Republican-themed cocktails a toast to party’s victories

Published 8:00 am Thursday, March 9, 2017

SALEM – Alcohol flowed more liberally than policy at Oregon’s conservative Dorchester Conference March 3-4.

Central Point Republican Dennis Richardson’s election as Secretary of State in November was the first time the party had won a statewide office in Oregon since 2002. Despite his Mormon beliefs –which preclude the consumption of alcohol – Richardson landed his own drink – a tall glass of ice water – on the cocktail menu and his face, and the face of President Donald Trump, on cocktail glass charms distributed at the bar.

Trump’s namesake cocktail was a mix of vodka, Goldschlager and orange juice for a whopping $8. All of the other drinks on the menu were more affordable, from the “Moscow Mule” to the “Feel the Bern” for $6.

The menu’s main punchline, however, was the “The Hillary,” a cocktail of unsweetened lemonade and sour grapes.

The Dorchester, founded in 1965 and named for the house where it was first hosted in Lincoln City, is the nation’s oldest annual political conference, according to its website.

Former Republican state Rep. Bob Packwood, who later became a scandalous U.S. senator, founded the conference. The event was held in Lincoln City for years before moving to Seaside, and this year, to the state’s capital.

Venerable conservative names, such as Ronald Reagan, have attended.