Chances are that if you have been to HULA’s Modern Tiki in Uptown on 7th Street, you may have missed their best kept secret. Hidden behind an unmarked door to the left of HULA’s main entrance, lies the 20-seat intimate tiki experience known as HULA’s Captain’s Cabin run by Valley mixologist David Muhlstein. Serving a selection of classic and modern tiki cocktails in a space that was designed to resemble a 1940’s Tahitian sailing vessel, Muhlstein sat down with me to discuss all things tiki and why the ingredients to a Mai Tai are so hotly contested. 
Marci: Many of us (including yours truly) are transplants from other states or even countries…where did you grow up and what path brought you to HULA’s?
David: I’m originally from Los Angeles, having moved here in the mid 90’s. I bounced back and forth between here and LA but found I can’t stay away from the desert…there’s something about it that’s pretty magical. I’ve been working in the [hospitality] industry for about 20 years now, serving and bartending, and landed at this HULA’s location at Uptown right after it opened in 2018. After working at HULA’s for about 5 months, the opportunity presented itself to run Captain’s Cabin and I just ran with it. But it is crazy…I am a one-man show here. I don’t have any barbacks or hosts; I’m bussing the tables, greeting the guests, and making the drinks. Needless to say, it’s been a wild four years 
Marci: I have always been a fan of tiki bars and drinks myself, and love the retro 1950’s vibe of HULA’s, and especially of Captain’s Cabin. Were you drawn to working at HULA’s for the tiki aspect of the business?
David: There’s a bar in LA called the Tiki-Ti that’s been there since ‘61. Growing up we would pop into these fun, kitschy Polynesian-themed restaurants and I remember sitting in [the Tiki-Ti] one night and it just clicked: the drinks, the ambiance, and the camaraderie of fellow tiki-philes. So I started seeking out tiki bars, and going to tiki events, and started the very expensive hobby of collecting tiki mugs. 
Marci: So you’ve been able to blend your passion with work (pun intended btw).
David: Yes. I love making cocktails, especially working with rums. I have some great regulars and customers and it’s been nice to see the recognition on Google and Yelp. Sometimes I go to tiki events and people recognize me…which grounds me and reminds me of why I do this. It’s just very nice to see and hear others appreciate it as much as I do.
Marci: Yes, speaking of Yelp, a huge congratulations to you and HULA’s Captain’s Cabin for being named one of Yelp’s 50 Top Speakeasies in the US and Canada! You are part of HULA’s, but different…can you elaborate?
David: Of course. Our sister restaurant, HULA’s in Monterey, California, has a bar like this right next door and they are open on peak days to accommodate those waiting for tables or those who just want to come in and enjoy a cocktail, so I feel like that might have been the thought process when this was created. At Captain’s Cabin, I have my own [separate] cocktail menu of Signature Drinks and Tiki Classics, plus a small Snack Menu (think fries, sliders, ceviche, potstickers) from the HULA’s kitchen. My hours are Thursday through Saturday, six to midnight. I don’t take reservations except when I do private rentals which it seems I do every month; I have a bunch of birthday parties, celebrations, and retirements. It is very affordable to rent out the whole area. 
Marci: What a great idea for a party! So, let’s get down to brass tacks and talk tiki. Can you give us a brief history lesson on the evolution of tiki drinks?
David: Yeah, there’s this misconception that tiki drinks came from Hawaii or the tropics, but they actually came from California. It basically goes back to the ‘30’s and ‘40’s with the two ‘tiki godfathers’ who started Don the Beachcomber in LA (Ernest Gantt) and Trader Vic’s in the Bay Area (Vic Bergeron). A lot of people think that tiki drinks are just sugar bombs, but there’s a lot of rum-forward tiki drinks. And you know, those two guys were ahead of their time; they were blending different rums to get this different base profile and then created cocktails around it…and no one had really ever been doing that.
Marci: Yes, I understand they are credited with inventing a lot of what we think of as tiki drinks today, like the Mai Tai, the Zombie, and the Fog Cutter. And speaking of Mai Tai’s, I have to ask, in honor of my father, what do you feel are the ingredients of a Mai Tai?
David: You know that is a tough question because it’s wild that [the recipe for] that cocktail, of all tiki cocktails, is so coveted, so protected. If you change one ingredient or add one thing, sometimes they’ll say it’s not a Mai Tai. And there’s a whole argument of who created the Mai Tai: Trader Vic or Don the Beachcomber. It has gone back and forth, but I think Trader Vic gets the credit…it showed up on his menu first.
Essentially, I’m a big fan of less is more, so I like to let the spirits shine. I feel like, honestly, you’ve got to pick a really good Jamaican rum and a really good agricole (a style of rum from sugar cane juice and not molasses), just like Trader Vic did when he created the Mai Tai in 1944. Plus some orgeat (almond syrup), an orange Curaçao, and Creole Shrubs, which is just another orange liqueur. Clement makes one with a little more depth and boozy finish. I think it rounds out the cocktail. And I don’t personally use juice other than lime juice. I just try to keep it as classic as possible.
Marci: And what if someone walks in here and doesn’t know about or care for a tiki drink?
David: I like to ask them if they have favorite spirits that they gravitate towards? Say they like bourbon, or gin, there are some great bourbon and gin tiki drinks out there. Then I’ll ask them, “When you go to a cocktail bar, what do you order? What is your flavor profile?” If they say an Old Fashioned, then I get a profile of what they tend to order and I’ll make maybe a rum old fashioned or there’s a riff on a Sidecar called an Outrigger that I think Trader Vic invented. You want to get a basis of their palette, what they gravitate towards. In Arizona, we get a lot of margarita fans so I make them a daiquiri, which is just rum, sugar, and lime. That’s usually a good introductory cocktail. And sometimes people will just come in and just say, “Surprise me.” 
Marci: And do you offer beer, wine and low-ABV cocktails?
David: Yes, I don’t want anyone to feel excluded; I try to have something for everyone, because there will always be someone who comes in who asks for a draft beer, or who doesn’t care to drink. And even though I don’t necessarily have a section on my menu for mocktails, I can easily accommodate low-ABV and mocktails…very easy. Especially with tiki, they may want something fun and tropical tasting but no alcohol. I have tons of juices and syrups and mini umbrellas…you can still have a good time and not feel left out.
HULA’s Captain’s Cabin, 5114 N 7th St #2, Phoenix, AZ 85012
Written & Photography by Marci Symington