An Outsider's Guide to Tiki - General Tiki

HT Hale Tiki Tiki Socialite Pittsburgh Joined: Oct 19, 2004 Posts: 1799	HT Hale Tiki Posted posted on Thu, Jun 20, 2013 7:22 AM An Outsider’s Guide to Tiki, or The Simple Guide to the Sophisticated Savage. by Lucky Tiki: proper noun. The First Man on Earth. A carved image, of a god or ancestor, worn as a pendant around the neck, or as a statue. There are a lot of misconceptions about “Tiki.” The decline of Polynesian Pop in music, popular culture, cocktail culture, and the restaurant industry gave way to an influx of “get drunk and listen to bad music ‘island’ ‘culture’” that has likely clouded your vision of what Tiki is. When you think of Tiki, your first thought may be of Jimmy Buffet or a bad Hawaiian trope that you recall from a movie or TV show you once saw. Maybe it was something you saw on the Brady Bunch or the latest iteration of Hawaii 5.0. Either way, the “Tiki” you saw was almost certainly a diluted or mutated form of what was once a widespread, rich, and wonderful reappropriation of Polynesian cultures that captivated America at a time in the 20th century where the country really needed a little escapism. This informal guide will serve to give you a base from which to build your knowledge of a movement that shaped American culture and has experienced a steady resurgence since the early 1990’s, thanks to a handful of dedicated people who sought to preserve the past, save what was left, and create new Tiki for others to enjoy, recapturing the spirit that was once thought to be lost forever. The preservationists and scholars have come to refer to it as Polynesian Pop. To the general public, it is known as Tiki. What is Tiki? Where did it come from? Why US? And who the hell is Trader Vic? It all started with Donn Beach, born Ernest Raymond Beaumont, a handsome young man who grew up in New Orleans and spent a few years working odd jobs in LA before the end of Prohibition. Following the end of Prohibition, and a short lived career as a bootlegger, he found himself a recently vacated tailor’s shop, and, using the knowledge and bric-a-brac he had collected during a youth spent traveling the seas, he opened his first bar. And so, Don the Beachcomber’s was born: a small bar, seating just 24 people along with a few tables here and there that became home to a hodgepodge of artifacts, environmental elements, and the cheapest, most delicious booze available – rum. Down the street, an aspiring young restaurateur named Victor Bergeron owned a themed bar known as Hinky Dink’s. Upon learning of Don’s increasing success, he is purported to have gone for a visit, taken notes, and all but immediately transformed Hinky Dink’s into Trader Vic’s - complete with a suspiciously familiar South Pacific atmosphere and a menu full of tropical rum drinks with exotic-sounding names like Scorpion, Doctor Funk of Tahiti, Tiki Puka Puka, and the legendary Mai Tai. These two friendly foes sparked a trend that would only escalate with the return of hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the Pacific Theater. Although their service was far from being all palm trees and strong drinks, they longed for a reminder of the few, carefree days they did experience in Polynesia. This nostalgia, coupled with a growing taste for fine dining and the exotic, led to Polynesian Supper Clubs and Tiki Bars in the mold of Don’s and Vic’s springing up around the country. They stuffed themselves to the brim with artifacts from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, the Marquesas Islands, and the like, blending authentic pieces with nautical décor to transport you to a far away place. Some such establishments - The Kahiki in Ohio and Kowloon in Massachusetts - were extravagant Polynesian Palaces that could seat hundreds of people at once. Others took a different approach - The Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale (which still exists in its original location today) became an oasis unto itself, offering not only the décor, drinks, and food typical of such establishments, but also a forbidden ritual that saw many imitators: The Mai Kai Mystery Drink and. As a gong sounded from far away, the male patron would sit impatiently as a beautiful, exotic maiden from Polynesia slowly approached him with a massive ceramic vessel engulfed in smoke and fire. As The Mai Kai Mystery Girl set down the gargantuan drink (meant for four) she would move close to the patron and slink away, doing an exotic dance in time with the gong. As she left, she would leave the flustered guest with a parting gift: a lei and a kiss. The experience was like nothing else available at the time. It was exotic. It was Tiki. Tiki soon cemented itself in the American consciousness - Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber established nationwide chains, and Tiki culture found itself the subject of songs, movies, and television shows. Scholars and the general public alike would learn of Tiki through the quests of Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer who set out to prove his theory that Tiki settled Polynesia from the east by setting sail from Chile in nothing more than a wooden raft. The movie The Blue Gardenia centered on a telephone operator who finds herself quickly inebriated in a Tiki bar, and upon waking up the next morning, the suspect of a murder investigation. It was directed by the legendary Fritz Lang and starred Anne Baxter, Raymond Burr, George Reeves, and featured Nat King Cole. The movie and song Blue Hawaii, from the height of Elvis’ popularity, further injected Tiki, Polynesia, and the exotic into popular culture. Composers and band leaders like Martin Denny, Les Baxter, and Arthur Lyman saw great commercial success with a type of music known as Exotica. Plane travel became more accessible, and Hawaii became the 50th state, which meant that TTiki and Polynesian culture was something that the well-to-do average Joe could actually experience first hand. Walt Disney was so invested in the idea that The Enchanted Tiki Room was designed and opened in Disneyland in 1963, sponsored by Hawaii’s Dole Food Company. The advances he made in audio-animatronics would forever change the movie industry, and even robotics. On television, there was Hawaii 5.0, Hawaii Eye, and even The Brady Bunch got in on the action by taking a trip to Hawaii. The exotic décor and drinks, coupled with exotic foods borrowed from many cultures and countries, were enough to enthrall American diners until the mid 1970’s when the Polynesian Pop craze began to die off. The Mai Tai, perhaps the most popular singular thing to come from the Tiki craze, was the subject of a long heated debate between Don and Vic, culminating in a lawsuit in 1970 that stated once and for all that Trader Vic was the originator of the Mai Tai. By that time, however, Chinese restaurants and bars all over the country were serving their own versions of the Mai Tai, all poor imitations of the original. Things remained quiet for two decades, as the long standing bars continued to operate, unimpeded by an America no longer interested in “fruity drinks and tropical décor.” In the early 90’s, however, a maelstrom of nostalgia, centered in the birthplace of Tiki culture, Los Angeles, came together to reinvigorate a number of lost American subcultures: rockabilly, swing, mid-century modern design, Tiki, and even cocktail culture. Over the next 20 some years, Tiki culture would experience a revival, mirroring that of the rise of cocktail culture. Books would be written, bars would be saved, and recipes once forgotten would be unearthed. Sven A Kirstin wrote the bible for Tiki, The Book of Tiki in 2003. Otto von Stroheim would organize Tiki themed art shows from LA to Miami. Shag would become not only the seminal artist for the Tiki revival, but several other “kitsch” based subcultures. James Teitelbaum would travel the country cataloging the last existing Tiki bars for Tiki Road Trip. The Tiki revival has been at its peak for many years now, with yearly events that bring in hundreds of attendees from around the country every year: Hukilau, Tiki Oasis, Ohana on the Lake, Hot Rod Hula Hop, Tiki Caliente, Tiki-Kon, and many others. Bands have formed across the globe to resurrect and carry on the music genres of Exotica, Surf, and their own, modern mishmashes of styles. Tiki Farm, founded in 2000, produces a veritable cornucopia of Tiki mugs, as well as many artists, who design and make small runs. Tiki Central has become the center of this culture, bringing together almost 15,000 members worldwide to discuss the culture on a daily basis. With an ever expanding fan base, and efforts to preserve it as a part of American history, Tiki shows no sign of a second decline anytime soon. What IS Tiki: Music: Arthur Lyman, Les Baxter, Martin Denny, Exotica, eden ahbez, Korla Pandit, Ixtahuele, Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica, Tikiyaki Orchestra, Don Tiki, any traditional music from any islands that lie from Rapa Nui to the East, New Zealand to the South, Hawaii to the North, and Timor/West Papua to the West, Hawaiian Steel Guitar, Robert Dransin, Elliot Easton, Augie Colon, Hilo Hattie, Roy Smeck…the list goes on and on. Some people will include Don Ho, though his music came at the decline of Polynesian Pop and represents a blend of traditional Hawaiian music and pop that satiated the influx of tourists coming to Hawaii. This type of music is known as Hapa-Haole, which literally translates to Half Outsider: a blend of English and Hawaiian. Some traditionalists in Hawaii that seek to preserve Hawaiian culture after the bastardization of the white man, or Haole, view this music as the equivalent of minstrel music to African Americans. Drinks: Blood & Sand, Mai Tai, Zombie, Painkiller, Navy Grog, Missionary’s Downfall, Vicious Virgin, Scorpion, Blue Hawaii, Chi Chi, Derby Daquiri, Doctor Funk, Fog Cutter, Fu Manchu, Pearl Diver, Planter’s Punch, Rum Barrel, Singapore Sling, Suffering Bastard, Jet Pilot. There are many, many more drinks, from both contemporary bartenders and traditional bartenders. There are also lots of rules regarding traditions, the procedures for mixing drinks, garnishes, tools, “secret” syrups, recipes, and what brands of ingredients go into what drinks (for example, a Dark & Stormy is explicitly Gosling’s Ginger Beer and Black Strap Rum. Although you cannot copyright or patent a recipe, they have the name trademarked and have been known to litigate bars that serve anything but Gosling’s in a Dark & Stormy. The litigation usually ends in the bar agreeing to use only Gosling’s.) It’s a topic that can, and has, taken many, many books to cover. There are also a plethora of bad recipes out there. Compounding matters, many recipes are secrets known only by their creators, or are carried on by family. For instance, at the Tiki Ti, which has over 40 drinks, the recipes are only known to the owner and his sons, passed along by his father, Ray Buhen, whose stories dates back to the original Tiki bar. Food: Cantonese, surprisingly. Most of the Chinese food that we have come to know in America is actually Cantonese food - a trend that was started by Trader Vic and other Tiki bars. Traditional food from Hawaii or any of the isles of Polynesia is also common. It has been adapted over the years, but Cantonese is the basis for most of it. The Pu Pu platter is a perfect example: most commonly associated with “Chinese food” restaurants, it is an item that actually originated in Tiki bars.. Clothing: Traditional garb of the islands of Polynesia, lava lavas, Beachcomber hats, Hawaiian Shirts with traditional patterns on them, vintage matched sets of swimwear, sometimes lined with terrycloth, Hawaiian dresses, muumuus, large straw hats of various particular styles, Tiki pendants, white pants, and the occasional vintage formal wear. Clothing is a hard category. Traditionally, in Polynesian Pop, the only distinguishable clothing was that of Don the Beachcomber. Guests of restaurants and owners of restaurants/bars usually wore the formal wear of the time: men in suits, women in fancy dresses. These restaurants and bars were an exotic escape, not something that was commonplace. Like getting on an airline at the time, you dressed up to go to the Polynesian Palaces of midcentury America. With the resurgence of Tiki culture, there has been a somewhat ersatz dress code established. Hawaiian shirts should be of a vintage until the 1970s. As Polynesian Pop declined, so did the availability of Hawaiian shirts on the mainland. Companies like Hilo Hattie, Ocean Pacific, and other surf companies carried on, mostly in Hawaii at the International Marketplace. Those drawn to the culture are usually also fans of Midcentury Modern, and have adapted that style of dress to the culture. Traditional garb of the islands is usually limited to those participating in floor shows that are of some type of Polynesian descent. The exception is the lava lava: a wrap that is the male equivalent of the sarong. It is worn in many Polynesian cultures, and is often worn by those who enjoy Tiki. Restaurants/Bars: Trader Vic’s, Don the Beachcomber, The Mai Kai, Hale Pele, Smuggler’s Cove, Forbidden Island, Tiki-Ti, Tonga Room, Trader Sam’s, The Kon Tiki (Tucson). Décor: Artifacts brought back from any of the islands of Polynesia, tapa cloth, glass fishing floats, fishing nets, waterfalls, exotic plants, Polynesian weapons, exotic flowers, the occasional inside of a Tall Ship, lauhala matting, Tiki masks and statues (this is very specific, and covers styles that are traditional to the various islands of Polynesia.), Tiki torches (yes, these in fact, are Tiki. They get their name from use in the Tiki bars and restaurants), Tiki mugs (there are good Tiki mugs, and bastardized versions made for the tourist trade and “Parrot Head” style Tiki bar), thatched roofs, windows to exotic tableaus that have “rain” streaming down them (see The Tiki Lounge for an example of this), A-frames, outriggers, some Witco, mermaids that swim in windows behind the bar. (see Medusirena) What ISN’T Tiki: Music: Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney, Drew’s Famous Tiki Bar Music, “frat rock,” modern electronic/lounge “exotica,” 99% of Caribbean music, reggae, Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole (with the notable exception being his traditional songs), just any old music with a ukulele, the Beach Boys and the like, and any type of karaoke, ever. Drinks: Pina Colada, Margarita, Landshark Beer, Frozen Syrupy Mixed Drinks, anything that looks like a slushy and contains nothing natural, anything you’ve had at a TGIFriday’s or chain restaurant (with the exception of Trader Vic’s, of course), Corona, flavored rums (with coconut rum being the exception. Most commercial products are crap, but home made coconut rum is easy to make), anything with a flavored vodka in it, drinks where the ingredients are in the name of the drink (Rum & Coke, for example), and lastly, Captain Morgan’s has NO place in Tiki drinks. Food: Anything Caribbean, Anything Mexican, Anything at a Jimmy Buffet Restaurant. Clothing: Flip-flops, loud obnoxious “Hawaiian” shirts (often containing things like pinup girls, scooters, surfboards, or woody wagons), sleeveless t-shrits, short shorts and bikini top, mardi gras beads, board shorts, et cetera. Restaurants/Bars: Margaritaville, Bahama Breeze, Joe’s Crab Shack. Et al. Décor: Anything from Party City, Surf Boards, Fake grass skirts/thatch, bright and colorful “Tikis,” any extremely anthropomorphic Tikis, anything at a theme park (Disneyland/world being the exception), anything Caribbean, plastic leis, et cetera. Note that some of the above may be altered, or used in conjunction with traditional items in order to make them more authentic, and thus, acceptable. Reference books: The Book of Tiki by Sven A Kirstin, Anything by Beachbum Berry, any of the Trader Vic’s books, Arts of the South Seas by Ralph Linton, Adorning the World Art of the Marquesas Islands, Tiki Quest by Duke Carter, Tiki Now! Volumes 1, 2 & 3, Waikiki Tiki by Phillip S Roberts, Night of the Tiki by Doug A Nason, Tiki Road Trip by James Teitelbaum, Tiki Modern by Sven A Kirstin, Trader Vic’s Tiki Party, Any book that involves Don the Beachcomber and Arnold Bitner, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails (Although not specifically Tiki, it covers some of the drinks and their history). Artists: LeRoy Schmaltz, Shag, Crazy Al, Squid, Benzart, Doug Horne, Robert Jiminez, John Mulder, Wendy Cevola, MunkTiki, Tiki Diablo, Notch, Eric October, Basement Kahuna, Ocea Otica, Lake Surfer, Bosko, Gecko, and a host of incredibly talented artists who attend events every year, as well as post their work on Tiki Central. For further reading see TikiCentral.com, the Internet’s oldest and largest Tiki forum, Ooga-Mooga the only repository for Tiki mug collections, and CriTiki, THE guide to Tiki bars in the world. For images, video, music, or any other information, [email protected]. [ Edited by: Hale Tiki 2013-06-20 09:47 ]

An Outsider’s Guide to Tiki, or The Simple Guide to the Sophisticated Savage. by Lucky

Tiki: proper noun. The First Man on Earth. A carved image, of a god or ancestor, worn as a pendant around the neck, or as a statue.

There are a lot of misconceptions about “Tiki.” The decline of Polynesian Pop in music, popular culture, cocktail culture, and the restaurant industry gave way to an influx of “get drunk and listen to bad music ‘island’ ‘culture’” that has likely clouded your vision of what Tiki is. When you think of Tiki, your first thought may be of Jimmy Buffet or a bad Hawaiian trope that you recall from a movie or TV show you once saw. Maybe it was something you saw on the Brady Bunch or the latest iteration of Hawaii 5.0. Either way, the “Tiki” you saw was almost certainly a diluted or mutated form of what was once a widespread, rich, and wonderful reappropriation of Polynesian cultures that captivated America at a time in the 20th century where the country really needed a little escapism.

This informal guide will serve to give you a base from which to build your knowledge of a movement that shaped American culture and has experienced a steady resurgence since the early 1990’s, thanks to a handful of dedicated people who sought to preserve the past, save what was left, and create new Tiki for others to enjoy, recapturing the spirit that was once thought to be lost forever. The preservationists and scholars have come to refer to it as Polynesian Pop. To the general public, it is known as Tiki.

What is Tiki? Where did it come from? Why US? And who the hell is Trader Vic?
It all started with Donn Beach, born Ernest Raymond Beaumont, a handsome young man who grew up in New Orleans and spent a few years working odd jobs in LA before the end of Prohibition. Following the end of Prohibition, and a short lived career as a bootlegger, he found himself a recently vacated tailor’s shop, and, using the knowledge and bric-a-brac he had collected during a youth spent traveling the seas, he opened his first bar. And so, Don the Beachcomber’s was born: a small bar, seating just 24 people along with a few tables here and there that became home to a hodgepodge of artifacts, environmental elements, and the cheapest, most delicious booze available – rum.

Down the street, an aspiring young restaurateur named Victor Bergeron owned a themed bar known as Hinky Dink’s. Upon learning of Don’s increasing success, he is purported to have gone for a visit, taken notes, and all but immediately transformed Hinky Dink’s into Trader Vic’s - complete with a suspiciously familiar South Pacific atmosphere and a menu full of tropical rum drinks with exotic-sounding names like Scorpion, Doctor Funk of Tahiti, Tiki Puka Puka, and the legendary Mai Tai.

These two friendly foes sparked a trend that would only escalate with the return of hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the Pacific Theater. Although their service was far from being all palm trees and strong drinks, they longed for a reminder of the few, carefree days they did experience in Polynesia. This nostalgia, coupled with a growing taste for fine dining and the exotic, led to Polynesian Supper Clubs and Tiki Bars in the mold of Don’s and Vic’s springing up around the country. They stuffed themselves to the brim with artifacts from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, the Marquesas Islands, and the like, blending authentic pieces with nautical décor to transport you to a far away place. Some such establishments - The Kahiki in Ohio and Kowloon in Massachusetts - were extravagant Polynesian Palaces that could seat hundreds of people at once. Others took a different approach - The Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale (which still exists in its original location today) became an oasis unto itself, offering not only the décor, drinks, and food typical of such establishments, but also a forbidden ritual that saw many imitators: The Mai Kai Mystery Drink and. As a gong sounded from far away, the male patron would sit impatiently as a beautiful, exotic maiden from Polynesia slowly approached him with a massive ceramic vessel engulfed in smoke and fire. As The Mai Kai Mystery Girl set down the gargantuan drink (meant for four) she would move close to the patron and slink away, doing an exotic dance in time with the gong. As she left, she would leave the flustered guest with a parting gift: a lei and a kiss. The experience was like nothing else available at the time. It was exotic. It was Tiki.

Tiki soon cemented itself in the American consciousness - Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber established nationwide chains, and Tiki culture found itself the subject of songs, movies, and television shows. Scholars and the general public alike would learn of Tiki through the quests of Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer who set out to prove his theory that Tiki settled Polynesia from the east by setting sail from Chile in nothing more than a wooden raft. The movie The Blue Gardenia centered on a telephone operator who finds herself quickly inebriated in a Tiki bar, and upon waking up the next morning, the suspect of a murder investigation. It was directed by the legendary Fritz Lang and starred Anne Baxter, Raymond Burr, George Reeves, and featured Nat King Cole. The movie and song Blue Hawaii, from the height of Elvis’ popularity, further injected Tiki, Polynesia, and the exotic into popular culture. Composers and band leaders like Martin Denny, Les Baxter, and Arthur Lyman saw great commercial success with a type of music known as Exotica. Plane travel became more accessible, and Hawaii became the 50th state, which meant that TTiki and Polynesian culture was something that the well-to-do average Joe could actually experience first hand. Walt Disney was so invested in the idea that The Enchanted Tiki Room was designed and opened in Disneyland in 1963, sponsored by Hawaii’s Dole Food Company. The advances he made in audio-animatronics would forever change the movie industry, and even robotics. On television, there was Hawaii 5.0, Hawaii Eye, and even The Brady Bunch got in on the action by taking a trip to Hawaii.

The exotic décor and drinks, coupled with exotic foods borrowed from many cultures and countries, were enough to enthrall American diners until the mid 1970’s when the Polynesian Pop craze began to die off. The Mai Tai, perhaps the most popular singular thing to come from the Tiki craze, was the subject of a long heated debate between Don and Vic, culminating in a lawsuit in 1970 that stated once and for all that Trader Vic was the originator of the Mai Tai. By that time, however, Chinese restaurants and bars all over the country were serving their own versions of the Mai Tai, all poor imitations of the original. Things remained quiet for two decades, as the long standing bars continued to operate, unimpeded by an America no longer interested in “fruity drinks and tropical décor.”

In the early 90’s, however, a maelstrom of nostalgia, centered in the birthplace of Tiki culture, Los Angeles, came together to reinvigorate a number of lost American subcultures: rockabilly, swing, mid-century modern design, Tiki, and even cocktail culture. Over the next 20 some years, Tiki culture would experience a revival, mirroring that of the rise of cocktail culture. Books would be written, bars would be saved, and recipes once forgotten would be unearthed. Sven A Kirstin wrote the bible for Tiki, The Book of Tiki in 2003. Otto von Stroheim would organize Tiki themed art shows from LA to Miami. Shag would become not only the seminal artist for the Tiki revival, but several other “kitsch” based subcultures. James Teitelbaum would travel the country cataloging the last existing Tiki bars for Tiki Road Trip. The Tiki revival has been at its peak for many years now, with yearly events that bring in hundreds of attendees from around the country every year: Hukilau, Tiki Oasis, Ohana on the Lake, Hot Rod Hula Hop, Tiki Caliente, Tiki-Kon, and many others. Bands have formed across the globe to resurrect and carry on the music genres of Exotica, Surf, and their own, modern mishmashes of styles. Tiki Farm, founded in 2000, produces a veritable cornucopia of Tiki mugs, as well as many artists, who design and make small runs. Tiki Central has become the center of this culture, bringing together almost 15,000 members worldwide to discuss the culture on a daily basis. With an ever expanding fan base, and efforts to preserve it as a part of American history, Tiki shows no sign of a second decline anytime soon.

What IS Tiki:

Music: Arthur Lyman, Les Baxter, Martin Denny, Exotica, eden ahbez, Korla Pandit, Ixtahuele, Mr. Ho’s Orchestrotica, Tikiyaki Orchestra, Don Tiki, any traditional music from any islands that lie from Rapa Nui to the East, New Zealand to the South, Hawaii to the North, and Timor/West Papua to the West, Hawaiian Steel Guitar, Robert Dransin, Elliot Easton, Augie Colon, Hilo Hattie, Roy Smeck…the list goes on and on.

Some people will include Don Ho, though his music came at the decline of Polynesian Pop and represents a blend of traditional Hawaiian music and pop that satiated the influx of tourists coming to Hawaii. This type of music is known as Hapa-Haole, which literally translates to Half Outsider: a blend of English and Hawaiian. Some traditionalists in Hawaii that seek to preserve Hawaiian culture after the bastardization of the white man, or Haole, view this music as the equivalent of minstrel music to African Americans.

Drinks: Blood & Sand, Mai Tai, Zombie, Painkiller, Navy Grog, Missionary’s Downfall, Vicious Virgin, Scorpion, Blue Hawaii, Chi Chi, Derby Daquiri, Doctor Funk, Fog Cutter, Fu Manchu, Pearl Diver, Planter’s Punch, Rum Barrel, Singapore Sling, Suffering Bastard, Jet Pilot.

There are many, many more drinks, from both contemporary bartenders and traditional bartenders. There are also lots of rules regarding traditions, the procedures for mixing drinks, garnishes, tools, “secret” syrups, recipes, and what brands of ingredients go into what drinks (for example, a Dark & Stormy is explicitly Gosling’s Ginger Beer and Black Strap Rum. Although you cannot copyright or patent a recipe, they have the name trademarked and have been known to litigate bars that serve anything but Gosling’s in a Dark & Stormy. The litigation usually ends in the bar agreeing to use only Gosling’s.) It’s a topic that can, and has, taken many, many books to cover. There are also a plethora of bad recipes out there. Compounding matters, many recipes are secrets known only by their creators, or are carried on by family. For instance, at the Tiki Ti, which has over 40 drinks, the recipes are only known to the owner and his sons, passed along by his father, Ray Buhen, whose stories dates back to the original Tiki bar.

Food: Cantonese, surprisingly. Most of the Chinese food that we have come to know in America is actually Cantonese food - a trend that was started by Trader Vic and other Tiki bars. Traditional food from Hawaii or any of the isles of Polynesia is also common. It has been adapted over the years, but Cantonese is the basis for most of it. The Pu Pu platter is a perfect example: most commonly associated with “Chinese food” restaurants, it is an item that actually originated in Tiki bars..

Clothing: Traditional garb of the islands of Polynesia, lava lavas, Beachcomber hats, Hawaiian Shirts with traditional patterns on them, vintage matched sets of swimwear, sometimes lined with terrycloth, Hawaiian dresses, muumuus, large straw hats of various particular styles, Tiki pendants, white pants, and the occasional vintage formal wear.

Clothing is a hard category. Traditionally, in Polynesian Pop, the only distinguishable clothing was that of Don the Beachcomber. Guests of restaurants and owners of restaurants/bars usually wore the formal wear of the time: men in suits, women in fancy dresses. These restaurants and bars were an exotic escape, not something that was commonplace. Like getting on an airline at the time, you dressed up to go to the Polynesian Palaces of midcentury America. With the resurgence of Tiki culture, there has been a somewhat ersatz dress code established. Hawaiian shirts should be of a vintage until the 1970s. As Polynesian Pop declined, so did the availability of Hawaiian shirts on the mainland. Companies like Hilo Hattie, Ocean Pacific, and other surf companies carried on, mostly in Hawaii at the International Marketplace. Those drawn to the culture are usually also fans of Midcentury Modern, and have adapted that style of dress to the culture. Traditional garb of the islands is usually limited to those participating in floor shows that are of some type of Polynesian descent. The exception is the lava lava: a wrap that is the male equivalent of the sarong. It is worn in many Polynesian cultures, and is often worn by those who enjoy Tiki.

Restaurants/Bars: Trader Vic’s, Don the Beachcomber, The Mai Kai, Hale Pele, Smuggler’s Cove, Forbidden Island, Tiki-Ti, Tonga Room, Trader Sam’s, The Kon Tiki (Tucson).

Décor: Artifacts brought back from any of the islands of Polynesia, tapa cloth, glass fishing floats, fishing nets, waterfalls, exotic plants, Polynesian weapons, exotic flowers, the occasional inside of a Tall Ship, lauhala matting, Tiki masks and statues (this is very specific, and covers styles that are traditional to the various islands of Polynesia.), Tiki torches (yes, these in fact, are Tiki. They get their name from use in the Tiki bars and restaurants), Tiki mugs (there are good Tiki mugs, and bastardized versions made for the tourist trade and “Parrot Head” style Tiki bar), thatched roofs, windows to exotic tableaus that have “rain” streaming down them (see The Tiki Lounge for an example of this), A-frames, outriggers, some Witco, mermaids that swim in windows behind the bar. (see Medusirena)

What ISN’T Tiki:

Music: Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney, Drew’s Famous Tiki Bar Music, “frat rock,” modern electronic/lounge “exotica,” 99% of Caribbean music, reggae, Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole (with the notable exception being his traditional songs), just any old music with a ukulele, the Beach Boys and the like, and any type of karaoke, ever.

Drinks: Pina Colada, Margarita, Landshark Beer, Frozen Syrupy Mixed Drinks, anything that looks like a slushy and contains nothing natural, anything you’ve had at a TGIFriday’s or chain restaurant (with the exception of Trader Vic’s, of course), Corona, flavored rums (with coconut rum being the exception. Most commercial products are crap, but home made coconut rum is easy to make), anything with a flavored vodka in it, drinks where the ingredients are in the name of the drink (Rum & Coke, for example), and lastly, Captain Morgan’s has NO place in Tiki drinks.

Food: Anything Caribbean, Anything Mexican, Anything at a Jimmy Buffet Restaurant.

Clothing: Flip-flops, loud obnoxious “Hawaiian” shirts (often containing things like pinup girls, scooters, surfboards, or woody wagons), sleeveless t-shrits, short shorts and bikini top, mardi gras beads, board shorts, et cetera.

Restaurants/Bars: Margaritaville, Bahama Breeze, Joe’s Crab Shack. Et al.

Décor: Anything from Party City, Surf Boards, Fake grass skirts/thatch, bright and colorful “Tikis,” any extremely anthropomorphic Tikis, anything at a theme park (Disneyland/world being the exception), anything Caribbean, plastic leis, et cetera.

Note that some of the above may be altered, or used in conjunction with traditional items in order to make them more authentic, and thus, acceptable.

Reference books: The Book of Tiki by Sven A Kirstin, Anything by Beachbum Berry, any of the Trader Vic’s books, Arts of the South Seas by Ralph Linton, Adorning the World Art of the Marquesas Islands, Tiki Quest by Duke Carter, Tiki Now! Volumes 1, 2 & 3, Waikiki Tiki by Phillip S Roberts, Night of the Tiki by Doug A Nason, Tiki Road Trip by James Teitelbaum, Tiki Modern by Sven A Kirstin, Trader Vic’s Tiki Party, Any book that involves Don the Beachcomber and Arnold Bitner, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails (Although not specifically Tiki, it covers some of the drinks and their history).

Artists: LeRoy Schmaltz, Shag, Crazy Al, Squid, Benzart, Doug Horne, Robert Jiminez, John Mulder, Wendy Cevola, MunkTiki, Tiki Diablo, Notch, Eric October, Basement Kahuna, Ocea Otica, Lake Surfer, Bosko, Gecko, and a host of incredibly talented artists who attend events every year, as well as post their work on Tiki Central.

For further reading see TikiCentral.com, the Internet’s oldest and largest Tiki forum, Ooga-Mooga the only repository for Tiki mug collections, and CriTiki, THE guide to Tiki bars in the world.

For images, video, music, or any other information, [email protected].

[ Edited by: Hale Tiki 2013-06-20 09:47 ]

Post #682924 by Hale Tiki on Thu, Jun 20, 2013 7:22 AM