Matthew Harrison

“I’m drawn to exotic flavors for the same reason so many other people are — because of travel,” says Matthew Harrison, bar manager at Penrose (3311 Grand Ave., Oakland).

His first passion fruit in China, a coconut in St. Lucia or the first taste of green mango in Colombia: These are the sense memories he draws upon when making a cocktail.

“When I use something like pineapple in a cocktail, it reminds me of all the unexplored beaches out there, all the cleansing waterfalls, and I think for a lot of people, it does the same.”

It’s not unusual to see a couple of tiki drinks at Penrose, or customers along the long bar enjoying a mai tai or Surfer on Acid along with their flatbread or crudo. It may not immediately connect with the Middle Eastern focus of the restaurant, but the escapist nature of the cocktails works as an accent rather than a focus of the bar.

Tiki drinks are Harrison’s way to bring levity to the bar — and also to geek out about rum. He considers tiki more of an ethos than a doctrine.

“Tiki requires a certain aesthetic, which I love to immerse myself in, but know it’s not everyone’s bag,” he says. “But I do want to momentarily take people away from the humdrum and put them at ease. I’d rather create a sessionable drink that facilitates conversation and good times than to have it be the focal point.”