Generations: A Cocktail Tour

A Boomer, Gen Xer, Millennial and Gen Zer walk into a bar (or four) and sample the goods

By Jack Harvel, Allie Noland, Richard Sitts and Nicole Vulcan

Jennifer Galler

What makes a drink —or a bar— extra special?

Is the experience different if you’re an experienced Boomer versus a fresh, young Gen Zer?

For this Cocktails guide, a generational team of Source staffers hits four local haunts to find out, sipping the same drinks and sitting at the same tables… and sometimes, having very different takes on the same thing.

Richard Sitts (Copy Editor/Boomer, Baby!)

Jack Harvel (Reporter/Millennial)

I don’t often drink at 4pm, but when I do, Sen is a fine space in which to raise a toast with the Source drinking team. Tall ceilings and windows showcase the outdoors; Frank Lloyd Wright would nod approval. Vodka is my least favorite spirit, but this drink was enticing and dared my taste buds to dance with its many flavors. Some folks my age might not go for the Thai chili, shallot syrup or fish sauce, but they will dig the relaxing late afternoon vibe! And the little bowl of laab-seasoned peanuts that accompanied each drink was a welcome and tasty touch.

Nicole Vulcan (Editor/Generation Xceptionalism)

Drink: Laab Is All You Need

Location: Sen Thai Noodle and Hot Pot, Downtown Bend Ingredients: House infused Thai chili, cucumber vodka, shallot syrup, lime, cucumber, mint, cilantro, pinch of fish sauce; Laab-seasoned peanuts on the side.

The Itti/Westlund/Wild Rose family brought us a breath of fresh air when it opened its noodle house along the Deschutes River – something that, in spite of it being a main attraction in Bend, doesn’t in my opinion have enough places to sip drinks along its banks. Sen’s clean, white, bright bar and friendly bartenders make it easy to want to slip in here just for a cocktail, but really, who can resist eating something, too? The Laab is All You Need is one of my favorites for its unique ingredients and cucumber-forward taste – and adding a snack on the side? Just what this Gen Xer, previously raised on a steady diet of smokes and sarcasm, needs to round out this drinking sesh.

When I read there’s fish sauce, Thai chili seasoning and shallot syrup in a drink my expectations were not high. It’s probably the most unique cocktail I’ve had, which isn’t saying much. If I’m getting a cocktail, I’m usually getting something sweet and fish free. And I’m totally wrong for it. The spicy, citrusy and minty mix went down easy and paired perfectly with the laab-seasoned peanuts that come on the side. Docking points for bar atmosphere because it’s first and foremost a restaurant and I can’t see myself going there just for drinks.

Allie Noland (Reporter/Gen Zer)

As we browsed the adventurous cocktail menu at Sen, our pick was obvious. It was the first drink of the project, and we went all-in with fish sauce and cilantro—two ingredients you don’t often see in cocktails.“Laab Is All You Need” is the star of the cocktail series for me. It’s a fresh, spicy, funky drink with a decent punch of booziness. Though this drink has many listed ingredients, I’ll admit that I couldn’t pick up every flavor. Chili, cucumber and mint were at the forefront, while the fish sauce, shallot syrup and cilantro chilled in the background. The Gen Zer in me loved the free little snack side of peanuts and the trendy, green aesthetic of the set up. Pretty sure I was the only one to eat the cucumber ribbon.