Strong Water Anaheim sits behind an unmarked door, its interior conceived as the hull of the Brig Strong Water, a ship lost at sea in 1884. The arc roof evokes the inside of an upside-down vessel, and every corner of the space is built to support that fiction. Guests are greeted with the scent of orange blossoms on arrival – a tribute to Anaheim’s history as an orange grove region – and first-time visitors are given a guided tour of the wreckage before being seated. Each service begins with the manager calling “Strive for excellence!” and the team responding “Every day!” before the doors open. Small brass plates throughout the space commemorate industry legends who have visited. The 32-page cocktail menu is designed as a nautical field journal, complete with QR codes linking to in-bar video shorts that expand on the shipwreck lore.

The two gender-neutral bathrooms each carry their own identity. The War Room features paintings of battles and shipwrecks alongside a chandelier and a door fitted with a dozen slide locks. The Blue Room has dark navy walls and gold-framed mirrors, with a hand-stitched sign made by one of the owner’s mothers. Guests wash their hands at ornate copper sinks set into a polished driftwood table. The hallway leading to the restrooms is designed to resemble a cave, with sounds of dripping water and crickets and the scent of an ocean breeze.

The cocktail programme is rooted in rum, with standout back bar selections including Worthy Park Single Estate, Foursquare limited releases, and Velier collaborations alongside the bar’s own Lost Voyage Rum – a custom Demerara blend developed exclusively in partnership with Hamilton Rums. Campari is infused in-house with Arabica coffee beans, and select cocktails are smoked over applewood chips tableside. All syrups are made in-house daily, all citrus is cold-pressed fresh each morning, and superjuice techniques are being developed to extend citrus life and reduce waste. Ice is shaped to fit specific glassware where needed, with Kold-Draft cubes for shaken and stirred drinks, crushed and pebble for tiki-style serves, and large format clear cubes for spirit-forward selections. Garnishes are treated as part of the storytelling – bundled with straws to hit the nose before the first sip, with charred cinnamon sticks, edible flowers, and carved pineapple leaves all prepared and angled by hand.

Pens, menus, coasters, and swizzle sticks are offered for guests to take home. Celebrating guests receive complimentary daiquiri shots on arrival. The bar’s exclusive beer collaboration with Bottle Logic Brewing produces Meihana Madness, brewed specifically for Strong Water. The bar works with the Illumination Foundation on housing and meals for the unhoused, joins Green Bird Anaheim city cleanup events, supports Another Round Another Rally for hospitality workers in need, and donates to MOMS Orange County.