Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #91 The Ritual Room – Minneapolis MN

A couple years ago I did write up on Lucas Mark’s blog: The Meek Tiki for my Tiki Blogging series. Since then, Lucas and his wife Amber bought a home and converted their basement into an incredible home tiki bar. It’s called The Ritual Room and I feel lucky that I got to see this home tiki bar in person! Here is Lucas to tell you all about it …

Lucas- Let me open by reintroducing myself to your readers. I’m Lucas, AKA: the meek tiki. You interviewed me several years back when I was in the midst of my blog – also called the meek tiki.  Back then, I had only a dream of having my own home bar, and the blog was basically just me, setting a goal for myself to learn as much as I could about the past and present of modern tiki culture – it mainly focused on the cocktails, but through that, was a process of discovering the ubiquitous sights and sounds, as well as the social evolution of it all. So, some of these questions/answers might be a little bit of a repeat but I think also, really interesting to juxtapose to where my head was at then, compared to now. The blog itself has become terribly neglected but I would like to get back into that, specifically to share more about my home bar.

What is the tiki scene like where you live?

Lucas- This is an interesting question to revisit. Previously I stated that it’s fairly dismal here, which is still mainly true, if you’re referring to the commercial scene. Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge is still here. I guess I’m glad to see they are finding creative ways to survive/rebound from the pandemic shutdown, even if it seems like their attempt to gain more mass appeal is really just diluting their authenticity. But that’s just my personal take.

The Tilted Tiki in nearby Stillwater, MN seems to be doing well also. And these places are really great for what they are, but when you juxtapose them to places like Max’s South Seas Hideaway, or Foundation – a couple of our superstar neighbors – or even the broader tiki scene, our local options really pale in comparison in my opinion.

What’s interesting though is that, since my previous interview, I started up a Facebook social group called MNtiki, in hopes of connecting with more local, like minded folks, and that has really paid off! The group is now over two hundred members strong with a couple of dozen more passionate folks that I consider myself really privileged to have connected with. There is also the Big Kahuna Bash, which is a tiki art, and music focused, one day event, that started up here 3 years ago by David Moe aka Moe Tiki, and has been expanding steadily each year. ( the big kahuna bash roseville – Google Search ) I am really excited about what this event will hopefully do for the MN/Midwest tiki scene. I think it has the potential to become maybe a Tiki O level event, right here in MN! This is definitely something your readers should be following.

What brought you into the tiki lifestyle and how long has it been part of your life?

Lucas- This question is always a hard one for me to keep brief, because it’s not like I can point to a single element that turned me on to tiki, but it feels more like it’s a trajectory I’ve always been headed towards, it just took me a long time to realize. But the gist is this: My passion for tiki started out as a passion for Hawaii and Hawaiiana that started when I vacationed there a couple of times in the 90s as a teenager. I think anyone who has ever visited there would agree that there is something special and spiritual about Hawaii and that experience sticks with you. Fast forward a decade or so to my steadily growing enthusiasm for the style and romance of midcentury Americana and I eventually stumble across the history of classic tiki and escapism culture of the 30s-50s. I would hear stories from my grandparents about going to these elaborate exotic themed dining lounges and listen to their collections of Hawaiian music, and just cringe that I missed out on this golden era of escapism. So, enthusiasm builds, and eventually I discover that there is still this modern society of people that fully embody that aloha spirit I remember from my youth, and that there are these tiki bars, all around the country that still exist and it just naturally starts to consume my every waking thought. I think a really key ingredient was the people I started to meet too. It was like finding my community. It was really euphoric.

Can you give a little history of how The Ritual Room came together?

Lucas- It all came together, I guess when I started tracking down some of those aforementioned tiki bars. It was sensory overload in the best way. It was like that movie Pleasantville, where everything is black and white until I start discovering these amazing places and everything turned to technicolor. I’m an artist so naturally I start thinking to myself, I think I could create something like this, no, I MUST create something like this. That’s also when I started up the blog, which was important to me as a tool for “showing my work”, and checking myself so I wasn’t just declaring myself part of something I didn’t really understand.

Then, a couple of years ago my wife and I bought a new house. It was a pristine, mid-century style house that only had a single owner before us, and it happened to have a completely unfinished basement. It was like the stars had aligned and I knew what had to be done. Then, coincidentally, the pandemic hit and I got laid off from my job for an entire year. So, with nothing better to do, I set on building my home bar.

Any story behind the name of your bar?

Lucas- I always had this very specific image in my mind of what I wanted my bar feel like. And I wanted that to be reflected in the name. I didn’t want it to be too on the nose but I still wanted it to have a lot of the classic elements. I also wanted it to have a little bit of an adventure theme to it and maybe a little mystery. Imagine: a long lost ancient stone temple, that received a classic tiki bar makeover. And knowing about so many other bars and what they are named, I wanted to avoid anything that was too similar but it still had to have that allure. I also had to consider how it would look as a logo. It took me almost as long to decide on the name, as it did to build out the bar, but I finally settled on The Ritual Room. It’s multipurpose, since I think it evokes images of something a little taboo and ceremonial, but also encompasses the fact that I want it to be a space for friends to come together and enjoy.

What is your favorite Tiki drink?

Lucas- The old saying: “It’s whichever one I’m drinking.” Do people say that? Anyway, I like a wide variety of drinks depending on the day. Some days I want a simple classic daiquiri, others it might be something with a lot of bold flavors like a rum barrel, or still I might be in the mood for a super sweet pain killer. Or I might be in the mood for all of those in one sitting! I always like trying new things and experimenting with my own cocktails. To best answer your question though, my current at-home-go-to is one I’ve been toying around with, which started out as the S.O.S. Mai Tai, from the book “TIKI modern tropical cocktails” but I use homemade pistachio Orgeat that plays nicely with the Agricole rhum, and I also add a splash of orange juice and mango syrup (the horror! I know.) which I think really intensifies the sour but dulls the bitter. To be fair, I didn’t call it a “Mai tai”, that’s just the roots.

What is your favorite Tiki bar? Not including your own! 

Lucas- Oof, this is another question that is so hard for me to answer! There are some really tough contenders, and they all bring a little something different to the table, I’m sure you would agree. Of course, there’s so many great west coast bars that I could point to but I’ve got to give some love to my Midwest Ohana: I have to say Tiki Cat in Kansas City was probably one of my favorite experiences in a public bar so far. That place was really top notch in every way and the staff made it really extra special. My heart broke a little when I heard they closed but I’m holding out hope they will find a way to revive it. Foundation in Milwaukee is also a really amazing space I’ve been to a few times now and always had a great experience. Another top for me right now is Max’s South Seas hideaway in Grand Rapids which I Just got to visit. I mean, these guys swung for the fence and knocked it out of the park. The drinks, so perfect. The decor, I mean, it’s everything and more. And, if you’re picking up on a theme for what makes it for me, the experience and service was just, so delightful. I am making plans to visit a couple of the newer ones I’ve been hearing a lot about, and god willing I may still have a chance to go to the Mai Kai someday soon if it truly gets back up and running, so ask me this question in another couple of years.

Outside of great drinks, what do you think are essential elements in creating the perfect Tiki environment?

Lucas- Well, as I just eluded to, the experience you have there is really a key element. Person to person that might be a little different, but for me, it means friendly people, relaxing atmosphere, and a sense of escapism. I suppose technically that should be of the exotic sort, like a tropical vacation, or an adventurous escape. I had one friend over to my bar for the first time recently and as he left he stopped and said “I feel like I’ve just come back from another world!” And for me that was the ultimate compliment. You know, the right music and decor are important to me as well but those are subjective to the experience. It has to be a little something extra. Flourishy garnishes on the cocktails, lots of unusual art and artifacts to draw the eye around the room, warm colors and smells, elements of the outdoors-indoors, etc. If you can build an environment around those sort of primary sensory elements, I think the guests can then fill in the blanks for themselves.

What does the future hold for you and your home tiki bar?

Lucas- Well, as of writing this I just recently had part of music video shot in my bar. I can’t divulge much about that yet but that was pretty major! I’d be fine with more of that sort of thing in the future! I still have some decor elements I’m picking away at including a built-in water feature I want to add. I really love what that sound adds to the environment because it’s so unusual to have that in an indoor space. I’m also working on a logo and I want to create a custom menu for my bar so visitors who maybe aren’t as versed in tiki cocktails have something familiar to start from. After that, maybe merch. I feel like that’s always a really fun element to include. But mostly I’m just looking forward to enjoying more of the expression on people’s faces when they enter my bar – it really validates my efforts in trying to create something truly unique – and lots of entertaining. I made the space as much for myself as I did for others so I want to share it with people and let them have a little slice of my escape from reality.

Anything else you would like to add?

Lucas- I just want to reiterate how fortunate I feel to have discovered a community that it so genuine and enjoyable. Of course, there’s always exceptions but by in large, everyone I’ve met, and experience I’ve shared with people who are into tiki and escapism has been so pleasurable. And with all the turmoil in the world these days, it feels more important than ever to be connected to chill people and have a place to escape from the noise (literal and figurative) for a little while. So, a huge mahalo and cheers to anyone reading this who gets than and works hard at spreading that aloha spirit.

Here is Lucas’s blog: The Meek Tiki