Strong Water takes Tiki in an entirely new and interesting direction . . .
As I sit at the Strong Water, I honestly feel that I’m in the belly of a wrecked boat from a time when sails and oars were the only things that moved a ship forward. The décor of Strong Water is unbelievable and takes escapism to a whole other level.
The outside of Strong Water is unnamed and unassuming. There are no windows to look through and see what’s going on inside. This is the thing that I first loved about tiki bars, the mystery of what’s behind the door and what’s going on inside . . .
Once inside, you can’t help but notice a very large skull water fountain at the far end of the room . . .
For some this may be a fight or flight situation, but if you like your bar experience to have a little danger and mystery, then Strong Water is your kind of place. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to drink! The inside of Strong Water is actually very classy.
Even if tiki isn’t your thing, Strong Water would be a very classy place to go for drinks. And speaking of drinks, here is the menu . . .
There are some tiki cocktails on the menu like the Zombie, Jungle Bird, and the Saturn, which are all given a little Strong Water twist. I was in the mood for bourbon so I went with a Southeast Spice Trade …
Bourbon, all spice dram, pineapple, lemon, and sugar make up the Southeast Spice Trade. This drink was delicious! If you venture beyond the skull water fountain you will find another room with its own bar . . .
This is the gin bar and it’s just as beautiful as the main bar.
Here is Strong Water’s story from their Facebook page, that tells the tale way better than I could paraphrase:
“In 1865, Charles Crocker of the Central Pacific Railroad sent his cousin, Capt. William T. Strong, to Canton, China. Strong’s ship, the brig Clementine, left from San Francisco with a crew of fifteen but did not return as planned. As the months dragged on, the worst was feared. Finally, in early 1867, stories began circulating on the docks that the Clementine had wrecked on a remote beach in Fiji. Some said they had run aground after an encounter with the Mirlo – a ship rounding up Pacific Islanders to serve as ‘indentured servants’ in South America. Many old salts knew the Mirlo was also a pirate vessel, captained by a psychotically bloodthirsty Peruvian named José Antonio ‘El Yandána’ Diaz.
Crocker sent a clipper ship to the South Pacific to find and retrieve Strong and the crew. The wreck was found abandoned. Oddly, the hold was filled with artifacts and curiosities from all across the Pacific, including spices from the east, pagan idols, rare books, spirits from exotic ports of call, and crates and barrels of miscellaneous cargo. The brig had clearly covered great distances before going aground. Why had they strayed from their orders? Had Strong gone mad? Had the pirates captured, selectively plundered and then scuttled the Clementine? The nearby caves and dark, vine-choked jungle were searched for clues, to no avail. The only sign of human life was the distant sound of drumming at night and the vague sense that the would-be rescuers were being watched.
We invite you to explore the wreck of the Clementine and its bizarre cargo yourself. Perhaps you’ll develop your own theory about her mysterious voyage and the disappearance of all aboard.”
I could tell that every aspect of the experience at Strong Water has been well thought-out and it shows. The entire staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. It feels wrong to call Strong Water just a tiki bar, because there’s more going on here, a lot more!
Here is the Strong Water website
And Facebook page