The much-anticipated opening of Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge in Alameda is just around the corner — doors open to the public on Saturday, April 22. That’s next weekend! The opening event is going to be, as I described to my mother, “batshit insane, but in a good way.” The best thing about this event is that it’s not really a one-day deal… Forbidden Island will still be there in the days, weeks, months and hopefully years to come.

I’ve gotten a sneak peek at the menu, and it alone is exciting. There are a few new creations I’m dying to try, and there are a lot of old traditional cocktails that are delicious yet hard to come by in today’s bars. And knowing Martin, you can bet that he will make absolutely sure each and every drink on the menu is served right — I’ve listened (kind of) to him jabber on for seemingly hours about which Falernum is the best. “Passion” does not describe Martin’s feelings on the subject of tropical drink making — “obsession” comes a lot closer. The drinks are all going to be made with only fresh-squeezed juices, premium spirits and natural ingredients. Even their maraschino cherries are made with natural colors and flavors, and no preservatives.

But even if all they served was beer (perish the thought), it still would be the coolest tiki bar in the area, thanks to the thorough decking-out the space has received from Bamboo Ben and Martin. Martin has been shooing away any looky-loos over the past couple weeks, but when even in its half-done state it was breathtaking.

It all starts next Saturday, April 22 — if you can’t make it on opening day, be sure to visit it soon! And if you know someone who has serving experience and some cool aloha shirts, let ’em know that paradise is hiring.

• Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge
• Forbidden Island is Hiring [Critiki News]