Wine Bar
Unclaimed profileNoble Rot
Portland, OR · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
Noble Rot's beverage program covers a lot of ground. The Featured Cocktails section lists seven drinks at $15–$17, built with specific spirits and modifiers like Banhez mezcal, Cappelletti Sfumato, and St. George Absinthe Verte. A separate $10 bar cocktail list includes a Penicillin and a Pomegranate Negroni. Beer runs three drafts at $8 plus cans and ciders, and the nonalcoholic section is unusually complete, with two NA cocktails, NA beer, NA wine, and kombucha. Wine is the historical anchor: a 2018 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Wine Program, with house pours at $9 and bubbles at $10.
- What should I order?
- For a cocktail, the Retrovertigo ($16) combines Banhez mezcal, Cappelletti Amaro Sfumato, Cocchi di Torino, lime, and Memphis BBQ bitters. For a nonalcoholic option, the NA - When Crows Fly ($12) mixes Wilderton Citrus Aperitivo, lemon, honey, and Earl Grey tea.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- This program suits drinkers who want a full cocktail list with named spirits, a serious nonalcoholic section, or a straightforward $8 draft beer. It also works for wine drinkers who value a recognized wine-focused history and accessible house pours.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Featured cocktails are $15–$17. Bar cocktails are $10 each. Draft beer is $6–$8, cans and bottles $5–$10. Nonalcoholic cocktails are $12, NA beer and wine $6–$15, and sodas $3–$5. House wine by the glass is $9, bubbles $10.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- Noble Rot pairs a seven-drink featured cocktail list with a separate $10 bar cocktail list and a dedicated nonalcoholic section that includes two NA cocktails, NA beer, NA wine, and kombucha. Its 2018 James Beard semifinalist nod for Outstanding Wine Program anchors the wine side.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
Seven featured cocktails at $15–$17 use named spirits and modifiers, from Sobieski vodka and blood orange triple sec in the Cosmonaut to Buffalo Trace bourbon and St. George Absinthe Verte in La Louisiane. A shorter $10 bar list includes a Penicillin, Pomegranate Negroni, Gin Gimlet, Daiquiri, and El Diablo.
Menu strengths
- — Seven featured cocktails with named spirits and modifiers, priced $15–$17.
- — A separate $10 bar cocktail list adds five more drinks, including a Penicillin and Pomegranate Negroni.
Standout selections
- — Retrovertigo ($16): Banhez mezcal, Cappelletti Amaro Sfumato, Cocchi di Torino, lime, Memphis BBQ bitters.
- — La Louisiane ($17): Buffalo Trace bourbon, Carpano Antica, Benedictine, Angostura and Peychaud's bitters, St. George Absinthe Verte.
Pricing: $15–$17 featured; $10 bar cocktails
Wine
Noble Rot was a 2018 James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Wine Program, and the food menu lists house wine by the glass at $9 for red or white and bubbles at $10.
Menu strengths
- — 2018 James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Wine Program.
- — House wine by the glass at $9 and bubbles at $10.
Standout selections
- — Itself as a wine-focused restaurant and was a 2018 James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Wine Program.
Pricing: House wine by the glass $9; bubbles $10
Beer
Three drafts at $8 each — Hetty Alice Pilsner, Sunriver Brewing Coolwater Lager, and Great Notion Easy Lift IPA — are joined by cans and bottles including Kiuchi Brewery Hitachino Nest White Ale, Fort George Cavatica Stout, and two ciders. The food menu lists draft beer at $6.
Menu strengths
- — Three drafts at $8 each, plus cans, bottles, and ciders from $5–$10.
Standout selections
- — Great Notion Easy Lift IPA on draft, $8.
- — Fort George Cavatica Stout, can or bottle, $6.
Pricing: Draft $6–$8; cans and bottles $5–$10
Nonalcoholic
A dedicated Non-Alcoholic Drinks section covers NA cocktails, NA beer, NA wine, and kombucha. Two NA cocktails are listed under Featured Cocktails, alongside Leitz Eins Zwei Zero Sparkling Rose, St. Agrestis Phony Negroni, Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA, Deschutes Black Butte Malt Brew, and Happy Mountain Hopped Huckleberry Kombucha.
Menu strengths
- — Dedicated Non-Alcoholic Drinks section with NA cocktails, NA beer, NA wine, and kombucha.
- — Two non-alcoholic cocktails listed under Featured Cocktails at $12 each.
Standout selections
- — NA - When Crows Fly ($12): Wilderton Citrus Aperitivo, lemon, honey, Earl Grey tea.
- — NA - Bell Lap ($12): Ghia Apertif, pineapple gomme de terre, coconut, lime.
Pricing: NA cocktails $12; NA beer and wine $6–$15; sodas $3–$5
Community reviews
Anyone with a free Inebrious account can rate the drinks here. Community ratings are kept entirely separate from the Inebrious editorial score above.
No community reviews yet. Be the first to write one.