Cleveland’s tiki scene is getting a Wisconsin makeover for one night only. Porco Lounge & Tiki Room in Tremont is handing its bar over to PufferFish, a Milwaukee rooftop tiki spot, for a Thursday takeover called Pufferfish in the Wild, with PufferFish staff working behind the bar from 6 to 10 p.m. pouring both signature drinks and tiki classics.
The collaboration was announced this week by Cleveland.com, which reported that the event runs Thursday, Aug. 6, at Porco Lounge, 2527 W. 25th St. Porco’s regular service continues alongside the takeover, with the kitchen open until 9:30 p.m. and full bar service running from 5 to 10:30 p.m., according to the outlet’s report.
PufferFish is no stranger to the industry spotlight. The Milwaukee bar, located at Hotel Metro, was nominated for Best U.S. Hotel Bar in the 2026 Spirited Awards from Tales of the Cocktail, per Cleveland.com’s reporting. The bar’s menu for the takeover includes a section dedicated to Chartreuse-based drinks, a herbal French liqueur that has become a favorite building block for modern tiki bartenders looking to riff on tradition.
A Milwaukee Bar Built From Pandemic Necessity
PufferFish did not start out as a rooftop destination. The concept launched in 2020 as an outdoor patio pop-up behind Milwaukee cocktail bar Lost Whale, created by founder JC Cunningham to keep bar staff employed during pandemic shutdowns, according to Urban Milwaukee. The pop-up proved popular enough that it grew into a permanent rooftop venue atop Hotel Metro in May 2023…