Looking for a destination closer to home to purchase your favorite spirits? If so, make your way to Liquor Garden, which opened in Beaumont Village on NE Fremont in early November. Here, find neat rows of the usual variety of alcoholic beverages in a squeaky-clean, light-filled space.
The shop, which also sells a selection of finer wines and beers is, like all liquor stores in the state, regulated by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC). Prices are set by the commission and stores must purchase their stock from the state.
Owner Dawson Marchant is no stranger to the community. He currently lives in Cully close to where that neighborhood converges with both Beaumont-Wilshire and Concordia. Marchant purchased his home in 2020, but he’s lived in NE Portland for about 18 years. In his youth, he regularly visited an aunt and uncle who lived nearby.
“This neighborhood is comfortable to me,” Marchant said. “I’ve been coming here for a long time to visit and to enjoy Fremont restaurants.”
When he made the decision to open a liquor store, it was the OLCC that dictated the specifics of the spot, as they require a certain distance between competing stores. “They told me it had to be between NE 42nd and NE 57th, and it had to be on Fremont.”
As serendipity would have it, Marchant found the spot for the Liquor Garden that fit the bill.
“When a couple of tenants moved out, it opened the space for my business,” Marchant said.
Marchant hopes to have a vibe that’s a little different from most liquor stores. He’s working on a wine tasting area in the back of the shop and plays recorded music in the store. Mostly, Marchant wants people to feel welcome, as he was made to feel when he was working on getting the business open and since it opened.
“I really want to thank people in the neighborhood,” he said. “Folks have come in and they’ve been so supportive. I’ve been very well received, and I appreciate it.”
Liquor Garden is located at 4741 NE Fremont. Hours are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. For more info visit LiquorGardenPDX.com or call (503) 206-5968.