Official Introductions Thread. New Members, Post your introduction here...

Hi everyone!
I'm Debbie and I live in Pinole, CA and I've been getting into the tiki scene in the past few years. It started with a visit to Forbidden Island in Alameda, and has grown from there into a mug/other tiki stuff collection, an obsession with learning everything I can about creating tiki and other cocktails, and visiting as many tiki bars as I can. Last year my boyfriend and I went to the SF South Bay home tiki bar crawl and had a great time, and also met some great people and we're really excited about going this year as well. I hope that someday I will have a home tiki bar of my own, but that's a ways down the road.

Hi all, and thanks Tiki Central for this cool resource. Native Californian, beach lover, born and raised in Socal, currently living in SF Bay area. Forbidden Island is my favorite local tiki hangout :)

Aloha Tikipopoki and TikiP !!

Are you coming to the Forbidden Island parking lot sale ??

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=48194&forum=17&17

If so, please introduce yourselves.

BB

Welcome to all the new folks, so happy to have you here. If you are working on or have a Tiki Lounge at your place, don't forget to post in the Home Tiki Bars forum. We love to see everyone's spaces plus it is a great place to learn how to do things.

Mihalo everyone!
I'm new here, and although I'm not especially clubby, I finally could not resist this place! I've been interested in mid twentieth century culture since I was born (in the mid twentieth century), and am excited by space age/googie architecture and the hi-fi/stereo music that goes with it, as well polynesian pop in most of its manifestations, especially the music, tiki mugs, Aloha shirts, and mixology. The ambitious scope of activity I'm finding here is really inspiring.

I am thrilled when I read that people are trying to restore the Kahiki fireplace, even though it is no longer in Ohio. I like to think that I cut my teeth on the pineapple slices from my parents' drinks at Georgie Rudin's Tropics restaurant here in Dayton. I was so sad when I found that the place was gone, and the same with the Kon Tiki theater. Those places were our Polynesian Pop outposts, and I was elated when the surf band I play in, The Nicky Kay Orchestra, was invited to play at The Call of the Tropics and Festiki, festivals put on here in town by the FOM to honor those places and evoke the mid century Tiki culture that inhabited them.

I look forward to interacting with the cool people who are in abundance here.

Hey y'all. I didn't even know this was a thing until today. Fail on my part.
The name is Brooke, some of you know me as buhrooke or Skipper Brooke. I'm a former Jungle Cruise skipper and I'm from SoCal!

Hello everyone!

First off, sorry for my english, i'm french-speaking te-he

Soooooo, you guys can call me Bettie, i'm 24 and I live in Quebec Canada. I'm really exited to have found that forum cause here forums are not popular anymore, it's hard to find a good community online who will share with you!

I love everything that's vintage, I could be called a "rockabilly girl" if you wish... I especially like the Tiki and Atomic styles of the 40-60's era. I always create stuff when I have some spair time, I like to paint, sculpt, draw, take photos or play the uke! I'm currently taking some sculpture courses (as well as woodwork but that's an other story) and I really want to make some tiki home accessories (like key holders, fridge magnets, candle holders, deco and other stuff. I think the "tiki gallery" part of this site will be my new home haha!

Anywho, please to meet you all, can't wait to get some tips from the awesome artists that write here!

XxxXX
Bettie P

On 2015-09-06 20:28, Wawahine wrote:
Hi everyone, Just wanted to introduce myself to you all. My wife and I live in Brisbane Australia and have our own Islander style bar called the Wawahine Lounge in our back shed.
We are both musicians and perform in our band playing Brazilian Bossa Nova and Samba songs from the 60s to present. We travel to Bali often and also love mid century modern designs.
I look froward to reading all the posts and delving into this marvellous world of Tiki.
Regards Kym

Welcome Wawahine, we need more Queenslander tiki culture. We're in Hervey Bay so if I stand on my roof I could probably see you in Brisbane. That's me waving now.

Good afternoon everyone from sunny Columbus, Ohio, home of the sadly-lost, but beloved Kahiki. I finally got around to signing up on Tiki Central after many years of browsing the boards. Glad to be on-board. Mid-west tiki culture is really growing....proof that you don't need to be near the Pacific to enjoy the Polynesian Pop revivial!

Hello everyone. I'm new here, from Toronto Canada.

Hi there, my name is Gabe, I'm selling some vintage rattan furniture, so wanted to post it here, as it seems like there would be folks who would be interested. Thanks!

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/fuo/5246076369.html

Hello all,

Long time lurker, first post- and after my first Tiki Oasis this year, it's high time I did.

It was a love of vinyl that brought me to this community, but I've always been an unconscious tiki-phile,
being born & bred in the burbs of Los Angeles in the early 1970s.

Two summers ago, I became interested in Tiki drinks - which led me to seek and/or create some unusual drink ingredients (falernum, pimento dram, spiced syrups, Fassionola, Okolehao)...

And more recently, I'm researching pre-Prohibition cocktails (1803-1919) and thus have been seeking a new set of ingredients
(Old Tom gin, Creme Violette, Boker's bitters, Creme Yvette, Amer Picon, Abbott's bitters, genever from Holland, absinthe from Europe, amaro from Italy, weird fruit brandies etc.).

I'm reading "the classics" and absorbing "vintage mixology" from many sources e.g. The bum, Victor Bergeron, David Wondrich.

I'm building a liquor cabinet for “COCKTAILIAN” research and experimentation.

more soon... see you at Cap City Tiki Crawl this weekend.

Looking forward to seeing you on the crawl. CHEERS to all our new members.

Kanap-

Herbs and Rye in Vegas has a page for u

I'm really enjoying this forum and looking at all the beautiful art work.
Thanks again Kevin "The Lighthouse Man"
http://www.lighthouseman.com

Good Morning All!

Just wanted to introduce myself , my names Brad and I just moved to a house with a real backyard to tiki out! For most of my adult life you could find me at the Mai Kai bar drinking their barrel o rum, dreaming of one day having my own outdoor tiki bar. I'm obsessed with tiki culture( I bought a house because it has port holes in the kitchen), noir films and guitars. Included a picture of my old tiki bar from the one room apt I just moved out of. If anyone one can direct me to some great tiki statue carving folks in the Miami area, It would be much appreciated. Now i'm off to a real nautical/polynesian scrap store, http://www.stoneage-antiques.com, to find me some rope and sea glass!!

Sorry if the picture gives anyone a stiff neck!!

• Brad

Brad - welcome! Nice post, and thanks for the link to Stone Age Antiques. Cool place -- I have never seen so many vintage glass floats for sale in one place! And ships telegraphs, wow, way cool...

Hello everyone!

My name is Ray and I live in the East Bay of the SF Bay Area, near Berkeley. I am a DJ, producer, and the singer / main songwriter of my band. Love spinning lounge & exotica sets! Fell in love with tiki stuff as a kid going to Trader Vic's and it never went away. Am a long time listener but a first time caller - have perused the board for a long time and figured I'd finally sign up.

Cheers!!

Welcome Kumu.
Have you been to the Windward Passage?
It has been around forever in columbus and is a rusty dusty place that
Kahiki types like as well.
We go there often.
Do not get a Mai Tai, do get prime rib.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Windward-Passage/111596592214286

Eat at the bar and tell Shawn that (tiki)John sent you.
It's fun to sit at the bar and talk about old Columbus history, well that and cartoons, music, ect.

Greetings tiki maniacs! I have just officially re-open our Hawaiian/Polynesian Tiki restaurant and tiki bar in Humble, TX heehaw! So, Aloha y'all. I've fallen in love with this tiki craze since performing at the Mai-Kai restaurant in 1986-1992. My wife, I and kids have performed there and I was their fire knife dancer hired from Oahu and my wife was the MC. We had the privilege working there when the owner and founder Bob Thornton was still around. He was a man with integrity and someone not to messed with. We both had a lot of discussion while drinking in the Molokai room with me asking all kinds of information about opening a tiki room business, when he speaks I listen and jot everything down in my notes to one day this day will come. We are excited and looking forward to business up with y'all...Mahalo!

Chief Tama
Hula Mamas

Hey, looking for someone to create our own signature mugs and bowl...Please look me up. Mahalo!

Welcome Chieftama,
If you are looking for just your own personalized tiki mug & bowl, Wendy will be your best bet. She opens up her Wish List a couple times a year and is an amazing artist. Check out some of her work here...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=38423&forum=18&6958

If you are looking to mass produce, you might want to contact http://www.TikiFarm.com

Good luck with your bar!

[ Edited by: lunavideogames 2015-11-16 18:07 ]

bump

Hi All,
I have been poking around this forum for a while now but I finally want to start posting and participating. I am located in sunny Vista, CA. and I have been into Tiki of a long time. I got seriously into collecting tiki only about 5 years ago. I have probably met several of you in passing at events and I hope to meet many more of you. I could use some help identifying some pieces in my collection so I hope to post that later.

thanks,
Coconutmonkey

Hello all!

(Sorry Realized I did not do this sooner)

I live in Vegas with frequent trips to Washington DC. I was introduced to Tiki a few months ago, and now have re-decorated my bedroom accordingly (Much more to do)

Thank you all for such inspiration and knowledge. I keep learning everyday!

Hi!

Newby here been lurking around awhile so I figure best go with the Introduction.

As a Teen I got hooked on all things Tropical & while in the Military for 20 years (6 Air Force & 14 Coast Guard).
I tried my hardest to get station somewhere Overseas on an Island but the closest I got was while stationed in Alaska they sent us to Hawaii (Sand Point Oahu) for 6 months one year & 4 months a couple of years later.
A couple of my Cousins live in Kauai so I went over for a visit...about due for another fix.
I also have a Cousin in the Philippines...I just might have to renew my passport!

Aloha New Tiki Freaks!

Enjoy this place.

There's a TON of info here!

Hi all -

I should have done this three years ago when I joined (and I should have joined long before that), but since I paid the dues I felt like it was time to post a few items and introduce myself. Im not selling anything, and I dont really care what anything is "worth" (Im an enthusiast of capitalism but Tiki is about escapism and this is a hobby). I adopted the name when I signed up because I also collect pinball machines and had recently scored an Aloha pinball machine by Gottleieb (circa 1963). I am from Florida, where "Tiki" is often misused to refer to anything outdoor bar, thatched roof or not. But there is still a lot of "real" and local Tiki culture in the sunshine state! But my real interest in Tiki came about when I lived in New Mexico. If somebody asks I might relate how Los Alamos came to have Aloha Shirt Fridays and a Tapa room.

cool- where do you live in Florida?

Hello again-
Sorry, I wasnt totally clear, Im from Gainesville, and still have a little house there, but these days I live in Maryland.

On 2016-01-11 22:28, Aloha pinball wrote:
If somebody asks I might relate how Los Alamos came to have Aloha Shirt Fridays and a Tapa room.

Los Alamos Nat'l Labs? I'm interested - is there a story to that?

-Randy

Hello all,
I've been a lurker for a while, but only recently signed up. Been interested in all things Tiki for a while. Hanging out at buddy's Tiki party would certainly do it. I finally decided to try my hands at creating some stuff of my own, mainly tiki mugs. This forum has been a super informative place for me.

Aloha to all of you!

Just got back from North Shore Oahu the other week and was bit by the Tiki bug. I've always had a love for Tiki thanks in part to Disney's parks but now I'm obsessed with Polynesian culture in general. So what does one do when they're excited after emptying out a suitcase of Tiki mugs and souvenirs? Builds a Tiki bar of course! Haha!
Anyway, hope to chat a fair bit here and thanks in advance for all the help I'll be getting (and already have had).

Mahalo!

Aloha to all-i'm Tiki Roa

I have Tiki related interests in pre-Gidget era longboard surfing; retro music-surf, exotica, rockabilly, reggae/ska/dub ; fashion-straw hats, aloha shirts, baggies vintage and modern; rum drinks-mai tais, fog cutters, zombies; Coastal inspired architecture-surf shacks, rum shacks, little grass shacks, etc.

Historic related interests include origins and settlement of Polynesia and the 'Americas,' origins of monolithic structures, ancient civilizations etc.

Tiki Central seems really cool and i hope to provide constructive discussion-Cheers!

Just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself; I am a long-time Tiki-lover from Akron, Ohio. My original interest sprung from a desire to create some type of “theme” for our backyard pool area; I had always liked Tiki Style, but a trip to Hawaii in 2005 and a copy of “The Book of Tiki” really sealed the deal.

Over the years, I have built a tiki bar on our deck, collected tikis, mugs and other Polynesian/surf/beach items and worked to create a tropical paradise here in our backyard with whatever tropical-looking plants I can plant or preserve over the winters here in the Midwest. Like a lot of you, I find it fun to transform whatever found objects or thrift store treasures I can to help create this little fantasy. It’s still fun to invite guests to the backyard to see my “Big Woody” – the name of our big tiki who overlooks one end of the pool.

As for rules, I only have a few. While most of our space is tiki/surf related, I do leave a little bit of leeway—especially regarding my wife’s tropical tastes; as a result, you may find a pink flamingo here or there or some compatible beach or nautical motif…as long as it doesn’t detract from the overall look. We want it all to be fun – and comfortable.

I hope to add something useful to the conversation here, and offer some ideas on projects I’ve completed or on which I’m currently working. Summertime is here, and I’ve been running a little behind getting the outdoor spaces ready for the season—mostly due to a trip to Germany in early May. Even that paid off; we got to visit the Trader Vic’s in Munich!

Not sure how I couldn't see this thread before...

Hello, all! (belated)

I only recently discovered this forum, and tiki as a subculture, but I've been in love with a lot of its aspects for a long time. Midcentury design, mixology, and most of all the music. I've taken a lot of flack from friends and family a like over my listening tastes, from Monster Kid-era tracks at Halloween, to Bossa Nova, Lounge, 50's vocal jazz, and most recently Exotica. A lot of this comes from my passion for record collecting - you never quite know what you will hear when you first audition a freshly-dug disc! I've always made it a point to grab World Music and Hawaiian records, but since I've started looking at things through the lens of Exotica, there are a surprisingly large number of albums in the genre floating around this corner of Northeast PA; there was obviously a desire for escapism here back in the day.

Sadly, there seems to be little love for even the word "tiki" around these parts. Thanks to the local seedy strip club being branded as a "tiki lounge" it takes on a different connotation in the public mind. If I can but cultivate a mild appreciation for Polynesian Pop among my friends, I would not consider it a wasted effort.

"Bam Bam" is a nickname my Father gave me as an infant, since I had a propensity to slam my fists against the tray of my high chair, sending the dishes - and food - flying.

Hola Tikiholics! I love anything Tiki. This forum is awesome. I am always looking for a Tiki bar in Texas as they seem to be a rarity here. I live in Austin but there is no Tiki here except what I imagine to be in my backyard. I love looking at Bamboo Ben's creations on the forum. I have been to the Mai Tai in Fort Lauderdale. I have a feeling that the Mai Tai has spoiled me and will be hard to improve on that. I also enjoy the drink recipes I find here.

Aloha,
Tim

On 2016-06-28 15:58, Tim_Tiki wrote:
Hola Tikiholics! I love anything Tiki. This forum is awesome. I am always looking for a Tiki bar in Texas as they seem to be a rarity here. I live in Austin but there is no Tiki here except what I imagine to be in my backyard. I love looking at Bamboo Ben's creations on the forum. I have been to the Mai Tai in Fort Lauderdale. I have a feeling that the Mai Tai has spoiled me and will be hard to improve on that. I also enjoy the drink recipes I find here.

Aloha,
Tim

As a fellow Austinite who just happened to grow up in Lauderdale I feel your pain and longing for a quality tiki bar around here. That's why I make drinks at home most every night, usually from the Mai Kai tribute section of the Atomic Grog. That's a great resource if you haven't explored it yet. Are you a member of the Texas Tikiphile group on Facebook?

Aloha, friends. I've been lurking here for over a year but have finally decided to register now and start participating. I don't remember how I first discovered Tiki Central, but generally I stumbled into tiki as a subset of my interest in the "classics": classic cocktails, classic Hollywood, etc.

Thanks to TC, I knew what I was looking at when I found a bottle of yellow label Lemon Hart 151 at my local liquor store last year, learned about a Taschen website sale and got Sven's "Tiki Pop" at a great price, and discovered and experienced San Francisco's Tonga Room this spring. One of my favorite things to do is peruse the Home Tiki Bars and covet everyone's personal little paradises.

Thanks again. I look forward to spending more time with everybody.

Hey Tiki Central!

I'm ArchTiki, Signing in from Oakland, CA. New to Tiki, I had been frequenting Smuggler's Cove, the Tonga Room, Forbidden Island, etc. And decided to try my own hand at creating some of these concoctions. I have since picked up the Smuggler's Cove cocktail book, and begun a mini tiki liquor cabinet, taking after the Author's system of rum categories. I currently have Hamilton's Jamaican Gold, Mount Gay Eclipse, Plantation 5 year, Ron Bermudez Aniversario 12 Year, Cruzan Black Strap, and Hamilton's 151.

I'm a bit of a kitchen tinkerer, and fermentation enthusiast; I brew beer, bake bread (sourdough), make mead, and ferment veggies (sauerkraut, peppers, etc). Another passion of mine is ciriculture, the propagation and growing of citrus, along with the fruit/veggie/herb garden in my small backyard.

I look forward to getting to know the tiki community here and locally!

A warm welcome to all the new posters. Sounds like some of you already have a Tiki spot set up. Have fun building your paradise.

On 2016-10-10 13:25, ArchTiki wrote:
Hey Tiki Central!

I'm ArchTiki, Signing in from Oakland, CA. New to Tiki, I had been frequenting Smuggler's Cove, the Tonga Room, Forbidden Island, etc. And decided to try my own hand at creating some of these concoctions. I have since picked up the Smuggler's Cove cocktail book, and begun a mini tiki liquor cabinet, taking after the Author's system of rum categories. I currently have Hamilton's Jamaican Gold, Mount Gay Eclipse, Plantation 5 year, Ron Bermudez Aniversario 12 Year, Cruzan Black Strap, and Hamilton's 151.

I'm a bit of a kitchen tinkerer, and fermentation enthusiast; I brew beer, bake bread (sourdough), make mead, and ferment veggies (sauerkraut, peppers, etc). Another passion of mine is ciriculture, the propagation and growing of citrus, along with the fruit/veggie/herb garden in my small backyard.

I look forward to getting to know the tiki community here and locally!

You had me at sourdough. Do you also make kimchee?

I don't, but friends of mine do. It's all in the spice mix.

Howdy folks! I'm Jayme, in New Braunfels (which is between San Antonio and Austin for you non-Texans). The Wife and I kind of stumbled into the whole tiki thing in recent years following the purchase of our current home, which came with a pool, palm trees and a patio area that just begged for a tiki bar. So I built one this summer (it needs a few finishing touches before I share here). Checking out the other Home Tiki threads here have inspired us, and plans are afoot. And to think that we started this before we even knew nouveau tiki was even a thing!

The day job is media relations, but I'm a writer by inclination. I focus mostly on genre--science fiction, fantasy, etc.--but published a non-fiction history of the infamous Chicken Ranch brothel earlier this year. Go figure. Other interests of mine include homebrew, astronomy, photography and orchard stuff. I also have a thing for passiflora, which should dovetail nicely with tiki.

Welcome to TC Prikli Pear, post pictures of you tiki bar when possible, looking forward.

Gosh I hope this is the right place to post. Hi there, I'm brand new to this forum!

I'm a recent tiki drinks fan from Bristol in the UK (somewhere with a small history of ageing the early landed styles, hence the username). The Smuggler's Cove book tipped me off about this site.

I've become a real rum nut in, really, just the last 6 months, although I've been a big Scotch fan for a long time.

Really looking forward to discussing and sharing tiki drinks tips with you all. The tiki bar scene is a bit weaker here than in the States, but there are a handful! E. x

Welcome to Tiki Central Early Landed Larry, make sure you check out the Tikidrinks and food topic, I am sure you will like it.

Welcome, Early Landed Larry! As you are beginning your journey into the joys of rum, know that there are a number here who also appreciate good scotches and much more.

But the real cool thing about you joining us here is that Tiki Central will teach, and you will drink. You win!

Wishing you a great time here on TC. Cheers from Florida!