Party like Tacoma Cabana: Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA

Tacoma Cabana, nestled in Tacoma’s hip lower Pacific Avenue, offers a waggish combination of strategic lighting, dangling blowfish, bamboo, Hawaiian textiles and just enough kitschy accents to conjure up a live rendition of “Tiny Bubbles” and scream for a Scorpion Bowl. Co-owner and fez-topped Jason Alexander, armed with recipes from Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber, pours scratch tropical craft concoctions incorporating his own ideas, infusions and syrups, including a Scorpion Bowl — a giant masterpiece of multiple rums and tropical fruit juices set ablaze in the center.

It’s a beautiful thing, really.

Friends gather around his Scorpion Bowl drinking through long straws. Why long straws? We had three reasons for this: 1) It makes the drink last longer; 2) With longer straws, we don’t have to cluster too close; 3) The straws helped us avoid the “fire of death” in the center — we can’t tell you how often someone would stink up the table by charring his or her hair/eyebrows/arm hair.

Speaking of Scorpion Bowls, Stone Brewing’s IPA version of the cocktail has returned to Peaks and Pints‘ cooler. Brewed with Loral, Mandarina Bavaria and Mosaic hops, Stone Scorpion IPA has flavors of pineapple, Mandarin oranges and mango — without a single fruit harmed — balanced with pleasant sweet caramel malt.

Bring your own bowl and long straws.