Continued from Page 6
Nielsen said. A display of the captain’s pos-
sessions above the door is “a nod to Mikey’s
attic,” he added.
Classic tropical cocktails anchor the bounty,
rubbing ice cubes with the bar’s signature
drinks. Three versions of mai tai are off ered:
the ’44 is the original, the May-2-K is a little
sweeter and infused with pineapple, and the
’85, jokes Van Dyke, is “a dive bar mai tai.”
Whether trying classics like the Blue
Hawaiian or Cobra’s Fang, or taking an
adventure with creations like the rum-based
Dead Man’s Grog, Mutant Skull and Volcano,
or the gin-centered Isle of the Dodo or Sleep-
walking Sailors, the Isle will provide.
A small food menu complements the selec-
tion of drinks. Homemade fusion pub fare
includes tots with gochujang ketchup and scal-
lions and banchan with pineapple kimchi.
“It’s generally the kind of food you’ll see
at a Tiki bar,” Nielsen said. “With a healthy
amount of vegetables,” Van Dyke added.
For the two Astoria residents, also own-
ers of the retail store Munktiki, Dead Man’s
Isle is an outgrowth and a natural progres-
sion of their respective businesses. Nielsen
has co-owned, with his father, Paul, a business
making custom Tiki-inspired mugs for bars
and restaurants.
Nielsen and Van Dyke have transformed
the building, that had formerly housed an
internet service provider and auto repair shop,
into a unique oasis. A bar and retail store
now occupy the front of the building, while
a ceramic studio and import warehouse are
located in the basement.
Hear the authors
of Eminent Oregonians
Seaside Public Library
2 p.m. • Saturday, August 20
Photos by Peter Korchnak
ABOVE: Cinnamon sprinkles top the volcano
cocktail, causing sparks to fl y. BELOW: Dead
Man’s Isle sits in a building which once
housed an internet service provider and auto
repair shop.
While Astoria boasts a number of destina-
tion breweries, Dead Man’s Isle is fast becom-
ing a destination Tiki bar. “We’ve been in
the Tiki scene for 20-plus years,” Van Dyke
said, listing recent visitors to Dead Man’s
Isle. There are people the two have met on
their journey, there are mug collectors and the
Tiki-curious.
Book signings and conversation
with the authors will be held at Beach Books at 4 p.m.
Jane Kirkpatrick, Greg Nokes and Steve Forrester
Eminent Oregonians: Three Who Matter
Abigail Scott Duniway • Richard Neuberger • Jesse Applegate
Order online: www.eomediagroup.com/books/eminent_oregonians
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2022 // 7