The most recent iteration of the pop-up takes over Cityscape’s Cuban-inspired bar and restaurant, Coabana, on the third Sunday of every month. The most recent event was held on Oct. 20 and incorporated a spooky Halloween theme.
“I don’t think we were quite aware of what this was going to become, or how enthusiastic and excited the Phoenix tiki scene was becoming," Muhlstein says. "We really had no idea what the turnout was going to be like, but people showed up and kept showing up. It’s a great mix of returning regulars and new faces, and it just keeps growing.”
The pop-up dovetailed out of a love of tiki and a convergence of the Phoenix bar scene. Muhlstein mans the helm at Captain’s Cabin, the speakeasy adjacent to Hula’s Tiki on Seventh Street, and Choiniere bartends private events, pop-ups and distributor sponsorships in the city. But the appeal of doing something strictly tiki for themselves solidified the partnership.
“We have a really good tiki scene in Phoenix. It’s concentrated and vibrant, and we have places that are tiki-inspired or use aspects of tiki to further an experience, and they are awesome spots," Muhlstein says.
But the duo found Phoenix to be missing a classic tiki bar rooted in the history of the genre. Now, the pop-up is steadily gaining a reputation as a premiere event for Polynesian-themed drink enthusiasts in the area, with patrons coming in from California and North Carolina to belly up to the bar for the latest Halloween-themed Spook-Tiki event.
Frank de la Cruz from Little Rituals measures a pour. He was recently Sugar Cane's guest bartender.
Amanda Oden
The two spend the previous month brainstorming and staking out the drinks including special mystery shots and non-alcoholic mocktails, and then long hours prepping the fresh ingredients and perfecting the aesthetics for each selection.
For the October event, the pair led with two rum-centric offerings. The Blood Bag Daq riffed on a traditional daiquiri but was accented with botanist gin, fig leaf simple syrup and cinnamon demerara. The Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! combined Mt. Gay Eclipse Navy Strength Rum with blue curacao, lime and Midori foam. Both were perfectly balanced, sweet but not cloying, and fit the Halloween theme. The daiquiri was packaged in an IV bag with accompanying “drip” straws, and the Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! perfectly captured the color palette of the titular Ghost with the Most.
The Blood Bag Daq, Silent Hill and Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! cocktails at the Spook-Tiki Sugar Cane event.
Zach Oden
Choiniere and Muhlstein agree the common goal is to create drinks and spaces they would enjoy, while bringing the community together.
“Tiki is silly and a little niche, but the drinks are incredibly complex and nuanced, there is so much at work in them. To find ways to balance 13 or 14 ingredients, it’s truly a challenge.” Choiniere explains.
But rising to that challenge doesn't mean the duo takes themselves or their pop-up too seriously.
“I love pop culture and music puns, and dad-joke infusions. I will craft the drinks with those concepts in mind. I feel that if you can tie something new into something familiar, it helps people take an adventurous step more comfortably. It also just makes me giggle.” Choiniere says.
There is plenty of giggling behind the bar. The two are fast friends, and, like their clientele, the bartenders came together over a shared love of tiki. For Muhlstein, that started in 2008, when he found himself in Los Angeles and frequenting the Tiki-Ti, one of the most influential of the Golden Age Tiki Bars. At the tiny 12-seat institution, Muhlstein studied the menu and process, soaking up as much “authentic” tiki knowledge as he could.
When he moved to Phoenix, that curiosity led him to connect with others in the Phoenix tiki scene. He had heard of another intensely tiki-driven bartender in the area and made it a point to introduce himself.
“I had heard of Dan through the Facebook group Tiki AZ, and then I think we connected on Instagram. But it really came together when I was doing pop-ups and somebody introduced me, and said we should work together. And they were right!” Muhlstein says.
Sugar Cane also shares the creative experience by inviting guest bartenders to collaborate. Frank de la Cruz of Little Rituals, Ricky Cubillos of Platform 18 and Undertow’s Nico Woods-Gonzalez have all been featured as special guests.
“The bars these guests represent, they are all fantastic. But they can’t always create things off-menu. We’re trying to give these folks a space to shine and go nuts with their own passion projects. Everyone benefits as a result.” Muhlstein says.
Muhlstein and Choiniere also recognized the perfect fit of Coabana’s Cuban-inspired food offerings and Sugar Cane's menu.
“We have been very lucky to partner with Kyla Hein at Coabana and bring this kind of experience to their space. They are so passionate and talented, and they take a lot of pride in replicating the foods and drinks they love and that inspire them. We feel similarly about tiki, and it’s so fun to find that overlap.” Muhlstein says.
The savory plates, including the picadillo empanadas, beans, Cubano nachos and ceviche, are natural pairings with Sugar Cane's creations, especially considering the long-standing ties between tiki and Cuba, which claims the invention of the daiquiri, a tiki classic.
As Sugar Cane, Muhlstein and Choiniere have a unified mission for the broader cocktail community which stems from their experience in the niche sub-genre of tiki bars.
“The tiki scene is very positive and passionate, and we want to extend that to the larger scene. Ultimately, we want to lift everyone up. Phoenix is getting a lot of attention nationally for what we are doing, but we are only going to be successful if we are supporting each other.” Muhlstein emphasizes.
He also reiterated the need for fostering up-and-coming creatives as a vital step in Phoenix’s rise as a drinking destination.
“Sometimes when these bartenders are working with established businesses and menus, they make amazing things, but they don’t get to stretch those creative muscles. If we don’t continue to take risks, to introduce new audiences to these talented cocktail makers, then the scene will get stale.” Muhlstein warns.
Like the best tiki drinks, there is a joyous surprise when elements you did not consider get paired together. They complement and amplify each other to bring out the best of both. As much as Choiniere and Muhlstein share their love of niche, historically complicated cocktails, they are passionate about growing the community.
"This is why we love Tiki. There’s so much to learn, so many ways to grow.” Muhlstein says. “And we have more in store.”
"What’s next for Sugarcane is an amalgamation of our favorite places. And our favorite things. And it is going to be a good time," Choiniere adds. "We’ll see, it might have to be a surprise.”
Sugar Cane at Coabana
Nov. 24 and Dec. 291 E. Washington St., #124
