Aloha & Howdy from Houston

Aloha everyone!

The Tiki community here in Texas is small but growing and I for one am I'm excited to be a part of the community on TC of fellow Tikiphiles worldwide! My journey into the world of Tiki started in 2016 when I walked into Lei Low and stumbled out an hour later trying to wrap my mind around what I just experienced. The aroma of burnt cinnamon, citrus, and rum, tunes of surf rock and ukuleles, the lighting or lack of, patrons “Don”-ning aloha shirts, and complex libations presented in vessels that make you forget you are in a crappy shopping center in Houston.

From that day I have been, only slightly, obsessed with what makes Tiki… well.. Tiki! Like most others on here, I dove into the drink menu at Lei Low, read and made all the drinks from Smuggler’s Cove by Martin Cate, and started to seek Tiki bars everywhere I traveled hunting down rare and exotic drinks/mugs. After immersing myself into the “Cult of Tiki”, as Martin Cate puts it, I was enamored how tiki mugs are vessels that transport your imagination and transforms the way we drink.

I now craft Tiki mugs (more from cinema/pop-culture than Polynesian or Tiki) in my free time and aspire to sell some at Tiki events in the future! This year I will be going to my first Tiki Event Tiki Kon and hope to meet everyone on here that’s going. I’d love to get to know you all on here as well so feel free to introduce yourself, favorite rum, tiki bar or mug!

Aloha,

Corey
C&D TIKI

Aloha Corey!

Be sure to join the Texas Tikiphiles FB group if you haven't already. There is sizable tiki contingent in Texas scattered throughout DFW, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, New Braunfels and beyond. There's some truly fantastic home bars as well. I'm sure everyone will welcome you with open arms.

As for your questions...

Introduction: Hi, I'm Mike. I live in Austin. Been here 12 years now with my wife Chelsea. Moved from Ft Lauderdale, home of the Mai Kai (AKA the greatest place on earth). I've been actively trying to open a legitimate tiki bar here in Austin for three years now but the combination of antiquated zoning laws, city red tape/corruption, unreliable landlords and ridiculous real estate have made it a difficult task. In the meantime I have a modest home tiki bar, tons of rum, and love mixing up delicious cocktails for my guests.

Favorite R(h)um(s): For sipping - currently, Appleton 21, Clement XO, Foursquare Port. For mixing - love me a good pot still Jamaican and earthy agricole.

Favorite tiki bar: Hands down the Mai Kai. Nothing comes close. But always enjoy a visit to Lei Low.

In lieu of a favorite mug, I'll answer my favorite tiki cocktail(s): Atomic Grog 151 Swizzle (V4), a properly made Cuban Style daiquiri (w/ HC3), Trader Vic style Navy Grog (during white grapefruit season), and a good old fashion 1944 Mai Tai.

Hope others play along!

Mahalo Mike and pleasure meeting you!

Thanks for the Texas Tikiphiles recommendation I promptly submitted a request to join. Austin would be a great place for a tiki bar, but I can definitely see where it would be difficult. I've made a lot of friends who moved to Houston or Galveston from Austin based on similar experiences, but I hope you can get it up and running. It would be great to have another reason to make the drive up! Is it the Quiet Village?

Man, I want to go to the Mai Kai so bad! It looks too good to be true, but everyone says it truly is the best. Soon enough I will make the journey!

Nice choice(s) on the Rum(s)! I have yet to try the Atomic Grog 151 Swizzle (V4) and will aim at making some this weekend (fingers crossed I have time).

Cheers,
Corey

On 2019-03-20 14:48, CyroTiki wrote:
Is it the Quiet Village?

Man, I want to go to the Mai Kai so bad! It looks too good to be true, but everyone says it truly is the best. Soon enough I will make the journey!

Nice choice(s) on the Rum(s)! I have yet to try the Atomic Grog 151 Swizzle (V4) and will aim at making some this weekend (fingers crossed I have time).

Cheers,
Corey

Yep, Quiet Village.

Go to the Mai Kai! It's a life changer.

The V4 Swizzle really speaks to me. Potent and spicy, perfectly balanced flavors.

Aloha Corey! I'm Jayme in New Braunfels. I'm a relative newcomer to tiki as well, stumbling blindly into it in late 2016. I found Tiki Central and signed up shortly thereafter. I'm envious of your proximity to Lei Low--I've thoroughly enjoyed my visits there. I'm constantly at work on my home tiki bar, the Lagoon of Mystery (there's a build thread in the Home Bars section) especially now that the weather's turned nice and it's a joy to spend time out there. I'm not sure my palate is developed enough to have a favorite rum, but I'll confess to an affinity for Barbancourt 5 Star and Appleton 12. Port au Prince may be my favorite tiki cocktail, but I enjoy a lot of 'em--I'm drinking a 3 Dots and a Dash right now. The Mai Kai is in a class by itself, but if I had to pick a "regular" tiki bar, Hale Pele in Portland is top notch all the way. My favorite mug at the moment is the One-Eyed Moai sculpted by Tom “Thor” Thordarson and produced by Tiki Farm.

{edit} Aw, man! I just checked out your link and realized I already follow you on IG. Small world, etc.

~Jayme

Lagoon of Mystery
http://www.JaymeBlaschke.com

[ Edited by: Prikli Pear 2019-03-21 21:22 ]

Mike I'm buying all the ingredients for the V4 swizzle today, stoked to try it! Best of luck on getting a space for Quiet Village, I really dig all your branding for it. Austin needs a good tiki bar so I have another reason to make the drive more often! haha

Aloha Jayme pleasure to meet another Texas Tikiphile! Small world indeed, I've been following the Lagoon of Mystery for a while. It looks pretty awesome man, I dig the tiki-fied corner booth a lot! I can't wait to have a space to build one out, I don't think my apartment complex would be happy with me putting up a bunch of lauhala matting and bamboo everywhere :roll: I really dig the Barbancourt 5 star too, such a good Haitian rum: oaky, fruity, and delicate. Man, sadly I don't think I've had a good three dots, do you have any recommended recipes for it (specific rums)? Hale Pale looks amazing, I'm going to Tiki Kon for the first time this year and am excited to check it out!

Mike and Jayme feel free to DM my IG if you guys want to ever meet up at Lei Low when in H-Town! :drink:

Cheers,
Corey

Even though I'm not in Texas (I'm in Colorado, the place where y'all come to escape Texas), I'll still add my welcome, too.

Aloha Hamo!

My intent with this feed is purely to introduce myself and get to meet all of the Tiki community here on TC, not just the Texans. Although I definitely could have worded my intro better to convey that. So it is a pleasure to meet you Hamo, thanks for the welcome.

I will actually be escaping to Colorado for some work next month :lol: any new tiki bars to check out near Denver or the Springs?

Mahalo

Welcome aboard from the North Coast!

Mahalo Sandbartender! :D

On 2019-03-23 06:39, CyroTiki wrote:
I will actually be escaping to Colorado for some work next month :lol: any new tiki bars to check out near Denver or the Springs?

Not sure about the Springs, but besides Adrift, there's Hidden Idol, which just celebrated its second anniversary. The Arvada Tavern does Tiki Tuesdays, which I hear are good but haven't been.

If you'd like, send me a PM with your dates, and I can see if I might be able to make it down for a drink.

Thanks for the recommendations Hamo! Adrift is a must, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit a year or two ago. I definitely need to check out the Hidden Idol and will let you know when I'm in town to grab a drink! :drink:

Cheers