When did Trader Vic's start using the menehune?

Maybe this has been discussed, but my search didn't turn up anything.

Does anyone know when Trader Vic's started using the menehune imagery? The impression I get is that it began when United Airlines started working with them, but I don't know if this is correct. Early 60s?

A further question- why did Vic make him more of a human character? Isn't he supposed to have more of a tiki-esque appearance?

My understanding was that the menehune were simply a small race of humans who were said to live in the jungles and forests before the Hawaiians settled the island. Possibly based on remains found of small hominids, such as homo floriensis, although I don't believe any hard evidence has been found.

Edit: Wikipedia spells it out: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menehune

One paragraph is of particular interest, but without citation it's hearsay: "The works attributed to the Menehune, however, are of advanced design, including dressed stone, and apparent antiquity, predating known peoples; no alternate explanation has been accepted for their construction."

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2014-06-05 15:57 ]

Not sure. I have often thought that the Statue at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu might have had something to do with it. After selling his part of the Ward Avenue (1940) Trader Vic's, he went on to direct the bar (from afar) there and used the high talking chief/menehune character in the menu's, etc. again, just a theory and conjecture on my part.

I think it's time for DC to dig into his menus and come to the rescue.

Although it isn't relevant to the original question, there's a good discussion of menehune in this thread: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=5346&forum=1&start=0

On 2014-06-05 15:55, Phillip Roberts wrote:
After selling his part of the Ward Avenue (1940) Trader Vic's, he went on to direct the bar (from afar) there

Can you cite a source for this? I've read quite a bit about the parting of ways, but never that he had anything to do with it after the split. I had the impression it was acrimonious?

On 2014-06-05 20:29, TikiTacky wrote:
[
Can you cite a source for this? I've read quite a bit about the parting of ways, but never that he had anything to do with it after the split. I had the impression it was acrimonious?

Not the Trader Vic's Honolulu. They went on without him. I'm talking about the bars at the Royal Hawaiian hotel, where Vic provided recipes and guidance from afar. I have an article somewhere. I'll have to look for it in my files.

I have always wondered about the influence of the Menehune Bar at the Edgewater ....

Did that provide the spark for Trader Vic's Menehune?

DC

Did that provide the spark for Trader Vic's Menehune?

The Edgewater Hotel in Hawaii opened in 1951. Pretty sure Vic was using the Menehune before that.

Royal Hawaiian drink card from DC's collection of the High-talking chief menehune.

Here's the thread on the statue on the Royal Hawaiian Statue

Waikiki Tiki; Art, History, and Photographs.
Available now from Bess Press Hawaii.

[ Edited by: Phillip roberts 2014-06-06 16:38 ]

On 2014-06-05 15:53, TikiTacky wrote:
My understanding was that the menehune were simply a small race of humans who were said to live in the jungles and forests before the Hawaiians settled the island. Possibly based on remains found of small hominids, such as homo floriensis, although I don't believe any hard evidence has been found.

Edit: Wikipedia spells it out: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menehune

One paragraph is of particular interest, but without citation it's hearsay: "The works attributed to the Menehune, however, are of advanced design, including dressed stone, and apparent antiquity, predating known peoples; no alternate explanation has been accepted for their construction."

---

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2014-06-05 15:57 ]

Fascinating. I ask, as I've seen Aulani (which seems to want to be as culturally accurate as possible!) depict him as a small stone/tiki-esque fellow.

"When did Trader Vic's start using the Menehune?"

After having a couple of wild affairs with the local mermaids, you're bound to have some off springs.
We'll instead of selling his kids to the circus,(as a good father Vic was) , he found a way of keeping the business within the family.
The little fellas were a natural at serving drinks at Vic's bar, but they we're too sensitive to the burning sun (nocturnal species as most of us know). To where Vic introduced the miniature umbrella. And the rest is history.

I think Sven and the BOT can back me up on this.

And That's The Power of Rum!

On 2014-06-05 22:27, Dustycajun wrote:
I have always wondered about the influence of the Menehune Bar at the Edgewater ....

Looks like the Obama Bar to me.

The Edgewater Hotel in Hawaii opened in 1951. Pretty sure Vic was using the Menehune before that.

This is what I'm curious about. Have you seen any dated materials from that time frame showing Vic's using the menehune?

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2014-06-07 12:48 ]

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2014-06-07 13:38 ]

OK, there's a Homer Laughlin plate on eBay with Menehunes dated 1971. Can anyone produce something earlier?

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=191215878386