Smoke rises from a glass of brightly colored liquid and fruit, disappearing among a backdrop of bamboo-lined walls and ceramic Tiki mugs at Porco Lounge and Tiki Room. Before owner Stefan Was opened the Ohio City spot in October, he visited Tiki bars in California and the Virgin Islands to help devise the enormous menu of original craft cocktails and classics such as the hurricane ($12.50). The tart mixture of passion fruit juice and dark Jamaican rum, inspired by the New Orleans bar Pat O'Brien's where it originated, is just one example of how Was is using house-made juices and specialty rums to revive the art of Polynesian drinks. "It's often just pineapple juice and any cheap rum, but these cocktails have such providence," Was says. "We've unearthed a lot of original recipes." 2527 W. 25th St., Cleveland, 216-802-9222, porcolounge.com
Paradise City
food & drink
12:00 AM EST
July 22, 2014