Post #744121 by AceExplorer on Wed, Jun 3, 2015 4:32 AM

On 2015-06-02 15:16, TikiHardBop wrote:
From what I've seen, they are more of a high-end cocktail bar than a traditional "tiki" bar. But I would take that!

That's what I'm expecting as well, so we'll see how it goes when I visit, I'm prepared to have a very good experience based on what I've heard from a few folks.

Very close nearby is the Shim-Sham Room which is a similar non-tiki craft cocktail establishment. They do serve many classics, including some tiki drinks. Again, pride in craftsmanship is present. And I think they are related to, or owned by, the same folks who own the Dos Gatos bar downtown in Jacksonville which is my #2 bar second only to The Ice Plant in St. Augustine.

Interesting to me is that the Dos Gatos bar has been so successful that they have become very busy with "craft-cocktail non-comprehenders" who initially don't seem to recognize they are dipping a toe into the craft cocktail world. Instead, they are happy just to be drinking new and high-quality stuff -- and they are having a great time and definitely helping keep this place open and busy and popular. So much so that their patronage seems to have caused at least five other higher-end cocktail establishments to open in the city.

I think it has been many decades since Jacksonville, Florida, has enjoyed so many fine places where they truly serve good cocktails.

Oh yeah, and we finally have a good selection of micro-breweries all over town as well. I met a young married couple a month ago who came down from the Carolinas to do a beer tour here. They were using a "beer passport" book to tour a number of the breweries and were very happy to share some of their experiences and impressions. Beer tourism, similar to cocktail tourism, is a very encouraging sign in any city.

I came to Florida from Orange County CA 19 years ago. This city has really grown cocktail-wise in just the last 5 years alone.