A deep dive into the nautical-inspired tiki bar Strong Water Anaheim

When you walk into Strong Water Anaheim, you’re not just walking through the threshold of a kitschy tiki bar on Clementine Street. You embark on a journey into the bowels of a sunken ship. You start in the alcove where your eyes must adjust to the dimly lit bar, named for the rip currents that sank the Clementine. At 1,884 square feet, the space is small, large enough to accommodate just 50 customers on board, but that number is also built into the story. The immersive bar is a testament to creativity and every element, from the eclectic decor on the walls to the cups in which tiki cocktails are served, is full of intention.

The concept of a sinking ship, believed to have sunk in 1884, came from husband-and-wife team Ying Chang and Robert Adamson, the duo behind the Blind Rabbit, a popular speakeasy near Packing House. Inspired by the success of Blind Rabbit’s Mahalo Mondays, the couple opened Strong Water in 2019, with Adamson as spirits director and Chang as fleet commander.

“It was definitely our passion project that took us many years to collect and preserve,” Chang said.

This year, the bar was recognized at the 2024 Tales Spirited Awards for “Best Bar Team in the United States – US West” and “Best Bar and Restaurant in the United States – US West.” In April, Strong Water was named a 2024 James Beard Award nominee for “Outstanding Wine and Beverage Program,” the only Orange County establishment to earn a nomination in any category.

Chang and Adamson have over 40 years of combined bartending and hospitality experience, but it’s their dedication to details that sets Strong Water apart.

Adamson maintains that good design has a good story, and his stories are inspired by items he collected from Facebook Marketplace and other sources to outfit the bar. The atmosphere is both Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson, with a little Don the Beachcomber.

“The entire restaurant has been upcycled. We didn’t build anything new, we just used what we could get,” Adamson said.

The Clementine, the story goes, now exists inside a lava cave, turned on its side and whose interior is made up of the debris of its wreck. The cabins are made from ornate old bed frames and antique library tables. A series of exotic bird paintings that appear to be from the same artist are actually from multiple suppliers. A pink flamingo, a group of toucans and a peacock painting complete the parade of tropical chicks.

“When I first got this panting peacock, I drove to somewhere in Northern California, and I got there and it wouldn’t fit in my car,” Adamson recalls. “So I had to go back and buy another car, but it’s a nice piece.”

Each seat offers a different point of view and therefore a different experience. A bird terrarium is nestled above a particular table, visible only from that location, for example.

“I never wanted any part of the restaurant to feel like it was the worst seat in the house,” Adamson said.

Another coveted seat is the one near the “Zombie King Grotto,” the water feature that Adamson said every tiki bar is required to include.

“Any good tiki bar is supposed to have a puffer fish, a water feature and colored lights,” Adamson said.

The cave also serves as inspiration for the Zombie King cocktail, a combination of coconut, dark and Demerara rums mixed with lime, pineapple, cinnamon and walnut bitters. The Zombie King of Balacombé is a legend told through a short film of impressive production value available on YouTube. QR codes on the menu link to other Strong Waters shorts, a popular medium the couple uses to introduce new drinks and limited-edition cups and pair them with bar items.

The menu itself is a field guide of sorts, with 40 original, rum-based, brewed, and scratch-proof craft cocktails, as well as helpful tiki info, like why the tropical drinks are traditionally served over pebble ice. There are classic rum cocktails like the mai tai and the 3 Dots & A Dash, marked with an origin marker indicating who created it and where it was created.

“Did you know that the Saturn cocktail, which is a very popular cocktail, was created in Huntington Beach? Adamson asks.

Chang said that while they know not all cocktails are aimed at casual drinkers, they like to have a few deep cuts for industry people and tiki chefs.

“We have high integrity when it comes to cocktails, so everything from the juice to the syrup to the spirit is handpicked to ensure the cocktail is delicious and well-balanced,” Chang said. “But we have a few that are handpicked for the industry, for people who like something a little different.”

The menu also lists drinks made with Lost Voyage Hamilton Rum, Strong Water’s own spirit that won the bronze medal at the 2023 LA Spirits Awards.

The Asian fusion cuisine menu is overseen by executive chef Steve Kling, who features dishes like mapo tofu with mushrooms, braised in mind-numbing sichuan, furikake fries with spicy mayonnaise, and a Loco Moco burger stacked with a burger patty. wagyu, spam, fried egg and tempura onion ring.

Chang said that while tiki tends to be rum-focused, customers will find a variety of spirits at Strong Water, as well as cocktails made with vodka, gin, bourbon and tequila.

In fact, the Captain’s Quarters, a more intimate back room with a bar in the back, was originally designed as a venue for gin cocktails only. Now you can enter the quarters for any kind of drink, as long as the red light is lit above the door.

“Red on red is the nautical term for the captain is dead,” Adamson explains, “which means that otherwise you couldn’t enter his domain without asking his permission.”

In the back room, a curio cabinet is filled with tiki mugs hand-selected or gifted to Chang and Adamson, as well as original artwork commissioned to tell new stories. A painting of Admiral Horatio Nelson by a local artist, for example, inspired Strong Water’s Tappin’ the Captain mug, telling the story of a captain who allegedly died at sea. In order to give him a proper burial of that name, the real-life admiral was stored in a barrel of brandy – which seems clever, until you learn that it was not uncommon for the crew to mine barrels randomly while the captain slept to steal some. of alcohol.

“It is believed that when they arrived at their first port it was completely exposed to the air because the crew had unknowingly drunk the brandy from the barrel it was in,” Adamson said.

Legends, myths and tall tales not only bring a creative touch to the menu, but also create a way for customers to connect to the concept.

“Our cocktail program is based on stories and history, because when you hear a little bit about how this cocktail was developed many moons ago, people connect to it almost personally and feel that they are also part of the journey,” Chang said.

In the years since Adamson and Chang began their journey, they’re proud of what they’ve built together and grateful to see guests squeeze night after night into the ship’s tight spaces.

“We hope we can continue to provide this to the community for years and years to come,” Adamson said.