New Sonoma Bar Has Queens, Hawaiian Cowboys, And Good Vibes: The After Hours

SONOMA VALLEY, CA — Yes, tropical cocktails, beaded curtains, hula dancers, surfboards, and a lei-adorned Elvis might make you think Sonoma's newest alcohol-serving enclave is a tiki bar.

However, what looks like another tropical-themed bar draws its inspiration not from tiki culture, but from Hawaii's ranching traditions, the islands' deep roots in country music, and Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Whatever the bar may be, Lily's Outpost diverges from the typical wine country aesthetic — bistro sets, al fresco sipping, and pairing the perfect pour with just the right relaxed luxury atmosphere.

Lily's has just a bit of a dive bar feel. It's a place where locals can spend time in the dim, cool interior of a Sonoma County watering hole over a Jameson and ginger ale or the like (albeit with good wine for anyone who wants the stuff).

Behind the new concept is owner Sam Landrum, a veteran of San Francisco's nightlife industry who said he wanted to create a neighborhood bar where locals feel as comfortable attending a Pride celebration, listening to jazz, or humming along to a country-western classic as they do meeting friends for a quiet drink

Island in wine country

Lily's sits at 19380 Sonoma Highway like an outpost on an island. It's on a corner of the roadway just about a little over a mile short of the Sonoma Plaza.

On a late Friday afternoon, regulars occupied several barstools while a game played on the television overhead.

The sun was just beginning to dip into golden hour, and the bar filled with the distinctive summer shadows cast by beams of light just outside the front door. Outside, Sonoma Highway was just a white haze washed out by the light.

Through a beaded curtain, the patio glowed as two couples sipped cocktails while the late-day breeze swayed the trees.

Lily's occupies the former Starling Bar, which itself replaced the Blue Moon Saloon, after owners Fred Johnson and Liz Takeuchi-Krist transformed the longtime neighborhood dive into a cocktail bar known for eclectic live music, creative drinks, and a loyal local following.

The Sonoma Index-Tribune called the closing "another blow to the live music scene here in the Valley of the Tunes."

Rather than discarding that legacy, Landrum said he hopes to build on it."I really want this to be a welcoming bar," he said.

Landrum brings more than two decades of hospitality experience to Lily's.

Born in Honolulu and raised in Mānoa and Waimānalo on Oahu, he began his career managing nightclubs for SF Clubs, the entertainment company led by nightlife entrepreneur Britt Hahn, whose venues included Sound Factory, City Nights, Club X, and Rouge.

Instead of recreating the loud, high-energy nightclub environment where he built his career, Landrum said he wanted Lily's to be a relaxed neighborhood gathering place.

The entertainment calendar already includes jazz, Latin EDM, country music, Top 40, and '80s music, with larger concerts planned for the property's parking lot rather than inside the compact bar.

He said feedback from longtime patrons of the previous business convinced him that many guests wanted live music without overwhelming volume.

Hula dancers and country western

Although bamboo accents and Hawaiian imagery lead some visitors to call Lily's a tiki bar, Landrum quickly corrects them (including me).

"We're not tiki," he said during a recent interview with Patch.

Traditional tiki bars emerged in California during the 1930s, popularized by Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic with carved tiki statues, waterfalls, dramatic lighting, elaborate Polynesian décor, and rum cocktails served in decorative mugs.

Landrum intentionally avoided those hallmarks. Instead, Lily's reflects what he calls a mid-century Hawaiian aesthetic blended with Sonoma wine country and California's ranching traditions.

Lilly's logo features a hula dancer wearing a cowboy hat, a nod to Hawaii's paniolo, or cowboy, heritage.

In 1832, King Kamehameha III invited Mexican vaqueros to teach Hawaiians how to manage growing cattle herds. The Hawaiian word "paniolo" evolved from "Español," and generations of Hawaiian cowboys developed their own ranching culture on the islands.

Country music naturally followed, blending with Hawaiian musical traditions and helping influence American country music through the spread of the Hawaiian steel guitar.

Today, country music remains deeply woven into Hawaiian culture, making the combination of cowboy imagery and island heritage far less unusual than many mainland visitors realize.

The bar's name also carries historical significance. Lily's honors Queen Liliʻuokalani, who became Hawaii's last reigning monarch in 1891.

Two years later, after she sought to restore authority to the Hawaiian Kingdom and strengthen Native Hawaiian political rights, a group of North American and European businessmen overthrew her government with the support of U.S. Marines who had landed in Honolulu.

The monarchy was never restored. Instead, Hawaii was annexed by the United States in 1898 despite petitions from tens of thousands of Native Hawaiians opposing annexation.

Sonoma Valley identity

Landrum adapted the spelling to "Lily's" to give the name a Sonoma Valley identity while honoring Hawaii's last queen.

Despite his Hawaiian roots, Landrum's previous ventures were more reflective of San Francisco's Marina District nightlife.

In addition to the other venues, he co-founded Brickyard, a popular sports bar on Union Street in San Francisco's Marina District, acquired the neighborhood wine bar Ottimista Enoteca-Café, and eventually owned four restaurant and bar businesses before moving to Sonoma Valley several years ago.

Along the way, Landrum also worked as a financial advisor and became a licensed California Realtor before deciding to return to the hospitality business.

Opening the business has presented challenges beyond developing the concept.

Landrum said new regulations required extensive upgrades before Lily's could fully open, adding tens of thousands of dollars in costs that earlier generations of bar owners often avoided.

Where business transfers once allowed owners simply to change corporate ownership, today's buyers frequently encounter requirements to update accessibility features, fire safety systems, electrical and plumbing infrastructure, building code compliance, and other improvements before reopening.

"We're still working on it," Landrum said, describing a lengthy list of required improvements.

Four weeks after opening, Landrum said the focus remained on earning the community's trust before expanding further.

Lily's recently hosted a large Pride celebration, plans additional charity events, hopes to add food service in the future, and continues to recruit local musicians across a wide range of genres.

"People go where they feel comfortable," Landrum said.

The After Hours is a recurring column, written by Patch Editor Angela Woodall, where she will share her opinions on all things that happen after hours. The opinions expressed are her own. Read the most recent After Hours: Chef Spices Up Nights With Unexpected North Bay Pop-Up Dinners: The After Hours

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