Major holidays for drinking: Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day… and International Star Wars Day! Since its first creation in the 1980s, this fan-created holiday held on May 4 (May the Fourth Be With You…) has grown to worldwide fame and practice. Celebrations, events, even Star Wars-themed sitcoms get in on the action.
This coming Monday, taprooms, cafes and even art museums from around the country will be catering to a galaxy far, far away. With specialty themed drinks, events and festivities, we’ve got a number to attend here and a few cocktails to have in celebration.
Events:
Imperial Bottle Shop—Portland: Imperial Bottle Shop in Portland has been celebrating May 4 Star Wars Day for a great many years now. Working in conjunction with several local breweries, Star Wars takes over the nights tap list in this years “Darkside Edition.” Star Wars-themed beers include Lompoc Brewings’ Bourbon Barrel Aged Darkside Porter, Silver Moon’s Darkside Stout, Gilgamesh Brewing’s Vader Coffee CDA, Firestone’s Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA and Ninkasi Brewing’s Ground Control Imperial Stout (the yeast actually traveled to space and back). The event begins at 3:00 pm with screenings of the Original Trilogy going throughout the evening, and ending around 9:30 pm. A special beer tasting flight will be available to take in all the intergalactic goodness. || imperialbottleshop.com
The Masonry—Seattle: Epic Brewing, Ninkasi, Orlison and Silver City will be on hand at Seattle’s The Masonry, for a night of beer and Star Wars celebrating. Located within walking distance of the Space Needle, and the EMP Museum (which is currently hosting a Star Wars costume exhibit), the Masonry offers an impressive selection of craft beers and ciders, available on tap or by the bottle. Star Wars Day will feature themed drinks, a costume contest, showings of the Original Trilogy on Laserdisc and even prizes going to the winner of a N64 Pod Racer game tournament. || themasonryseattle.com
Ballard Beer Company—Seattle: Details are still being worked out for this event, but so far, Ballard Beer will be opening their doors to their cousins in the drinks world from Sonoma Cider, for a day of exclusive tastings and themed activities. Prizes will be raffled off throughout the evening, and showing up in costume will earn you a discount on cider! The nights festivities starts at 6pm and goes to 9:00 pm. || ballardbeercompany.com
La Fontana Caffe—Burnaby, BC: Two years ago, Portland author Ian Doescher hit the big time in a big way with the publication of “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars.” Taking the Star Wars franchise, and retelling them as if they were a Shakespearean tragedy, Doescher has succeeded in winning over die-hard fans and casual book readers alike. Fans living in the Burnaby area of British Columbia are in for a real treat on May the Fourth, as Mad House Productions will be hosting a full-cast production of William Shakespeare’s Star Wars at the La Fontana Caffe. Space will be limited, and this event is expected to fill up quick. || lafontanacaffebc.com
Cocktails:
Dagobah Swamp—Free House, Portland: If the more casual thing is up your alley, then swing by the Free House in Northeast Portland and take in the Dagobah Swamp. This dark, frothy cocktail was so named for the swamp planet of Dagobah from “Empire Strikes Back,” the hiding place of the aged Jedi Master Yoda. A combination of bourbon, lime juice, house cola syrup, Fernet Branca and Cock ’n Bull ginger beer, this brighter flavored cocktail contrasts its dark appearance, making you choose between the light side, and the dark! || freehousepdx.com
Cocktail Recipe:
Mustafar Cocktail—adapted from an original recipe by the Retail Judge
Don’t feel like you need to fall into a pit of boiling lava to enjoy this alcoholic goodness! The Mustafar cocktail, so named for the lava planet of Mustafar, where Anakin Skywalker met his fateful end at the conclusion of “Revenge of the Sith” and became Darth Vader, provides a power punch of flavor and alcohol with a lava red tone. Mix up and enjoy with a viewing of Episode III, and loose yourself in a galaxy far, far away…
Ingredients:
3/4 ounces Hood River Distillers Sinfire cinnamon whiskey,
1/2 ounce New Deal Vodka
1 1/2 ounces cranberry Jjuice
Splash of orange juice
Splash of irish cream
3 drops red food coloring
Combine all the ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass with ice.
