Local Lowdown: Carrying a Torch for Tiki Drinks

High Roller Tiki Lounge seating area, courtesy High Roller Tiki Lounge.

High Roller Tiki Lounge seating area, courtesy High Roller Tiki Lounge.

By Leslie Dinaberg

Entering Solvang’s High Roller Tiki Lounge is like taking a trip back to the mid-century era of kitsch culture—perhaps an episode of Mad Men on a tropical vacation crossed with a visit to Disneyland’s Tiki Room. This clever concept shouldn’t be a surprise, given that owner Michael Cobb had a 17-year career with Disneyland before relocating to Solvang in 2007 to found Sort This Out Cellars wine-tasting room, another kitschy charmer inspired by the Rat Pack era when men were men and real women had curves.

High Roller Tiki Lounge, located in the intimate back room of Sort This Out Cellars, is a dimly lit tropical oasis with immaculate attention to detail. The décor offers something to amuse on every available surface, including hula-dancer tchotchkes, a wood-carved “Witco” bar and a replica of P.T. Barnum’s “Feejee Mermaid.” Custom-made swizzle sticks and mermaid mugs also set the stage for a fun array of classic inspired Tiki “Winetails,” ranging from tweaks on the traditional “Mai Tai” and “Blue Hawaiian” to the more adventurous “Solvang Siren” and “This Drink Will Get you Lei’d,” in which, yes, a necklace of flowers does indeed appear when you order it!

This whimsical spin on Tiki bars is a great way to make your Solvang experience even more international—and more fun! 

High Roller Tiki Lounge, 1636 Copenhagen Dr., Solvang, highrollertiki.com.

Originally published in the Summer 2017 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.