Olive or Twist
The bar's exterior, 2022
Restaurant information
Street address925 Northwest 11th Avenue
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97209
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°31′47″N 122°40′57″W / 45.5296°N 122.6825°W / 45.5296; -122.6825

Olive or Twist (sometimes Olive or Twist Martini Bar) is a cocktail bar in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District, in the United States.

Description

Olive or Twist is a cocktail bar in northwest Portland's Pearl District. According to Portland Monthly, the bar's name references "the Dickensian heyday of gin, as well as the two most common martini garnishes". The interior, described by the magazine as "understated", has low lighting and shades of beige, charcoal, and gray. The bar's floor-to-ceiling windows are partly frosted. The Rose City Martini has cucumber-infused Hendrick's gin, rose water, and lime. The Peruvian includes pepper vodka, mango, lime, and chiles as a garnish.[1]

History

Olive or Twist was owned by Sam Fowler, as of 2011.[2] The bar was referenced in a 2015 episode of the television series Grimm.[3][4]

Olive or Twist has been included in local lists of Black-owned businesses.[5][6][7][8] In 2021, Olive or Twist was described as one of the city's oldest Black-owned businesses. For more than a decade, the bar hosted Da Gathering, a "casual" event for Black male professionals "to meet people with similar experiences, purposefully devoid of the formalities of a networking or career mixer".[9]

Following protests in the city over the murder of George Floyd, Fowler said: "Some of those activities have hijacked the message. When I hear people talk about all the issues that were going on last summer in particular with the BLM, the violence had nothing to do with BLM. I just wanted to make sure people realize that they're like two factions. But once again, how do we get people that think breaking my window is going to solve a problem—how do we get them to the table? ... We did have to come to a reckoning. That's unfortunate, but sometimes that's what it takes. And like I said I just hope that as we come out on the other side, that it will be better."[10]

Reception

Portland Monthly said "Olive or Twist asserts itself like an impeccable—but very opinionated—host" and "the low noise level make Olive or Twist a nightspot for unwinding in relative seclusion without leaving the downtown scene".[1] In 2015, Portland Business Journal readers voted Olive or Twist the best-named bar in Portland.[11] Atlas Obscura editors also selected the bar for a 2015 list of establishments with the best pun names.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Olive or Twist". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  2. ↑ "First black sorority honors outstanding Portland community men and scholars". The Oregonian. 2011-10-25. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  3. ↑ Turnquist, Kristi (2015-03-28). "'Grimm': Renard's not half-Hexenbiest, OK?". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  4. ↑ Wiedel, Kathleen (2015-03-30). "Grimm Round Table: He's a Zauberbiest, Not a Hexenbiest!". TV Fanatic. Archived from the original on 2016-07-08. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  5. ↑ Bamman, Mattie John (2015-08-28). "This Weekend Marks Portland's First Support Black Restaurants Days". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  6. ↑ June, Sophia (August 26, 2016). "Here's Where You Can Eat to Support Black-Owned Restaurants in Portland". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  7. ↑ June, Sophia (August 21, 2017). "Here's Where to Eat During Support Black-Owned Restaurants Week". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  8. ↑ Wallace, Hannah (2018-08-01). "After 'Portlandia,' Oregon's Culture Capital Is Ready for a New Narrative". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  9. ↑ Ciment, Shoshy (2021-08-16). "How Black Employees at Nike and Intel Find Community in Portland Through Monthly Gatherings". Footwear News. Archived from the original on 2021-08-16. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  10. ↑ "The Fight for the Soul of Portland: Moving forward amid social, economic crisis". KATU. 2021-03-31. Archived from the original on 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  11. ↑ Giegerich, Andy (June 19, 2015). "Eat It Up: Portland's top bar names, celebrating the best pub appetizer, 'Restaurant of the Year' brouhaha". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  12. ↑ Zimmerman, Jess (2015-09-30). "Drink in the Best Pun Bar and Pub Names". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
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