Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble. Something is brewing over on East Burnside Street — and it’s about to cast a spell on Portland.
Hey Love, the Instagram-worthy bar inside the Jupiter NEXT Hotel, will transform into an immersive Halloween-themed pop-up bar called Black Lagoon next month. We were lured — ahem, invited — into the ghostly lair for a glimpse at what you can expect while it haunts the Rose City.
The vibe
Hey Love — which is a warm, plant paradise when it’s not possessed — will mutate into a dungeon-like space that pays homage to the macabre (read: life-sized coffins and skulls), with a splash of goth and metal. Founders Erin Hayes + Kelsey Ramage describe the overall theme as more like “House of 1,000 Corpses” and less like “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” We still can’t be sure whether we heard cocktail shakers… or the dragging of chains across gravestones during our visit.
The drinks
From the Screaming Banshee (Botanist gin, apricot cordial, pineapple syrup + Greek yogurt) to the Hellraiser (Hornitos, spiced rum, Cointreau, and almond syrup), each beverage is crafted with Halloween in mind. Many will be served in custom glassware that guests can buy and take home. Black Lagoon first materialized in Toronto last year and was recently named Canada’s Best Pop-Up Bar, partly thanks to its drinks of “pure class stirred with a drop of kitsch.”
The details
Black Lagoon promises a “creepy-as-hell” experience. The name is, after all, a nod to the 1954 black-and-white monster movie, “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” Guests are encouraged to come in costume. You can visit the pop-up bar from Mon., Oct. 17-Mon., Oct. 31.