA
Got into a small line at the door of the library shortly after 4pm and were seated in the Back Room within 15 minutes.
The view from our seat at the bar:
The atmosphere is super cozy and all the staff were very friendly and helpful, making some well though out suggestions with the customers price range in mind. We decided that since it was our first visit, we'd just to get a couple reasonable drinks & not go for whales or high-end pours. We started off with a dram of Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Scottish Barley Scotch & a house Old Fashioned, made w/ Old Forester Signature 100 proof Bourbon, demerara sugar, bitters, orange peel and some fresh orange zest. The Old Fashioned was balanced, super tasty. Highly recommended as this empty glass attests:
The Port Charlotte Scottish Barley was something I missed out getting a bottle of when they were available locally so it was nice to have a chance to taste it. Really nice Islay peaty mineral characteristics minus the salty ocean notes. Has some really nice honey, hay, citrus & licorice flavors with the smokey peat.
For our second round, it was Brazilian Eggnog made with Novo Fogo Barrel Aged Cachaca & a dram of Russel's Reserve 6yr Rye. When our bartender asked what we wanted next, I said rye. He asked me what rye whiskeys I usually drink at I mentioned my go-to was Rittenhouse and I also like Bulleit rye and like a rye with some creamy body. He came back with the RR6, which was a nice choice; pepper, vanilla, leather, tobacco, woody flavors & oily viscous body. Nog was tasty and my Wife enjoyed it. I'm not a fan of dairy based mixed drinks so I only had a couple sips of this one.
We had some good conversation about the library and whiskey in general with our bartender. He mentioned that there are currently over 1,500 people on the membership waiting list but many are not in a position to join when openings are available so it moves pretty fast.
The patrons, while we were there, were all over the map in demographics and from what I saw, the staff did a great job accommodating everyone's tastes and preferences & the experience was very welcoming...not snooty or stuffy at all. If you want to go out and chase whales, this is a great place to do it with some crazy rare and insanely expensive pours. OTOH, if you just want a couple drinks in a really nice atmosphere, I highly recommend a visit if you're ever in PDX
https://mwlpdx.com/
dog:
