When Jamal Hassan began bartending, it was a creative outlet. One of the restaurateurs behind Sesame Collective (Mediterranean Exploration Company, Shalom Y’all) grew up in his parents’ food cart, transitioning into restaurants after high school. He dove deep into the world of wine, learning the intricacies of the different growing regions and varietals; after a while, however, he found himself feeling restricted. “There weren’t a lot of opportunities other than food pairings that allowed me to be creative,” he says. “When I had the opportunity to start working on cocktails, I immediately fell in love with it.”
Years later, after opening several restaurants across Portland, Hassan is finally getting
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