Unpopular Tiki Opinions - General Tiki

J Jürka Tiki Socialite Estland Joined: Aug 15, 2012 Posts: 139	J Jürka Posted posted on Sun, Oct 27, 2019 3:31 PM As I am the king... natural king of unpopular opinions... and this topic feels like my kingdom... my cozy home... So it would be nice of me to open my mouth here instead of elsewhere. So... Here's some of my thoughts that come to my mind at moment: Tiki Bars and Copycats I have a great respect to Donn Beach (even though I've never known him personally, I don't know all the secrets and wellknown stuff that I just haven't come to know about) and pretty much all ("pretty much all" and "all" is not the same actually) the others I could call copycats, including Trader Vic and Mai Kai). Point is that Donn Beach knew exactly what he was doing or willing to do, he had the illusion in his mind. Others thought "that's cool" and did the same. No, it's not bad to make a tiki bar, or pre-tiki exotic bar or to use same ideas etc, etc, etc, no, BUT!!! ...if we are looking into the menu... Donn Beach invented the liquid stuff and named them... He did not do much bullsht like "tropical sunshine","pacific elixir","eenie-meenie-maanie-moe"... No, he named them "Zombie","Test Pilot","Cobra's Fang","Skull and Bones","Pearl Diver" etc. Some of the names really tells the story of the drink! What did others? Own Zombie, Jet Pilot, Sidewinger's Fang, Shrunken Skull, Skin Diver... Trader Vic made its "own""Suffering Bastard", which is basically Mai Tai and has no any resemblance to real Suffering Bastard. So... You all know the story... Yes, ofcourse, same has been done to Trader Vic's Mai Tai by all the so-called cocktail bars and beach bars all over the world, I guess it's called "karma". If you're a good mixolog as they all say they are, make your own history! Don't ride on Donn's back! It's fine if the cocktail the bar has is not the best, that's fine, fine as long as it doesn't claim to be anything else that its not. Also it's fine to use somebody else's cocktails in your bar with same name and same recipe and not claiming it to be yours, that's fine. But the way it is so popular to do, kills all the respect. Menu Descriptions There's so many historical great cocktails, most of them has a great story behind them, their origin, their past etc. But... "From one of the most unknown fruits, the essencesre extracted to make up this wise mix that even gods crave drinking." ...or listen to this: "Extracted from the spring flowers nectar and mixed with the morning dew, it gets this delicate flavor that will surprise the most sophisticated palate." One more: "The Kahuna (Guardians of the Secret) discov red in the jungles of the highlands, the power of this heady elixir wisely combined with banana juice." Ok-ok, one more: "Evil sorcerer under the hot sun of the South Seas, invoked their gods through the nectar of this delicious nectar." These are some of the descriptions of the tiki cocktails from one of the tiki menus. That's from Europe, but I know it's pretty similar in USA... Something like: "The old established hearty cocktail of the Pacific." (about fake Mai Tai, by Orchids of Hawaii, 1981). In Estonia there is age-restriction for drinking alcoholic drinks... I guess there's same kinda restriction all over the world. So why to write this kind of bullsht to grown-up people??? I'm a childish, yes, I am, but nobody in legal drinking age can be THAT childish! "Under the heat of the tropics the famous sorcerer with his secret potion will teach us unknown dimensions." "Beverage used by a wicked queen so that every living being succumbs to its charms." Crushed Ice It's a "must be" of crushed ice for tiki drinks. But at home I always use only cubes. Why? At first it got very annoying to crush the ice and I don't have ice crusher. But after a while I found out that crushed ice dilutes the drink too heavily. In any bar, good one or bad one, I get the drink, it might be very good... for at first... but second half of the drink tastes like flavored water. I drink too slow? Well... Well-well, maybe. But cubes are doing their job perfectly. There's no problem to shake the liquid ice-cold. The liquid stays with cubes ice-cold till it's done and gone into my body. I see no problems to use cubes instead of crushed ice... as long as we are not talking about filling the glass to the top for a visual reasons. My small glasses are in matching size for 4...6 oz of drink and therefor it's always filled with a tastiness from top to the bottom end. There's still dilution, but just as much as it should be, does not ruin the drink. Mixologists and Bartenders There's being some arguement of who is mixolog and why all bartenders are not mixologs and usually it's mixed about talking about prestige and such bullsh....... For me I think it's very clear. Mixolog is one profession, bartender is another, different duties. Mixolog is the one who figures out recipes, who puts together the menu of the drinks, who invents cocktails or re-discovers the old ones. If you are trying to make up your own drink, doesn't matter, are you good or bad, but you are doing mixology and you are mixolog. Bartender is the one who serves clients behind the bar and mixes drinks according to recipes. Bartender can also be mixolog, but usually is not. Mixolog is same as "prestige" as medical doctor. Some doctor may kill more people (accidentially) than he saves, but he is still a doctor, not a good doctor, but still a doctor. Same with mixolog. Anyone who is interested about it, can be mixolog. It doesn't mean he's good in it, but if he does the thing, he is mixolog. Simple as that. Tiki Mugs Don't get me wrong, I like tiki mugs. I made my own tiki mugs too. I'm not good in it, but I wanted it and did it, and I'm very interested about all kind of tiki mugs, in artistic ways, in historical ways and so on. But for drinks I prefer glass. I want to SEE my drink, its color and everything. Drink in glass tastes better (not factually true, but feels that way). Glass makes the drink more valuable (not factually true, but feels that way). In mug it feels like bar is fooling you with a visual appearance. At home I still use sometimes my mugs for a drink, but not too often. I know I'm not the only one thinking that way. Tiki Art Don't get me wrong, I like tiki art. Is it paintings or garvings or mugs or decors or... what ever it is, yes, it's interesting... Also I like when people are doing things from the bottom of the heart... But... For now the tiki thing has gone far from it's roots and has lost its connection with Polynesia. It's separated from one fantasy-world and lives in its own fantasy-world without any respect to the things what is sacred for somebody else. Culture of another people is just a unlimited fun for other people. It's like a zoo... or for better understanding like a human zoo from Victorian era... I guess no explanation is necessary. It's always been that way. As we know all the tiki culture bases on it. Well, actually, very unpopular opinion, even though I'm interested about tiki culture, but much more I like, as Kirsten names it, pre-tiki era... Again honor to Donn Beach, who did it more clean way... He mirrored the things what white man sees in pacific paradise. But tiki era makes just fun about this pacific paradise. And tiki revival era has gone as far from the roots that it actually has lost all the greatness of it (up to Star Wars shaped tiki mugs for example). It's something like '80s cocktails, lot of neon colors and sweetness, but no real value. So... I like great tiki temples, Kahiki and Mai Kai and I really like Trader Vic's style of the restaurant etc., but in other way I think it all started to go wrong from the very beginning of the tiki era... Just look at those decorations... Look at those tikis from tiki temples, but most of all modern type of tikibars... What are they? Bullsht are they in many cases! (I'm not talking about Trader Vic's Marquesa style tikis or Kahiki's Moais...) Tikis which does not mean anything, just some crap made out to put something up. Ok, some are made professionally, artistically and look good, but some are not even that. I've been always kept saying: if to do something, do it right! Well, good example is a Tiki Bob. For now it is historical (not natively historical, but historical of tiki pop culture) and for now I like Tiki Bob (after ~60 years from its birth) and especially I like how Wendy and Dan are making them with passion in any possible way. But if we take us to the birth of Tiki Bob, then I would only say that "what-a-fck-is-that???" That's just one example, but the same goes for the all them tikis which actually does not mean anything. Tiki should have more value than just "being cool". Tiki culture would be much more interesting for me if it would stay stuck in its origins. Jimmy Buffett I don't hate Jimmy Buffett. I'm not a big fan of his music, but it's nice to listen sometimes. It's not tiki, but he's nice to listen sometimes. I've never listened him much (yet!), but I don't hate Jimmy Buffett. He's doing the music he likes and I don't think he has ever said that the thing he is doing is tiki. Tickets available for hanging this dude show, don't miss your opportunity, probably next Sunday at city center square... Don't be late, butcher doesn't wait!

As I am the king... natural king of unpopular opinions... and this topic feels like my kingdom... my cozy home... So it would be nice of me to open my mouth here instead of elsewhere. So... Here's some of my thoughts that come to my mind at moment:

Tiki Bars and Copycats
I have a great respect to Donn Beach (even though I've never known him personally, I don't know all the secrets and wellknown stuff that I just haven't come to know about) and pretty much all ("pretty much all" and "all" is not the same actually) the others I could call copycats, including Trader Vic and Mai Kai). Point is that Donn Beach knew exactly what he was doing or willing to do, he had the illusion in his mind. Others thought "that's cool" and did the same. No, it's not bad to make a tiki bar, or pre-tiki exotic bar or to use same ideas etc, etc, etc, no, BUT!!! ...if we are looking into the menu... Donn Beach invented the liquid stuff and named them... He did not do much bullsh*t like "tropical sunshine","pacific elixir","eenie-meenie-maanie-moe"... No, he named them "Zombie","Test Pilot","Cobra's Fang","Skull and Bones","Pearl Diver" etc. Some of the names really tells the story of the drink! What did others? Own Zombie, Jet Pilot, Sidewinger's Fang, Shrunken Skull, Skin Diver... Trader Vic made its "own""Suffering Bastard", which is basically Mai Tai and has no any resemblance to real Suffering Bastard. So... You all know the story... Yes, ofcourse, same has been done to Trader Vic's Mai Tai by all the so-called cocktail bars and beach bars all over the world, I guess it's called "karma". If you're a good mixolog as they all say they are, make your own history! Don't ride on Donn's back! It's fine if the cocktail the bar has is not the best, that's fine, fine as long as it doesn't claim to be anything else that its not. Also it's fine to use somebody else's cocktails in your bar with same name and same recipe and not claiming it to be yours, that's fine. But the way it is so popular to do, kills all the respect.
Menu Descriptions
There's so many historical great cocktails, most of them has a great story behind them, their origin, their past etc. But... "From one of the most unknown fruits, the essencesre extracted to make up this wise mix that even gods crave drinking." ...or listen to this: "Extracted from the spring flowers nectar and mixed with the morning dew, it gets this delicate flavor that will surprise the most sophisticated palate." One more: "The Kahuna (Guardians of the Secret) discov red in the jungles of the highlands, the power of this heady elixir wisely combined with banana juice." Ok-ok, one more: "Evil sorcerer under the hot sun of the South Seas, invoked their gods through the nectar of this delicious nectar." These are some of the descriptions of the tiki cocktails from one of the tiki menus. That's from Europe, but I know it's pretty similar in USA... Something like: "The old established hearty cocktail of the Pacific." (about fake Mai Tai, by Orchids of Hawaii, 1981). In Estonia there is age-restriction for drinking alcoholic drinks... I guess there's same kinda restriction all over the world. So why to write this kind of bullsh*t to grown-up people??? I'm a childish, yes, I am, but nobody in legal drinking age can be THAT childish! "Under the heat of the tropics the famous sorcerer with his secret potion will teach us unknown dimensions." "Beverage used by a wicked queen so that every living being succumbs to its charms."
Crushed Ice
It's a "must be" of crushed ice for tiki drinks. But at home I always use only cubes. Why? At first it got very annoying to crush the ice and I don't have ice crusher. But after a while I found out that crushed ice dilutes the drink too heavily. In any bar, good one or bad one, I get the drink, it might be very good... for at first... but second half of the drink tastes like flavored water. I drink too slow? Well... Well-well, maybe. But cubes are doing their job perfectly. There's no problem to shake the liquid ice-cold. The liquid stays with cubes ice-cold till it's done and gone into my body. I see no problems to use cubes instead of crushed ice... as long as we are not talking about filling the glass to the top for a visual reasons. My small glasses are in matching size for 4...6 oz of drink and therefor it's always filled with a tastiness from top to the bottom end. There's still dilution, but just as much as it should be, does not ruin the drink.
Mixologists and Bartenders
There's being some arguement of who is mixolog and why all bartenders are not mixologs and usually it's mixed about talking about prestige and such bullsh....... For me I think it's very clear. Mixolog is one profession, bartender is another, different duties. Mixolog is the one who figures out recipes, who puts together the menu of the drinks, who invents cocktails or re-discovers the old ones. If you are trying to make up your own drink, doesn't matter, are you good or bad, but you are doing mixology and you are mixolog. Bartender is the one who serves clients behind the bar and mixes drinks according to recipes. Bartender can also be mixolog, but usually is not. Mixolog is same as "prestige" as medical doctor. Some doctor may kill more people (accidentially) than he saves, but he is still a doctor, not a good doctor, but still a doctor. Same with mixolog. Anyone who is interested about it, can be mixolog. It doesn't mean he's good in it, but if he does the thing, he is mixolog. Simple as that.
Tiki Mugs
Don't get me wrong, I like tiki mugs. I made my own tiki mugs too. I'm not good in it, but I wanted it and did it, and I'm very interested about all kind of tiki mugs, in artistic ways, in historical ways and so on. But for drinks I prefer glass. I want to SEE my drink, its color and everything. Drink in glass tastes better (not factually true, but feels that way). Glass makes the drink more valuable (not factually true, but feels that way). In mug it feels like bar is fooling you with a visual appearance. At home I still use sometimes my mugs for a drink, but not too often. I know I'm not the only one thinking that way.
Tiki Art
Don't get me wrong, I like tiki art. Is it paintings or garvings or mugs or decors or... what ever it is, yes, it's interesting... Also I like when people are doing things from the bottom of the heart... But... For now the tiki thing has gone far from it's roots and has lost its connection with Polynesia. It's separated from one fantasy-world and lives in its own fantasy-world without any respect to the things what is sacred for somebody else. Culture of another people is just a unlimited fun for other people. It's like a zoo... or for better understanding like a human zoo from Victorian era... I guess no explanation is necessary. It's always been that way. As we know all the tiki culture bases on it. Well, actually, very unpopular opinion, even though I'm interested about tiki culture, but much more I like, as Kirsten names it, pre-tiki era... Again honor to Donn Beach, who did it more clean way... He mirrored the things what white man sees in pacific paradise. But tiki era makes just fun about this pacific paradise. And tiki revival era has gone as far from the roots that it actually has lost all the greatness of it (up to Star Wars shaped tiki mugs for example). It's something like '80s cocktails, lot of neon colors and sweetness, but no real value. So... I like great tiki temples, Kahiki and Mai Kai and I really like Trader Vic's style of the restaurant etc., but in other way I think it all started to go wrong from the very beginning of the tiki era... Just look at those decorations... Look at those tikis from tiki temples, but most of all modern type of tikibars... What are they? Bullsht are they in many cases! (I'm not talking about Trader Vic's Marquesa style tikis or Kahiki's Moais...) Tikis which does not mean anything, just some crap made out to put something up. Ok, some are made professionally, artistically and look good, but some are not even that. I've been always kept saying: if to do something, do it right! Well, good example is a Tiki Bob. For now it is historical (not natively historical, but historical of tiki pop culture) and for now I like Tiki Bob (after ~60 years from its birth) and especially I like how Wendy and Dan are making them with passion in any possible way. But if we take us to the birth of Tiki Bob, then I would only say that "what-a-fck-is-that???" That's just one example, but the same goes for the all them tikis which actually does not mean anything. Tiki should have more value than just "being cool". Tiki culture would be much more interesting for me if it would stay stuck in its origins.
Jimmy Buffett
I don't hate Jimmy Buffett. I'm not a big fan of his music, but it's nice to listen sometimes. It's not tiki, but he's nice to listen sometimes. I've never listened him much (yet!), but I don't hate Jimmy Buffett. He's doing the music he likes and I don't think he has ever said that the thing he is doing is tiki.

Tickets available for hanging this dude show, don't miss your opportunity, probably next Sunday at city center square... Don't be late, butcher doesn't wait!

Post #798303 by Jürka on Sun, Oct 27, 2019 3:31 PM