Post #760327 by ikitnrev on Mon, Mar 7, 2016 9:37 AM

I stopped at Archipelago this past Thursday evening - arrived at about 10pm on a snowy night, which for me is about the best time to enter the warm confines of a tiki bar. The place was not crowded, and I was able to get a seat at the bar.

One thing I definitely noted is that all of the picture of Archipelago shown in the previous links were taking during the daytime. The entire place is definitely darker at nighttime, when no sunlight and limited light from outside is shining in. I recall, when approaching the bar from outside, bamboo shades on the outside window - from the outside I can recall detecting some body shapes and movements inside, and the glow from some red lamps. It was an inviting sight.

One nice touch on the inside ( was a series/semi-curtain of small green glass floats, along the ceiling - this is along the wall at the base of the steps going upstairs. (you can see them on the City Paper link above)

The hula girl wallpaper is found in the restroom, definitely the brightest space in the place.

I did not notice any TVs while seated at the bar - which is where I was seated for almost all of the evening. I recognized at least 2 of the people behind the bar from previous establishments, both which have a reputation for good cocktails. They welcomed me and were quite friendly all evening.

Late in the evening I was given a tour of the unfinished upstairs rooms. In addition to the one current room that oversees the main floor, they do have considerable space for a full second bar upstairs, along with a private tasting room, but I would consider those more long-term plans for now.

The music, when I entered, was a lively mix of older reggae music. Not Bob Marley, but very festive on the ska-side, and I really enjoyed listening to it. When this was happening, I checked facebook and saw that a fellow tiki friend had just posted a picture of Beachbum Berry's 'Cocktails of the Caribbean,' and the combination of all factors (music, drink, Caribbean cocktail book, friendly bartenders) seemed just about perfect for me. Later in the evening they switched to some slower classic/Hawaiian exotica, and although still appropriate, I found myself enjoying it less.

Tiki culture was my entry drug into the whole cocktails scene, and for various reasons, my personal tastes have switched more to the craft cocktail side of the house than the older tiki recipes. Regarding the cocktails I ordered, I chose NOT to order what caught my eye the most, but focused only on the 1st four drinks on the menu - my next visit I will order the next four, and so on. In the order served to me.

• Banana Daiquiri Take #653: I'm a big fan of the classic daiquiri and its variations, and was a bit disappointed to see this served in a parrot mug. I needed a larger diameter straw to sip the blended ice through the straw. I liked the flavor, but I still prefer my daiquiris classic

• Chafed Paradigm: My least favorite cocktail of the evening - the flavors (rum, St Germain, coconut, citrus, etc.) didn't just meld right for me, or perhaps I was hoping for a more distinct flavor to emerge. I was ready to move on when I finished this one

• Captain Cody: Wonderful, and very well balanced, and this cocktail would be a welcome addition on any menu in any tiki bar. This will go on my repeat list

• Truck Bed Funeral: I've become a fan of the smokey flavors of mezcal, and was glad to see this on the menu, as one doesn't see too many mezcal tiki drinks. It was very good, well-balanced, and a nice way to end the evening.

Final Summary; I liked the overall environment, and the cocktails were worthy of a quality craft cocktail bar. Archipelago will be of interest for any person in the DC area who is interested in tiki culture and/or craft cocktails.

Vern