From the outside, Adrift Tiki Bar and Grill looks like some elaborate Disneyland ride for adults, complete with tiki totem statues. The small wood and bamboo-paned door leading into Adrift gives hipsters and bar-goers alike a childlike thrill for all things beach-imitation. Upon walking in, customers are graciously greeted by a host who asks just one question:
“Would you like to sit near the bar or in the Brando Room?” As in Marlon Brando? Umm yes, I definitely want to do that.
To which you politely hold back your excitement, because it’s just, like cool, or whatever, at seeing the fully stocked bar and vintage hula girl menus, all surrounded by an overwhelming display of bamboo.
“Yes, yes the Brando room will do just fine.”
Located on Broadway and Cedar, Adrift is in the heart of the Broadway scene, attracting hipsters, businessmen, college grads and anyone with a soft spot for the best Mai Tai in Denver. Opening last spring with front and back patios perfect for hot summer nights, Adrift has proved its staying power with its ability to stave off the mountain chill of winter with an idyllic Hawaiian dream.
Passing multiple secluded booths, you are led into the Brando Room where a larger-than-life movie poster from the 1962 film “Mutiny on the Bounty” oversees your drinking. A young and devastatingly handsome Marlon Brando embraces a Hawaiian beauty while pirate ships and technicolor beach waves decorate the background. All politically incorrect facets aside, it’s as kitschy and wonderful as someone who wishes they were born in 1960’s Hawaii could ask for.
The large vintage red booths in the Brando room provide plenty of space for getting close to your sweetheart or talking with friends over fruity and incredibly strong drinks. Priced between $7 and $14, the drinks are magnificent, beautifully presented and use only the finest alcohol – therefore, prepare for your wallet to ache.
Even so, it’s worth every penny. Adrift is all about the atmosphere and the experience. Large windows with huge wood-paned shutters gaze onto busy Broadway where countless beautiful hipsters pass by like clockwork. Paintings of hula girls embellish the walls and the Hawaiian decor encompasses blowfish lamps and bamboo everything.
With Otis Redding serenading your ears and a blended “Macadamia Nut Chi Chi” with a complementary (and real!) flower hanging over the edge of your delicate, yet deceptively large glass, prepare to familiarize yourself with bliss. Close your eyes, listen to the scratch of Adrift’s record player and let the beach wave flavors of sweet Trader Vic’s Macadamia Nut liqueur, Viking Fjord Vodka, pineapple and coconut transport you to the seaside.
And please don’t forget the tattooed, weekender Hawaiian shirts and vintage haircuts that adorn the wait staff. Informative and attentive, they leave you to drift but an eerie sixth sense causes them to reappear just as you’re convincing yourself that another “Paradise Cooler” might be in order.
The crowd at Adrift is rather varied; with an array of couples, colleagues, old friends and the like, underagers should have no fear. While the bar itself lists no closing time, the kitchen is open from 4 p.m.–9 p.m. on weekdays and until 11 p.m. on the weekends and serves up the best of beachy 1960s grub. The fun and playful decor makes Adrift worth the stab of jealousy when you see just how delectable the “Zombie” drink looks.
With drink titles that include the “Blue Hawaii,” the “Pain Killer” and the “Missionary’s Downfall,” it’s obvious that Adrift is the perfect combination of kitsch, tropical love and alcohol.
Menu items include appetizers as well as entrees. Notables include chips and guacamole, fried calamari, lemon-grass roasted chicken thigh and a chocolate and coconut milk bread pudding, which you might want to sample after realizing just how strong those drinks are.
There may be drawbacks to Adrift, such as difficult parking and the fact that it’s not light rail accessible, not to mention the bar tab made my eyes water, but it’s fairly difficult to find major fault with this place; its main purpose is to transport you to a beach and a time far far away. And honestly, even this hipster couldn’t fight back a smile of contentment while drinking a glass of blended, 1960’s beachy goodness with a purple umbrella in it. Here’s to drifting.
