Daniel “Doc” Parks got his start as the Tasting Room Manager at Orfila Vineyards in the San Pasqual Valley in North County San Diego. He moved to the Bay Area in 2011 to bartend at the Trader Vic’s Flagship Restaurant in Emeryville, CA. He was able to hone his cocktail making skills at the renowned polynesian-themed restaurant, and then spent time bartending in the San Francisco Fine Dining scene. In 2013, he joined the Future Bars group as the Bar Manager of Local Edition, a subterranean cocktail bar in the basement of the historic Hearst Building.
In 2016, Doc opened Pagan Idol, the group’s first Tiki Bar. He led the team responsible for concepting the bar's design and aesthetic, created the opening beverage program and cultivated their exceptional bar staff. Since its opening, Pagan Idol has fast gained global notoriety among the Tiki community and Rum enthusiasts alike. Two years later, with Doc again at the helm, the group opened their second Tiki Bar, Zombie Village. In addition to concepting the bar’s overall design and creating the beverage program, he also assembled a powerhouse of acclaimed tiki artists and award winning sound designers to create custom pieces and a tailormade soundtrack for the bar. As a result, Zombie Village is an astonishing feast for the senses!
When he is not behind the bar, Doc can often be found at the judges table. He has served as a judge for various competitions including the Tiki Oasis San Diego Bartender’s Battle, the Tiki Oasis Arizona Bartenders Battle, the Chairman’s Reserve Mai Tai Challenge, the American Distilling Institute’s Judging of Craft Spirits, the Bartender Spirit Awards and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. His cocktail recipes have been featured in The Complete Cocktail Manual: 285 Tips, Tricks & Recipes, a book written by Spirits writer Lou Bustamante, as well as Minimalist Tiki, written by renowned Cocktail Expert, Matt Pietrek. In 2018, Doc co-founded DDP Hospitality and has consulted on restaurant projects around the United States.