Tatsu-Ya Is Previewing Its Upcoming Tiki Bar With Cocktails Tonight

The Tatsu-ya team never rests: after debuting an ice cream shop earlier this month, next up for the restaurant group is its highly anticipated South Lamar tiki bar. To gear up for its eventual winter 2019/2020 opening, Tiki Tatsu-ya is previewing some of its cocktails during the kick-off party at Texas Tiki Week tonight, Tuesday, September 24, from noon to 9 p.m. at the Pershing, though it is unfortunately sold out.

Tiki Tatsu-ya manager Aaron Reed will whip up four cocktails for the party, with the help of new team member, assistant general manager, and bar manager Cory Starr (who had worked at beloved Chicago tiki bar Three Dots & a Dash, which is also participating in the party). Together, they’ve “refined our classic tiki drinks menu and introduce a whole slew of unique cocktails,” Reed told Eater, with original tiki cocktails and “re-imaginings of some of our old favorites.”

“The food and beverage menu,” Reed continued (chef/owner Tatsu Aikawa is helping round out the drinks menu with an eye towards complementing dishes), “honors both tiki and Hawaiian classics while inserting Japanese flavor components that are true to our company’s roots.”

For the Texas Tiki Week party, there’s the Sangre de la Sandia (Spanish for “watermelon blood”) with prickly pear and pandan leaves. The 7-Day Weekend sounds like a pineapple sour with clarified and acidulated pineapples, plus coconut ambrosia tea and coconut salt. Tiki Tatsu-ya’s mai tai take features five different rums. The Uki Dama comes with yuzu sherbet. Scope out the full list of drinks and the respective ingredients below.

Tiki Tatsu-ya’s Texas Tiki Week Party Cocktails

Sangre de la Sandia

• El Tesoro tequila
• La Maison & Velier’s clairin vaval
• Clement Canne Bleue rhum agricole
• Cocchi Rosa
• Acidulated watermelon
• Pineapple juice
• Prickly pear-pandan

7-Day Weekend

• Banana-infused Toki Suntory whisky
• Clarified acidulated pineapple
• Coconut ambrosia tea
• Coconut salt

Mai Tai Tatsu-Ya

• Habitation Velier Forsyths Worthy Park 502 single Jamaican rum
• La Maison & Velier Hampden Estate single Jamaican rum
• Clement Premiere Canne rhum agricole
• Chairman’s Reserve Forgotten Cask rum
• La Maison & Velier Clairin Le Rocher Haitian rum
• Mandarin
• Lime juice
• Orgeat

Uki Dama

• Appleton Signature Jamaican rum
• Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva rum
• Jagermeister Scharf
• Lime acid phosphate
• Clarified pineapple juice
• Falernum
• Sarsaparilla
• Yaupon tea
• Pomegranate
• Angostura bitters
• Yuzu sherbet

• Opening Party With Tiki Tatsu-Ya and Three Dots & a Dash [Texas Tiki Week]
• All Coverage of Tiki Tatsu-ya [EATX]