The jazz stops at the Acey Deucey Club. Finn rushes towards the stage, interrupting the captain’s soulful song. “We have a problem,” Finn proclaims, trying to catch her breath. “There’s more people on board than what’s on the manifest.” The captain scoffs at this proposal, but Finn remains stern. The realization that someone has snuck aboard this US Secret Weapon disguised as a swanky submarine tiki party washes over the captain’s face. “It’s me!” a voice rings out from the crowd, breaking the tension. The captain looks out at a man in a tiki shirt. “You, sir, have a wrist band meaning you clearly paid for your ticket.” The audience laughs, as the female captain eyes a woman in the crowd. “You look suspicious–why don’t you join me in the back for a little interrogation?” She selects three more men and women–then retires to the back, yelling behind her: “Finn, I leave the rest to you.”

All Aboard the Acey Deucey Club

Acey Deucey Club is a submarine tiki-themed party presented & produced by Fever, created by Cinereal Productions (The Unbrunch), and sponsored by Clever Fox Rums, offering exceptional rum-based tiki drinks, a great band, and some light immersive elements, including small group interactions from some of the characters. Lasting 1.5 hours (or 2 with VIP), Acey Deucey Club invites audiences of up to 100 people to descend 300-ft below sea level and enjoy cocktails while listening to a talented jazz band with three different singers. Each guest is given an assigned seat and remains in their area for the majority of the experience, but for those with immersive proclivity, you may interact with characters and get pulled into group tours of three to four themed areas of the USS Clusterwink.

Tiki Drinks

The main sell of the Acey Deucey Club is the tiki drinks—and wow, they do not disappoint. As a tiki drink fan, I can easily say that these are some of the best drinks I have had. They are a perfect balance of sweet, yet boozy, and are enough to provide a strong buzz by the end of the evening (with the VIP’s fourth cocktail). While the idea of four drinks in two hours did seem daunting prior, the VIP-cocktail is provided in a flask that you get to keep, so you don’t need to drink all of it during the experience and can save some for later, and the entry drink is a shot—aptly named Polly Wanna Shot.  Each drink is also served in its own tiki mug or flask to fit its theme, only adding to the ambiance.

The VIP cocktail is entitled Captain’s Grog and combines black tea, ginger, lime, crème de cacao, and two types of rum to provide a nice gingery spice to my favorite drink of the evening. It’s served in the half an hour prior to the experience opening and can be enjoyed now, or saved for later.

As audiences enter the USS Clusterwink, they are greeted with a shot in ceramic parrot. Polly Wanna Shot mixes Clever Fox rum, falernum, absinthe, and orange juice with some sweetness added by simple syrup. The mixture created a tropical taste that reminded us of guava—despite having no guava in it.

After being seated, the next drink is brought out: the Skipper’s Sipper. Campari, rum, pineapple juice, simple syrup, and molasses bitters provide a layered experience with this tiki cocktail. To further differentiate it, the drink comes chilled, with a bit of slush to provide a nice icy mouthfeel.

The final drink offers you a choice—and the only choice you’ll need to make the entire evening—between two drinks. Sea Horsin’ Around is a Coconut colada and the sweeter of the two, offering two rums, simple syrup, coconut, pineapple, and blue curacao. It’s creamy, it’s sweet, and it went down way too easy. The alternative is Monkey See Monkey Do, a coffee colada, that replaces the pineapple and blue curacao with cold brew coffee and banana liquor. I love anything with a coffee banana flavor, and this was my second favorite of the night.

The USS Clusterwink

The USS Clusterwink is your home for the experience is able to capture the vibe of a dreamy, smokey jazz club in a rather large submarine. LED panels and portholes line the walls of the main hall, showcasing the submarine in port, and helping simulate its descent 300 ft below sea level. Various aquatic life can be viewed from the windows, providing a great game to play with friends—and if you see anything exciting, be sure to tell Finn.

Beyond the LED screens—the Acey Deucey Club is dark and atmospheric, with deep colored lights residing in the haze of the room. The lights shift from navy blues to crimson reds, bathing the room in a constant vibe. Most of the lighting is provided by the flicker of lanterns placed at each table.

Caught sharks hang from the ceiling, netting decorates booths, and South Pacific inspired pictures adorn the walls. These all perfectly compliment the jazzy mood of the band, all coalescing in the perfect backdrop for tiki drinks with friends and loved ones. For added details, the switches and panels on the command center seats activate lights—and each seat comes with a coaster with the Acey Deucey club logo and the USS Clusterwink snail on the back.

A Crew of Seapeople

While the interactivity here is on the lighter side, there are three notable characters to provide engagement. If immersive interactivity is your proclivity, then we recommend you sit on the right side of the experience and try to talk to as many characters as you can, even if you have to speak to them as they pass by you. This will help differentiate you from the other audience members and make sure you are pulled for the group interactions.

The Captain lends her voice to most of the performances during your evening—and if you’re lucky, she may dedicate a song or two to you, singing directly to you. But if you want more immersion, she does select four audience members to be interrogated when the light narrative reaches its climax. While we were not selected, we expect that the inside was a silly and probably humorous take on an interrogation, mirroring the fun, lighthearted vibe of the rest of the performance.

Finn is the second in command and is more than happy to provide tours of the submarine to small groups of 2-6 at a time. This ranges from the bunks to the consignment store to the interrogation room. She fills the journey with plenty of fun facts (the Clusterwink is named after the bioluminescent snail!) and some fun puns. Her blend of goofy excitement and proficient dedication is reminiscent of Leslie Knope. Yet, she truly shines when she takes the stage for a song, showcasing her true talent.

The final character of the experience is Ginger Bellefonte, using the pseudonym Flora Godfried. Dressed in her most elegant attire, Flora stumbles around the submarine, ready to tell seafarers a secret. The most mysterious guest, she provides some laughs with her demeanor and narcissism. Praise her, catch her eye, and perhaps she’ll tell you her secret too.

While there are only three notable characters, the engineers—who deliver the drinks—provide some of the best interactivity and engagement (especially since they are not needed on stage for any songs). These engineers include Hank, who has been trying to snag a date with Dottie for the past six months, and another engineer with a long beard who wonderfully welcomed every guest and recalled moments of their backstory when they arrived.

Finally, while not a character, the band deserves so much recognition in this. They are incredible. I would attend any late-night jazz club they are performing at, especially if it serves drinks half as good as this. With keyboard, drums, and a standing bass, the band feels full and resonate, especially with the mood of the night. Their songs range from jazz to tiki to even a rendition of “My Heart Will Go On” from the film Titanic.

To VIP or not to VIP?

Acey Deucey Club offers a VIP ticket beyond their normal ticket—and the VIP is completely worth it in my opinion. So, what does the VIP offer? Four main things: 1) it allows you to enter 30 minutes early, 2) it adds a fourth cocktail to your night, 3) it gives you an Acey Deucey branded flask, and 4) it allows you to pick your seats before the general audiences. Bluntly, the half-an-hour early access offers little to guests beyond prolonging the experience. It places guests in a waiting room with a flask filled with the Captain’s Grog, a ginger-spiced cocktail that was our group’s favorite of the evening. The décor is minimal with seating and a 1960’s television set explaining the event. There’s no character interaction here, and not much to do beside talk with your group. So why is the VIP worth it then? Well, first, the Captain’s Grog is fantastic; second, the flask is high quality (yet very susceptive to fingerprints); and third, you can select your seats—and some are much better than others. There are three, more private cabanas in the back that give you the best view over the entire experience. We obtained the cabana in the back right corner and absolutely loved it. You’ll need a group of 3 to 4 to select it though. Larger or smaller groups may not be able to select these intimate areas. Just make sure you line up 15-20 minutes before to get first pick of seats on the USS Clusterwink.

What’s in a Name?

Also, I found the name Acey Deucey Club to be a clever, multilayered choice. First, Acey Deucey refers to a dice combination in the game of Backgammon. As the true purpose of the submarine must be kept a secret, the captain asks that if anyone asks, all who attend “were just playing backgammon.” Thus, a nod to the game would make sense. But if you look further, Acey and Deucey refers to nicknames of the officers in the Navy, showcasing that this is mainly a story about the captain and Finn. But Acey Deucey can also be slang for AC-DC, bisexual, or bisexuality. While only touched upon, the captain clearly prefers the women in the audience to the men—and having an openly gay captain in the US Navy helps showcase the freedom found at the bottom of the sea.

Final Thoughts

Acey Deucey is a 1.5-to-2-hour tiki party that offers 3-4 incredible cocktails with a jazzy band and some fun character interactions. But the beauty is more than the details. Acey Deucey is an escapist dream, allowing audiences to envelope themselves in the dreamy fog and neon lights of the USS Clusterwink as they sip on spiced rum and coconut cream and fill their ears with the deep bass line of a jazz band. It’s a moment of respite among the chaos above the ocean waves, and ultimately, a memorable night among friends. If you love tiki drinks, if you love live music, and if you love bringing your friends together for something off the beaten path, then the Acey Deucey is a must-see experience. Just remember, you were only playing Backgammon.

For more information on the Acey Deucey Club, check out their website or the ticket site. For information about similar events, check out our Event Calendar.

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