Beverly Hills Rooftop Bar Revives Tiki Classic

Gemma, the rooftop restaurant and bar at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, is reintroducing the Scorpion Bowl, a large-format tiki cocktail designed for communal enjoyment. This revival taps into the venue's historical connection to tiki culture, as the location previously housed a Trader Vic's from 1955 to 2017.

Jim Kearns, director of beverage at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, stated that the building's past as a Trader Vic's influenced Gemma's cocktail program. The menu features other tiki staples like the piña colada and mai tai, alongside the signature Scorpion Bowl. "The bar program is geared toward kind of fruity, refreshing cocktails that are easy to understand, easy to drink, nice on a warm day, kind of quintessentially outdoor LA," Kearns said.

The Scorpion Bowl is prepared with fresh lime, orange, and passion fruit juice, combined with orgeat, an almond syrup common in tiki drinks. The spirit base includes three types of rum, Monkey 47 gin, and Hennessy cognac. The cocktail is served over crushed ice, garnished with orchids, and accompanied by long straws.

Kearns aims for the drink to evoke a tropical atmosphere and a sense of nostalgia, while fitting with Gemma's Pan-Asian cuisine and rooftop setting. "For Kearns, the goal is part flavor, part nostalgia," the New York Post noted.