For years, San Franciscans have had one primary spot for tiki drinks: Smuggler’s Cove. Now a new temple to rum and tropical fruit juices has opened: Pagan Idol.

Pagan Idol is part of the Future Bars group, which owns Rickhouse, Bourbon & Branch, and other high-end bars. Pagan Idol fits right in, taking the tiki theme to its hilt.

Step inside and you enter a shipwreck-themed front room, complete with LCD underwater scenes playing out in the “portholes.” Step up a small staircase and you’re onto the “forbidden island,” complete with spooky totems, a starlit sky, and a flowing, LED volcano.

The focus is of course on drinks, and Pagan Idol has all the classics and then some — many spun with a slight twist. Maybe Grog is a twist on Navy Grog, mixing up three rums, lime, spices, and a rock candy stick into a dangerously drinkable cocktail with a racy edge. The Witch Doctor is served in a classic tiki mug — rum, lime, passion fruit, spices, egg white, and “ancient curse.” Heavy on the spice, the egg white turns it into a sort of pirate slushie.

Banana Life is a fun drink that focuses on, yes, bananas, and is even garnished with plantain chips. As an alternative to a dull banana daiquiri, it’s a nice little concoction. Of course, you can’t go wrong with Pagan Idol’s Mai Tai — nicely heavy on the almond orgeat, with strong orange notes thanks to a good slug of triple sec.

Naturally, Pagan Idol has plenty of “bowl” drinks for groups, and you’ll find many, many people partaking of giant troughs of rum and juice, complete with floating flowers or set on fire. Never have I seen so many grown men walking around with oversized straws… and such big smiles on their faces.

paganidol.com

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