Small Bites: End of Wilderton, Donuts, Good Measure, and More

The end of Wilderton is a sad state of affairs. Here's their final product. We will miss them.
Wilderton during a more colorful time.

The end of Wilderton. Bummer news about this NA distiller in Hood River. They closed their tasting room in August 2025 and the distillery will close at the end of January. One of the founders, Brad Whiting, said this: “We endeavoured to find a new steward of the brand for the past several months, but alas none worked out so the brand/IP etc will be shelved in the hopes to be resurrected at some point in the future. The distillery and tasting room are now closed and decommissioned.” More details here.

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Dry January 2026 in Portland: Mocktails, Zero Proof and More

Dry January 2026 in Portland: Into the Groove mocktail from Victoria Bar.
Into the Groove mocktail at Victoria Bar.

Tomorrow it starts: Dry January 2026 in Portland. This is a time of year when people take the opportunity to scale back on their alcohol drinking after the holiday season. It’s also a great time for those of us who do not drink alcohol on the regular to get out and try some new places and new booze-free drinks. For the sober-curious, it’s also an embarrassment of riches in a whole new world of drinking.

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Give!Guide 2025: Food Edition in the Portland Metro Area

It’s almost Give!Guide time! This annual fundraiser, produced by the Willamette Week and takes place between November 1 and December 31, helps raise funds for nonprofits in the Portland metro area. It’s a significant presence at Bridgetown Bites HQ each year, but we haven’t talked about it much here.

This year, we want to highlight the food aspects of the Big Give Days—there are three days devoted specifically to food, and six days that incorporate food elements into the prizes.

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The 2025 James Beard Awards Semifinalists in Portland

2025 James Beard Awards Semifinalists announcement.

I was happy to see the 2025 James Beard Awards semifinalists list released today. And not only did Portland represent well, but chefs from other cities in Oregon were recognized, too. From Portland to Eugene to McMinville and beyond, our beautiful state shows how much we have to offer the world of food, dining, and edible creativity.

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Zero Proof Portland: Dry January 2025

No Regerts zero proof cocktail from The Pocket Pub.
No Regerts zero proof cocktail from The Pocket Pub.

Welcome to Dry January 2025. It’s no secret that I’m a big non-alcoholic cocktail fan—AKA mocktails, dry cocktails, zero-proof, no proof. I gave up alcohol in 2018 during breast cancer treatment and I never looked back. So the growth of a robust zero-proof cocktail scene in Portland makes me pretty happy—as well as better access to NA beer. And know many readers here are also fans of this development.

Here’s our 2025 roundup of places that serve non-alcoholic cocktails, beer, and more in Portland, suitable for Dry January (or really any time). Our criteria is that a bar or restaurant has at least four developed mocktails. And if not, they offer other interesting NA options aside from mocktails and beer—they could be juices, teas, etc. We’ve also done the math and found that on the average, a non-alcoholic mixed drink runs about $8 each.

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