History by the Glass

For the first History by the Glass bar visits of 2019, we returned to our mindbogglingly stupid  arbitrary selection process  which saw Central Eastside Industrial gastropub  Produce Row Cafe defeat four other venerable contenders to "win" our unique brand of public affection. Ordinarily, after determining the first bar we would simply look for whatever old joint (featured in Paul Pintarich's " History by the Glass " books, of course) was nearest and make it our second stop of the night. On this night, however, with the smug confidence that comes with having TWO well received podcasts under our belts, we decided to think outside the box and consider a different narrative. Instead of simple geography, we thought about some more nuanced threads that might connect Produce Row with another of the historic bars on our list. When the fog cleared,  The Ship Tavern  in Southwest Portland's Multnomah Village, once one of the city's preeminent dive bars, e...

The Tortoise and the Bull(pen)...two downtown Portland staples frequented by many, though likely still not properly appreciated. Now linked by their common Cheerful parent, these two establishments possess vast and district histories all their own, including sizable chapters featuring our own Nathan P. Gale. It was a dark depressing downpour classic winter evening in Portland when we boarded a Max and brought History by the Glass downtown for the first time for a double-header at Portland State's oldest surviving and best known college bar and an underrated pillar of Providence Park's (née Civic Stadium) sporting legacy. Four to five hours later we returned to our humble podcast studio for an admirably researched, yet beer-soaked ramble into the recent and distant pasts of the Cheerful Tortoise and Cheerful Bullpen. For brief stretches, we almost seem to know what we're talking about. There's a sliver of a glimmer of professionalism or even competence. But then...