Post #213197 by gwenners on Tue, Feb 7, 2006 12:05 PM

I had sort of the opposite experience: when my partner and I hosted a small party with friends last Summer, I tried to keep things fairly general. While libations were ready for our favourite rum-based drinks -- and after spending some time preparing garnishes -- we did not specifically try to be much more "tiki" than that. The music mix included some exotica, but focused more on general lounge. The food was eclectic, from the astro-weenie ball down to the wasabi guacamole. Attire was casual.

This said, my friends know that such is an interest of ours, and automatically assumed that was what they were in for a living room luau. Only a couple of them have been inside of a tiki bar in their time (the Conga Lounge). To this day, people refer to it at the "tiki party." I'm not upset by this, naturally -- still, they've not seen the half of it.

To the original poster: it sounds like this was simply a culture clash. For many, the concept of a bar is he place where you drink beer and watch the game. The idea of this having any sort of sophistication is lost on 'em. In the end, it's their loss.

Cheers,
Gwen Smith