Extolling the virtues of the basement tiki bar

It's cold enough to freeze the coconuts off a brass Tiki up here. For those of us who make anchor in Polynesian ports far north of the line where the heartiest palm trees sway it's that time of year again. Thank the Tiki gods for the basement home bar. Six long months of rum induced hibernation are ahead but a Tiki bar in the basement makes it a little easier. I'm not sure if this is purely a Mid-Western thing but it sure was a mid-century thing. Basement home bars and rumpus rooms took of in early 1950's suburbia. You want escapism? The basement Tiki lounge has it, warm, grotto like with low ceilings and nice and dark. No windows to see all that white stuff flying around outside this time of year. This time of year I have more guest over for cocktails it seems. Friends come in from the cold and head down the stairs, through the beaded curtain where dim mood lighting cold cocktails and exotica music are always on the menu. I think they want an escape from cabin fever and a drink mixed by a guy in an aloha shirt when it's ten degrees outside helps. My home bar may not have thatch on the walls yet and it still has a white drop ceiling (I know, I know) but it does have a twelve foot bar and shuffleboard built into the floor all original 1950's built. The basement home bar, the next best thing to a plane ticket to warmer climes in this part of the world this time of year. Thanks for letting me rant and to to all fellow TC members in the snow....hunker down.. bundle up and revel in glory that is the basement home bar.

I'm in the same outrigger as Trav! Snow expected... but the warm glow of the lava lamp as it reflects off a Mai Tai helps!

got some rain on Sat while I was hanging out in San Diego,
a pretty good downpour on the drive up Sat evening.
hit Oceanside and it cleared up.
pretty chilly out on sat night, when hanging out, after the show
at Don the Beachcomber.

but right now its 78* outside. and not a cloud in the sky.
I keep waiting for winter to really show up here.
:wink:

yes we're spoiled here in So. Cal.
Jeff(btd)

I've been slowly plotting my own basement tiki bar for quite a while. Unfortunately, money always gets in the way! But now, I've got carpet and paint taken care of, I just have to install some additional outlets, put in some shelves and build the bar!

Amen to that sediment.

I just looked out the window and couldn't see the house across the street because of blowing snow. Wish my bar was done.

Reading this makes me want to go home to mine... dim the lights, mix a MaiTai and play the latest Quiet Village podcast .

[ Edited by: Beach Bum Scott 2009-11-30 15:38 ]

We're on borrowed time, around here. It snowed like hell on October 15, but it's been 50's & 60's since I got back from Vegas. I had the '59 out, yesterday. The forecasters are threatening snow soon & the guys in my car club are coming over, Saturday night, to help design the bar. I really despise winter, but it'll be warm in the Mauna Kai Lounge!
PS: This thread needs pics!

Oh, a basement... that house-sized bonus room just begging to be a tiki bar. Our watertable is about 4 feet below the surface, if I had a basement it would be filled with salty, brackish water. When I put my fiberglas septic tank in, I dug the hole with a backhoe and it promply filled with stagnant water. I put the tank in the hole and it floated! I had to take a hose and fill it with water to sink it so I could cover it up :lol: But I digress, this is a thread about basement tiki bars.

yeah damn snow..damn snow..damn snnn....er....i feel for ya guys.

having to turn the heater on when it gets in the 50s is a real pain!

Bite me, Liz! :D

Where I live (along with Sweet Daddy Tiki and Tikiville) is probably the highest latitude of any TC member. I look forward to spending much of our 6-month winter (the first in our new home) down in the still un-named pirate's grotto, sipping hot buttered rum by the fireplace with my wife and baby (no rum for baby). I grew up with some classic rumpus room/home bars at my parents', grandparents', aunts and uncles', etc. and I'm proud to carry on the tradition! Here's to the basement tiki bar!

On 2009-11-30 18:51, leleliz wrote:
yeah damn snow..damn snow..damn snnn....er....i feel for ya guys.

having to turn the heater on when it gets in the 50s is a real pain!

Hey Liz,
You know, -40 degrees is where Fahrenheit and Celsius meet. That's also how cold it can get here in January. Try to wrap your head around that! At least it's a dry cold...

In the UK I can shelter in mine from the rain and cold. And that does me just fine.

On 2009-11-30 20:41, Brandomoai wrote:
Where I live (along with Sweet Daddy Tiki and Tikiville)

I do not live with Brandomoai and Tikiville.

We live in Virginia and years ago when I was in Chicago on business I had dinner with an old college friend who had previously lived in Maryland, New Mexico and Los Angeles. After we finished dinner and were standing on the sidewalk saying our goodbyes, she grabbed me by the lapels and in despair declared: "You don't know what it's like to live here; your winter is only six weeks long!" She later married a guy and they lived in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan! Later they moved to L.A., where I am sure she is much happier now.

The Beauteous and Talented Elinor and I were visiting Elinor's family over Thanksgiving in Oakland, where it was chilly and sunny most of the time. Here in Virginia it seems like we've had one day of rain for every day of sun this year. I told Elinor that at this rate we might as well be living in Seattle.

As for a cosy basement Tiki lounge to ride out the winter, check these photos of ours: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drzarkov/

Also, (shameless plug alert) tomorrow while you are seeking shelter from the storm, be sure to listen to my radio show, Dr. Zarkov's Tiki Lounge, which is broadcast every Wednesday, 5-6 P.M. Eastern Time, on Fairfax Public Access/WEBR Radio, and can be heard on the Internet at: http://www.fcac.org/webcasting/webcast.htm

My home within a home...

When the waterfall in the backyard gets winterized, and the banana and palm trees are brought indoors...

Its the thatch and bamboo in the basement that makes the long Winter a little easier.

On 2009-12-01 01:23, Sweet Daddy Tiki wrote:

On 2009-11-30 20:41, Brandomoai wrote:
Where I live (along with Sweet Daddy Tiki and Tikiville)

I do not live with Brandomoai and Tikiville.

Yes, just to clarify; this is true. However, he has been seen pressing his sad face against my basement window on many a cold night...

On 2009-11-30 20:45, Brandomoai wrote:

On 2009-11-30 18:51, leleliz wrote:
yeah damn snow..damn snow..damn snnn....er....i feel for ya guys.

having to turn the heater on when it gets in the 50s is a real pain!

Hey Liz,
You know, -40 degrees is where Fahrenheit and Celsius meet. That's also how cold it can get here in January. Try to wrap your head around that! At least it's a dry cold...

You all need a place to fly south for the winter!

reading most of these posts I think of a youtube video a friend sent me last winter, where you throw a cup of boiling water in the air,
steam flys up and snow comes back down.
truly bizarre.
I feel for you all.

Jeff(btd)

On 2009-12-01 08:44, Brandomoai wrote:

On 2009-12-01 01:23, Sweet Daddy Tiki wrote:

On 2009-11-30 20:41, Brandomoai wrote:
Where I live (along with Sweet Daddy Tiki and Tikiville)

I do not live with Brandomoai and Tikiville.

Yes, just to clarify; this is true. However, he has been seen pressing his sad face against my basement window on many a cold night...

This is why I had to seal off my bacement windows !lol
(bet his oasis would kick our Alberta ass though)
I'll take some new MOKU DOOM room shots and post em here tomorrow

[ Edited by: TIKIVILLE 2009-12-01 13:10 ]

Here's my hole in the ground but it works well in the winter. Still a work in progress after nearly four years.

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2009-12-01 14:36 ]

What a cool (warm) place Trav!!
...and shuffleboard is a blast. :)

P.S.: I can certainly relate to the 'work in progress' comment.

The Hai'deaway turns 5 next year, it's been a great way to beat the winter blues.

Higher resolution photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_bali_hai/sets/72157620771347961/

What a cool thread Uncle Trav! Basements are what it is all about in some places. Not as far North as some of the other Canucks on here but it's getting pretty cold!

I really gotta get the Zombie Hideaway done so I can escape to my own piece of paradise. After all, that's what it's all about!

Aloha!!! TabooDan

[ Edited by: TabooDan 2009-12-01 18:25 ]

Wow, amazing basement bars. I could easily hibernate in those.

Thank for the great pics.

here's a couple quick ones...

[ Edited by: TIKIVILLE 2009-12-07 13:31 ]

Great pics of your bars guys. Thanks for sharing. Snow is on the way tonight and in the morning is when people forget how to drive in it. Here is a shot of the pucks and poles for the shuffleboard I found in a secret closet down in the basement after I moved in. The shuffleboard court has two sides about fifteen feet apart. I have one side covered by an area rug at the moment. I bet allot of good stories could be told about the good old days by these things.

Even though we have great weather in California...it sucks not having a basement or attic. What great dug-outs to lounge in...dark and delightfully bambooish. Nice niches for the games and you can really spread out and take advantage of the floor space. Those bars look so professional.......

Jealous in California. :wink:

Uncle Trav I have told you before how your basement shuffleboard is my favorite part of your room but its always worth repeating!

Thanks Leleliz I remember the photo of the basement rec-room book that you found. That had some great images. Just found this website that has photos of some of our bars and was news to me. Looks like a good site though.

http://atomicaddiction.blogspot.com/2008/03/home-tiki-bars-and-lounges.html

So while driving to the train this morning it was snowing. Flurries that werent sticking but snow all the same.

And its the coldest December 7 in the history of recorded california weather all the way back to the mid 1800s.

Yeah..so right about now I am eating my words!!

Currently 66 degrees and a decent sunset here in the Tampa Bay area.

Think I will bundle up and wear a long sleeve t-shirt and go walk the dogs.

well I have to say that I asked for it.
last week nice and warm, this week cold windy and rainy.

I got a phone call bout an hour a go from Ran"Kick the Reverb"
giving me a report about Smugglers Cove and his weekend while in SF area.
If I stay in the house my cell phone drops calls.
So I went outside to talk to him, and decided to go for a walk around the block.
GODDAMN ITS COLD!!!!!!
It rained all day, and now the wind has blown the clouds away.
so its clear and cold and windy,
after an hour I told him I needed to go in.
looked at the thermometer out back and its 45*.

so I am going to make a Hot Buttered Rum, and go sit in the tiki bar with the heat on.

Jeff(btd)

Yeah, well, this morning when I woke up it was about -22F. Of course, that's balmy for Edmonton in December... :wink:

On 2009-12-07 18:50, bigtikidude wrote:
GODDAMN ITS COLD!!!!!!
It rained all day, and now the wind has blown the clouds away.
so its clear and cold and windy,
after an hour I told him I needed to go in.
looked at the thermometer out back and its 45*.

This is too funny! I nearly froze to death walking to my garage and back.

2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of socks. 2 sweaters, a fleece hoodie. a wool scarf and hat and a pair of gloves... IN THE HOUSE!!! Too stinkin' cold. BUT the Bamboo Grove in the basement is toasty- warm I may have to camp out down there.

[ Edited by: Sophista-tiki 2009-12-07 21:52 ]

Well here in Berlin the weather is....oh sorry, I thought this was the weather channel!? :)

But back to the subject at hand: While I am convinced that to help explain the concept of Tiki to a Tiki-ignorant person, handing them a copy of the BOT would be the fastest way, I often thought that having such an innocent enter a fully decked out Tiki home bar coming from a cold, grey, urban environment should do the trick also. I bet one of the most satisfying things for the basement oasis proprietor is seeing the surprise on their faces.

Right now it's in the high 70's with a light breeze so I can't complain. It looks like it may rain later. Details at 11.

Can we have or thread back, please? :D

On 2009-12-08 05:50, Big Kahuna wrote:
Can we have or thread back, please? :D

The snow is coming Rick....heavy horrible knee deep snow.......

ya better batten down for a looooooooooooong cold winter.

lol

...and NOW we switch from the weather channel BACK to our report about basement Tiki havens and their unique qualities:..... :)

On 2009-12-08 01:05, bigbrotiki wrote:

I often thought that having such an innocent enter a fully decked out Tiki home bar coming from a cold, grey, urban environment should do the trick also. I bet one of the most satisfying things for the basement oasis proprietor is seeing the surprise on their faces.

Hit it square on the nail head Sven.The basement is the only area of my house that is Tiki. The rest is circa 1960 style. And yes the look on the faces of people who first come down to the bar is priceless. Many people I have told that I have a bar in the basement think sports bar or someplace for beer and Nascar. Not that there is anything wrong with these types of bars but I don't think they have any idea of what I am talking about until they visit for the first time. Most people get to the bottom of the stairs and through the beaded curtain and stop. It takes a couple of minutes for the eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. I usually make a suggestion for a cocktail as they start to notice all of the details in the bar. I do not have a clock or TV down in the bar just soothing exotica music and people have lost track of time and stayed for hours when the only meant to drop by for a short visit. I remember when I was kid my Aunt had a full size bowling lane and a bar in the basement, now that was cool. Another great thing about the basement bar is..well it's in the basement. More square footage of living space for the house. I am sure many undiscovered treasures are just below ground level on dusty shelves and behind old bars in basements all over just waiting to be found. My basement bar is called the Hukilau Lounge and this may sound dumb but I have made a few cocktail menus for the bar. At the bottom of the inside cover it says in small print " Come curious.. Leave fulfilled" I hope most people do.

Had to edit the quote from my own menu after looking at one in the basement.

"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2009-12-08 08:35 ]

Though I haven't actually hammered and bambood a small room bar for my escape yet I have had a look of total amazment on the faces of guests...yer right it's like they had NO idea what to expect and then it hits them and they're stunned.
My room (MOKU DOOM) does double duty as my bedroom so I am somewhat used to it's splender and at times I forget about the way most would see this (CraZy perhaps lol),living in a country with nary a rum shack to be found and in a city of a million people I admit I take my creation for granted,but I absolutly never fail to enjoy it .
Seeing others posts and the amount of work folks put into their santuary is refreshing,it's great to see that this hobby has alot of folks that "do" and not just take.

I really like the Idea of a Basement tiki bar, or just a tiki bar with no windows, so you can't see that outside is not paradise.
I would be into having one if we had a basement.
Most homes in Ca. don't have basements, so its not really something we can do here. And the fact that my tiki bar/room opens up to a back yard with a pool and palm trees, is kinda nice too.
:wink:

though there is no Jacuzzi, and no heater or solar panels for the pool.
so it just sits there from Oct. to April.
:(

*...this may sound dumb but I have made a few cocktail menus for the bar. At the bottom of the inside cover it says in small print " Come curious.. Leave fulfilled" I hope most people do. *

Not dumb at all Trav. After the intensive man-hours to create a awesome bar like that, you are entitled to amuse yourself however you want!

Well without turning this into a weather report again attendance is up in the home bar due to the weather as many of my fellow basement denizens can likely relate too. After finally being called back to work the bar is nearly fully stocked. I have had requests from folks who have never been over before for what they call "an enchanted evening" ...wow cabin fever can really get to ya. I'm happy to think some folks look to our home bar as an escape from the worries and stress of the day. I'm working on a new menu for the lounge with a few new selections that I think the novice cocktail drinker may enjoy. I like to keep the selection to between six and eight cocktails so I can have fresh ingredients on hand but I will always do a special request. Happy New Year from six feet under in Michigan.

I hear ya, Trav. I had the boys from my car club over Wednesday night for a coupla drinks & some general BS. This was our third attempt, as the first 2 got snowed out. My room is split between Tiki & Kustom Kulture. I'll try to take a few pics this weekend, during the next storm we're waiting for, & post them so you can see where I'm at. I keep the heat down there set on toasty, so no freakin' winter attire is necessary!
Yours Truly,
Frigid In Massachusetts!

On 2010-01-01 08:03, Big Kahuna wrote:
I keep the heat down there set on toasty, so no freakin' winter attire is necessary!

My bar is located in the same room as the hot-water heater and gas furnace, so tropical temps are always available, courtesy of waste heat.

Lots of lousy weather this December means the Hai'deaway's been getting a winter workout this holiday season as well. Hot rum drinks have been high in demand.