If you ever served in the Navy and was out to sea, you probably have spent some time being on watch. Midwatch is the time between midnight to 4:00 AM and this is how Mike met his now wife Shannon and Midwatch is the name of their home tiki bar. I’d say it’s fitting! Here’s a little bit more of how Mike met Shannon and how their home tiki bar came together, Ships Ahoy!!
What is the tiki scene like where you live?
Mike- As you’re well aware, relatively inexistent, unfortunately. Closest true tiki bar is Inside Passage, but at least it’s a pretty amazing place! I want to make it down to Devil’s Reef, I hear great things!
What brought you into the tiki lifestyle and how long has it been part of your life?
Mike- I’ve always loved tropical escapism, and any venue that makes me feel like I’ve slipped into another time/land, makes me happy. That being said, I never truly got into Tiki, the history, the music, and the culture, until COVID. I stumbled across r/Tiki on Reddit and there’s been no looking back!
Can you give a little history of how it all came together?
Mike- So as I mentioned, I stumbled upon r/Tiki and started making cocktails to celebrate the end of the work from home day. We were all stuck at home, couldn’t travel, couldn’t go anywhere, right? Work from home had now blurred the lines between work day and home life, and so we began to have an afternoon happy hour to wrap it up officially.
As my wife will attest, I tend to go all in when I get into something, and so, before I knew it, we had a commercial tiki bar’s worth of liquor in our dining room hutch. I’m not sure exactly where I got the idea, but I said to my wife, hey why don’t we build a bar in the back yard? To which she responded “if it gets all the liquor out of the house then I’m all for it.”
Any story behind the name of your bar?
Mike- My wife and I were/are both in the Navy. She’s a JAG in the reserves and I retired as the commanding officer of an EA-18G squadron up in Whidbey Island, WA. Before I went into aviation though, I was a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy (I drove ships), first stationed on an oiler out of Bremerton and then a destroyer out of Norfolk.
My wife graduated from law school in Wisconsin and joined the Navy. She then completed Naval Justice School in Newport RI and was subsequently sent to my ship, the USS Deyo, for a two-week jaunt meant to show her what life was like on a ship. During these two weeks, she had to get certain things “checked off” if you will, one of which was standing a watch (a 4-6-hour shift) on the bridge. We had been chatting a bit and I told her she could stand it with me, but that my next one was the Midwatch, which ran from midnight to 4am. She stood the watch with me and the rest is history.
What is your favorite Tiki drink?
Mike- One that I can make at home, a Jungle Bird. That I have at a bar, the Pearl Diver. I’ve yet to get Don’s gardenia mix right. I love the sweetness of the pineapple and the bitterness of the Campari, makes for a great pairing. A well-made Pearl Diver is to die for. Best I’ve had is the one at Archipelago in Washington D.C.
What is your favorite Tiki bar? Not including your own!
Mike- The list of bars I’ve visited is short but distinguished and the bucket list is long. All time favorites are Trader Sam’s, both east and west. They nail my love of tropical escapism and the bartenders are all in.
Outside of great drinks, what do you think are essential elements in creating the perfect Tiki environment?
Mike-
- Layers. Every time folks walk into my bar I want them to notice something new.
- A space that transports folks and leaves them smiling. I want to walk into a tiki bar and forget what’s outside the door.
- Music. For me, nothing spoils the atmosphere of a tiki bar more than the wrong music. These are all things I try to do with my bar. It’s not big, it’s only 12×14, but my favorite moment is when people walk in, look around, and say “this is not at all what I expected.” Most folks outside of tiki culture hear “tiki bar” and think thatched roofs and margaritas. We all know those two couldn’t be further from the truth.
What does the future hold for you and your home tiki bar?
Mike- An indoor space! One that is connected to my actual house, with running water to boot. One day.
Anything else you would like to add?
Mike- I truly feel fortunate to have stumbled upon tiki and the amazing people that form this community. There’s never been a day where I don’t walk into a tiki bar and just smile.
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