San Francisco.

There are already an overwhelming number of highly curated guides for San Francisco. So, here lies the one locality where we will diverge from our typical formate. Instead, we will offer our expertise to recommend some of the finest exotic cocktail escapes in this - The Whitlock Lab’s Guide to the Tiki Mecca.

Large Ohana? - Pagan Idol 375 Bush St.

Great place if you don’t want a long wait for a table. Make sure to say hello to Puff Daddy. Can’t go wrong with a classic - grab a Port au Prince.

New to Tiki? - Last Rites 718 14th St.

A really cool plane crash concept. Variants of Classics - grab a namesake.

The Oaklander - The Kon Tiki 347 14th St. Oakland

Well worth the commute. Plus, this is one of the few on the list that has a great food menu as well. Get the Princess from Mars or their Zombie variant.

Modern Rebirth - Smuggler’s Cove 650 Gough St.

Much debate exists over who exactly started the tiki bar concept in the early 1930s. However, there is no debate concerning the role of James Beard Award winner Martin Cate as the driving force behind the modern rebirth of rum forward tiki drinks and exotica serenaded escapist environments. This is Cate’s flagship. Get the Rum Barrel or an Undead Gentleman.