One of my favorite tiki bars in the Bay Area has to be Pagan Idol. When I stepped inside this incredible bar, I could tell that the people behind it had a true love for tiki. I was right! Doc Parks has been loving tiki and had an interest in cocktails for most of his life. Here is his story …
What’s the tiki scene like in The Bay Area?
Doc Parks- It’s an exciting time for Tiki in general, and especially in the Bay Area. It’s home to so many great originals like Trader Vic’s and Trader Sam’s, and it’s somewhat of a mecca for the Tiki Revival. Most people who want to come to the Bay for a weekend trip to visit some tiki spots, aren’t able to even get through half of their list – there’s that many options of places where they could go. The tikiphile population seems to grow each year, so there’s definitely no shortage of people in aloha wear when you’re visiting these places. It’s a lot of the same faces at many tiki-related events, so there’s a strong Ohana vibe throughout the Bay. And San Francisco is just such an amazing city for drinking and bars in general. Rum has been having its moment for the last several years and there’s no sign of that slowing down, so that absolutely plays into why the Tiki Scene is as strong as it is in the Bay.
What brought you into the ‘Tiki lifestyle’ and how long has it been part of your life?
Doc Parks- I guess you could say that I was sort of born into it. My grandparents were good friends with Bill and Bonnie Seely. Bonnie was Vic Bergeron’s daughter. My mother, and Bill and Bonnie’s son, Peter, grew up like siblings and still call each other “my brother” and “my sister” to this day. Today, Peter, Vic’s grandson, is the CEO and President of the Trader Vic’s corporation. There were a lot of tiki artifacts and paraphernalia around my grandparents’ house and my house growing up. I read Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide long before I could legally drink in a bar. And like any good punk kid, I shopped in thrift stores, so vintage aloha shirts have been my rotation since I was a teenager.
Can you give a little history of how you got into bartending?
Doc Parks- As a teenager, I used to throw epic ragers. It was the pager era and my friends and I would set up hotlines with the party info. Sometimes there’d be 500 people at these things and there would be choppers in the air and cops breaking things up by 9:00pm. I was always in charge of coordinating beverages for these parties, and if I wasn’t behind the turn tables, I was behind a makeshift bar making drinks for all of my friends. When I became of age, I did of course manage to get some legit gigs. Before I moved to the Bay Area, I was managing the tasting room at Orfila Vineyards in Escondido, in North County San Diego. I wanted to grow my knowledge about spirits and get into that aspect of the hospitality industry and I knew that the Bay Area would be the right place to do it. My first bartending gig in the Bay was at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville. From there, I transitioned to San Francisco’s Fine Dining Scene and got to open a few different places including the San Francisco outpost for Hakkasan. Being behind some of these bars was the opportunity to learn about and work with ingredients of the highest quality, that experience really helped to shape my thought process when it comes to creating exceptional craft cocktails. After bartending in some of San Francisco’s best restaurants, I joined the Future Bars group (of Bourbon & Branch and Rickhouse fame) as the Bar Manager of Local Edition, a subterranean speakeasy in the Hearst Building downtown. While I was managing Local Edition, we were building Pagan Idol.
Is there a difference between making tiki drinks and other craft cocktails?
Doc Parks- Yes and no. Building a great tiki drink is just as complex as building a craft cocktail, although tiki drinks usually have more ingredients. A lot of the same techniques apply; however, the differences are that most tiki drinks feature split based spirits (usually rums) as well as numerous types of citrus, tropical fruits and spices. There’s also a difference when it comes to garnishing and overall presentation. How a drink looks plays a big role on how much enjoyment the person drinking it will get from the cocktail. Tiny umbrellas and fire definitely give tiki drinks a level of delight that even the prettiest craft cocktail can’t bring. For me, tiki drinks come with an added element of fun.
Can you talk about your history with Pagan Idol?
Doc Parks- We were building Pagan Idol while I was working as the Bar Manager at Local Edition. During the buildout, I connected with a number of different artist and had their work included in the bar. One of the most notable pieces in Pagan Idol is the Marquesan Tiki that was carved by Crazy Al. Al and I met at Tiki Oasis in 2015. It was also at that Oasis where our company’s CEO and I decided on Pagan Idol as the bar name. We attended Sven Kirsten’s symposium and he kept referring to tikis as, “Pagan Idols.” By the time Sven’s symposium was over, we had already bought the www.paganidol.com web domain. I got the keys to the space in Fall 2014. From then until we opened in Feb 2016, I lead the team that was concepting and designing the space, wrote the menu that we opened with, and hired the opening staff, most of whom are still there today. It’s almost unheard of in the hospitality industry to have that kind of staff retention. It’s something I’m really proud of. Pagan Idol was my baby. I oversaw it from the ruins of the previous tenant to what it is today.
What is your favorite Tiki drink? Why?
Doc Parks- A favorite? I guess it would be between the Mai Tai, the Navy Grog and the 151 Swizzle. A properly made Mai Tai is its namesake, it’s out of this world. And it will do to you exactly that. It can transport you to paradise. The Navy Grog definitely hits my sweet spot, as that blend of grapefruit, lime and spices can give even low-quality rums a stage to stand on. The 151 Swizzle is simple and perfect. Sometimes you just need a stiff one. But yeah, I couldn’t choose just one.
What is your favorite Tiki bar? Not including Pagan Idol!
Doc Parks– One of the great things about living in the Bay Area is being in close proximity to so many tiki bars. I live in the East Bay, so I go to Forbidden Island fairly often. The Kon-Tiki in Oakland is a 10-minute car ride from my house, so I find myself going there a lot. But my all-time favorite is the Molokai Bar at The Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale. They set the gold standard of what a tiki bar is supposed to be.
What does the future hold for you?
Doc Parks- I won’t say too much, but most people already know that I’m working on a new tiki project in San Francisco. Follow @docparks on Instagram and stay tuned!
Here is the Pagan Idol website
And Facebook page