Category: Tiki Bar

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Tonga Fundraiser at Trader Vic’s

Was pleased to attend a special event last night at Trader Vic’s which was a fundraising effort for the people of Tonga who were affected by the recent volcanic eruption. Trader Vic’s organized a silent auction to raise money through the Fraternal Order of the Moai, and a series of guest bartenders each of whom did a riff on the Trader Vic’s cocktail the Tonga Punch. The event was held in the Cabin room and included a DJ, some small bites from Trader Vic’s, and some rum tasting from Zaya and Bacardi. There were Tongan dancers performing as well.

It is so great that Trader Vic’s continues to be a central point of gathering for the community, and that fellow tiki bars, bartenders, and artists are able to work together for a good cause. There were a lot of great items at the silent auction, including lots of tiki mugs, gift cards, glassware, and even some tikis and masks.

Mrs. Mai Tai and I arrived early, so I had Trader Vic’s Tonga Punch, a sweet cocktail that’s easy to drink with light rum. Marie’s King’s version used heavier rums from Trader Vic’s and Wray & Nephew, along with pomegranate grenadine. This one was the best of the evening that I tried. But I did also enjoy the Tonga Punch from Jeanie Grant, a version using a variety of exotic rums/rhums and allspice dram. The punch from Trader Vic’s alum Ismael Alejandro was fruity with an agricole base that was also very good. So cool to try all these recipe riffs.

If you have the means, please consider donating.

Trader Vic’s Tonga Punch
Silent Auction
Tonga Punch from Marie King
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Patron & Saints at Dr. Funk

It’s always nice when the drink menu provides guidance on the booziness of the cocktails. I was looking for something lower on the scale that I hadn’t tried yet at Dr. Funk and the Patron & Saints was recommended… or maybe prescribed. You know.

Patron & Saints is “a funky milk punch made with Jamaica’s Overproof Rum-Bar, Denizen, Southeast Asian pandan, rich Madagascar vanilla & citrus. Enjoy as a single serving or double serving.” Most definitely sweet and satisfying, heavy on vanilla and served over a big rock of ice.

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Off-Menu Saturn at Dr. Funk

You know that a bartender knows their stuff when don’t flinch when you order an off-menu cocktail. In this case, it was the ask for a Saturn at Dr. Funk in San Jose, and Paul McCoun  made a great one.

The Saturn is a late-classic era tiki cocktail with Gin, Orgeat, Falernum, Passionfruit Syrup, and Lemon Juice. Every tiki bar should have these ingredients and this is a well-known cocktail so it shouldn’t be an issue to order one, but sometimes you never know. I like Dr. Funk’s Mai Tai, so wanted to try a cocktail that also used Orgeat, and the Saturn is one of my favorites. The original specs called for the Saturn to be blended, but I find it is better when served up – and that’s exactly how Paul prepared it. Paul even made a cool planet-with-rings garnish.

Every cocktail I’ve had a Dr. Funk has been great, and I hear an updated cocktail menu is coming soon. Looking forward to see what else the medical staff come up with.

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South SF Bay Area Tiki Ohana at Dr. Funk

Now that San Jose finally has a legit tiki bar, …actually, scratch that. Now that San Jose finally has an amazing tiki bar, some of the locals are deciding to get together on a regular basis.

Working out of the “South SF Bay Area Tiki Ohana” Facebook group, local tikiphile and all-around mensch Michel von Schiltach decided to get the ball rolling. Michel lives within walking distance and helped with some of the build-out, so is the perfect ambassador for these meetups.

As of now the schedule is, starting at opening at 4 pm and lasting as long as it lasts:
1st Sunday of the month
3rd Wednesday of the month

Last night was the third Wednesday, and I arrived a little late around 7 pm. So nice to see a few friendly faces interspersed with San Jose locals doing the tiki thing midweek. With Dr. Funk’s central location and convenient parking garage across the street, I’ll definitely be returning more frequently.

Dr. Funk is now serving food, and from what I’ve been told the portions are quite large for the price, and everyone seems to enjoy the meal. There was some discussion about Dr. Funk possibly being an all-ages place once food was starting to be served, but the decision is that it was stay as 21 and over. Dr. Funk is also now offering reservations, so be sure to make one if you’re coming with a larger group.

Check out “South SF Bay Area Tiki Ohana” group in Facebook for more details.

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Tiki Haven’s Island Mai Tai

My route back home from Trad’r Sam went right past Tiki Haven so I thought I’d pop in to check this place out again, too. The bar is located in the Sunset District and is a neighborhood sports bar with a tourist-tiki theme. No confusing this with the craft places downtown, but on the other hand it is still quite a friendly bar where your wife won’t be frightened to enter. The parklet outside features some very nicely themed tables and stools that are in great condition. There are plenty of restaurants nearby.

Service was friendly, similar to my previous visit, and the Mai Tai was prepared quickly. This very good Island Mai Tai was shaken prior to serving, and had a well-balanced ratio of juices to spirits.