Tropical Thunder

You remember those technicolor, super-sweet drinks from the ’80s — the Blue Hawaiians, Alabama Slammers, and Grape Crushes. We do, too. We also recall the hangovers they produced, which are probably best understood as a metaphor for the entire frizzy-haired decade. So naturally, we were skeptical upon learning that these cocktails are going gourmet at Daddy Jones, the new Somerville bar that will open by early July. It turns out, though, that owner Dimitra Tsourianis has given this some serious thought. “Everyone is on this movement to make really high-end craft cocktails with intricate ingredients,” she says. “Or, you can go to a bar that has shitty drinks with shitty ingredients.” Her solution? Fuse the low- and highbrow approaches into something substantial yet lighthearted. The results? A Greyhound that’s served slushie-style inside a frozen grapefruit; a take on a Sex on the Beach with muddled cranberries; and a Mudslide featuring house-made Irish cream. Against all odds, we’re suddenly happy to be headed back to the future.