Tiki or exotic primitive cocktail picks/swizzle sticks

I did a TC search and couldn't quite find what I was looking for. Forgive me if this post is nothing new.

Does anyone know of a good resource for cocktail picks/swizzle sticks, either tiki themed or just plain exotic primitive looking? I'd prefer something a bit more substantial (durable) than the frilly toothpicks or plastic swords that seem to have been around forever. Tiki Farm has a great set of Samoan War Club swizzle sticks (http://tikifarm.com/snpshakers.htm) which is kind of what I'm looking for only I'd prefer them a bit shorter and with a pointy end.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

PM Sent :)

Amazon searches aren't good only for books...

Swizzle Sticks (527 Results): http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=tropical+swizzle+sticks&x=14&y=21#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=swizzle+sticks&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aswizzle+sticks

Cocktail Picks (453 Results): http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=coctail+picks&x=0&y=0#/ref=a9_sc_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acocktail+picks&keywords=cocktail+picks&ie=UTF8&qid=1304118555

Many nice tropical/tiki/primitive options there.

Bear

Great suggestions everyone! Those are all fantastic resources however none of the options match the images I've got going through my head. What I have in mind is a cocktail pick that's similar to the one seen here in the (I think) Kahiki drink menu.

I don't necessarily need the tiki head on the end of the pick and I definitely don't need hundreds of the things. But I would like something thicker than a toothpick and darker in color like the picture above (black or brown stained wood - I'll even take plastic!) than even the bamboo picks with the knot on the end.

Perhaps I'm searching for a needle in a haystack. :( But you know how it is when something just sticks in your brain and won't let go!?

[ Edited by: DejaVoodoo 2011-04-29 19:34 ]

There's some pretty cool Samoan War Club swizzle sticks out there.

Now I want some of those too.

On 2011-04-30 03:05, Wayfarer wrote:
There's some pretty cool Samoan War Club swizzle sticks out there.

Yes, they are awesome! If only they had a pointed end to pierce the fruit garnish. Based on the pictures I've seen of them, the end is too thick to skewer some cherries, pineapples, and whatever else my heart desires as garnish like in the drink menu picture I posted above. :(

The search continues! :)

I use these knotted bamboo picks from Cost Plus sometimes. The are really good for keeping the fruit intact on the stick (i love my Don the Beachcomber swizzles but they split cherries in 2). These also lay nicely across the glass (good for tall glasses). Oh and they're pretty inexpensive too. :)

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3596769

Kevin

I have had some really good luck locating swizzles on eBay.

I have a collection of the usual suspects, Hawaiian Village, Don's, Trader Vic's, plus many others.

Try searching the swizzle sticks under Tiki or Hawaiian and see what pops up.

Well, after searching Ebay and various sites around the web as per the suggestions in this thread, I devised a new plan of action.

For the fruit garnish, I think I'm going to go with the knotted bamboo picks since they are inexpensive, available locally, and will lend a natural, organic element to my drinks, visually speaking.

Now, because most of the vintage picks are plastic and have various tiki designs "carved" into them, I wanted something that resembled the cocktail ephemera of the 50s and 60s so I decided to pick up a small pack of these Hawaiian tiki "paddle" swizzle sticks. A quick Ebay search revealed that they are strikingly similar to the old Trader Vic swizzle sticks only the repros are brown and don't say "Trader Vic" on the back.

All in all, I think these options are the most cost effective aside from raiding that tiki bar down the street (that just so happens to not exist!) of their bar supplies. LOL!

Ya gotta love trying to find some tiki, that isn't Jimmy Buffetized (bastardized?) in garish cartoon colors, on the northeast coast of America! Few artifacts from the golden age seem to have made the trek across the country. At least, I've never been able to find any. :( I hope You west coast dwellers realize how lucky you are! :)

On 2011-04-30 09:52, DejaVoodoo wrote:
I hope You west coast dwellers realize how lucky you are! :)

I try to keep reminding myself of that. :)

Kevin

Swizzles aren't a problem. Tiki "picks" ARE.

Ideally, I'd love something like http://www.kegworks.com/product.php?productid=173841&source=nextopia in non-DayGlo, cartoon colors.

Anyone?

What about item D60 in black or item D62/D69 in black or ivory from Royer. These would be my top 'picks' w/o going custom.
http://www.royercorp.com/pstandard.php

On 2011-05-09 16:39, corrinnao wrote:
What about item D60 in black or item D62/D69 in black or ivory from Royer. These would be my top 'picks' w/o going custom.
http://www.royercorp.com/pstandard.php

I REALLY like Royer's 3 and 1/4 inch "Pickettes" in black - the ones with the ribbed cutouts at the top. Too bad they're $110 for 22lbs worth of cocktail picks. I hardly need that many! :( Maybe they're available somewhere else in a lesser quantity...

Ooo! Check this pick out: http://www.wesellcoffee.com/product1428.html

I love the fact that these are a little fatter and longer than the knotted bamboo picks I was previously considering. Plus they have a little more style cause the end of the pick features a carved wooden ball. Do they look too Asian/Chinese to be tiki?

Lots more great cocktail pick choices here: http://www.wesellcoffee.com/page62.html

I like the carved bamboo ones AND the pickettes...but the carved ones can be bought in a reasonable amount for a home tiki bar...

These aren't too bad, good price too ($0.01 ea).

Bear