Fleeting Wonders: Giant Neon Martini Returns To Portland

A distant cousin of the Portland Martini. (Photo: Dave Newman/Flickr) 

The citizens of Portland, Oregon, have been shaken and stirred by the reappearance of a beloved landmark: a 30-foot-tall neon martini glass affixed to the side of a house in the West Hills.

The giant libation had been a fixture of the holiday landscape for decades, but went dark in 2012 after the property was sold to an architect, who tore it down along with the rest of the house. Portlanders have mourned the skyline’s sobriety ever since, and the sign’s return last week was heartily toasted.

This is the second close call for the glass, which was originally installed in the mid-1970s by a high schooler named Monty Meadows. Soon after, under pressure from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Meadows was forced to add a big red slash that “crossed out” the glass at 10 P.M., which drew the ire of some fans. The re-lighted glass contains the traditional olive and toothpick, but no warning slash.

The sign’s new steward, Aaron Hall, has lived in Portland for a while and “knows how much the martini glass mattered to local residents,” The Oregonian reports. His updated version will be formally unveiled at a party on Friday, and features a deeper, sleeker bowl, energy-efficient LED lights, and a fresh olive.

Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that’s only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.