I have loved all things Tiki for a very long time. Yes, it’s a fabricated thing. Yes, it’s not representative of real Polynesian culture. Yes, it caused problems for the Bradys.

I do not care. I had Tiki torches at my high school graduation party and I forced my parents to go to the Enchanted Tiki Room every time we went to Disneyland. I still love it to this day.

This new weekly post will delve into the various aspects of Tiki ranging from bars to drinks to décor to history. Ready? Let’s begin!

History Minute

As you may or may not know, Tiki “culture”, as it’s commonly referred to, was born in the 1930s as Prohibition ended and people were once again allowed to legally visit drinking establishments. There had been several movies based on the South Pacific and, in those days, the islands of the Pacific were still far-off outposts full of adventure, romance, and intrigue. The word “Tiki” actually is the very real Maori name for the first human. Of course, it was appropriated for commercial gain. That’s humanity for you.

The first man to try to capitalize on that was Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt, who opened Don’s Beachcomber in Hollywood in 1933. His restaurant/bar had a Polynesian theme with a décor of flaming torches, rattan furniture, flower leis, and brightly colored fabrics that looked like imagery out of the popular movies of the time.

Ernest was, to put it diplomatically, an excellent salesman. He claimed to have sailed throughout the South Pacific and brought back artifacts to decorate his restaurant. He conjured up a lore and a fantasy that people bought into. Whether any of it was true or not, no one knew. Ultimately, it didn’t really matter. The story was too good and the concept was welcomed by folks dealing with the Great Depression and looking to mentally escape their troubles.

As the business grew, Ernest legally changed his name to Donn Beach. Eventually, a restaurant owner named Victor Bergeron ate at Don’s, liked the concept, and decided to try to compete with him. He changed the name of his Oakland, California restaurant to Trader Vic’s. Thus was spawned a magnificent rivalry.

But that’s a story for another day…

***

Tiki Bar O’ Da Week

Today’s featured bar is the Purple Orchid in Yeah Right’s former (and possibly future?) hometown of El Segundo, California.

There was a DFO pub crawl in El Segundo hosted by Yeah Right one year (don’t remember when) and we ended up here at some point. I really loved the vibe and the drinks were excellent. Since it was a crawl, we needed to move on after one drink, but I could have stayed there all day and probably long into the night. I remember the music was really good too.

***

Tiki Drink O’ Da Week

Today’s drink is considered to be the basis for the most famous of all Tiki drinks: the Mai Tai. Legend has it that Trader Vic’s stole the recipe for one of Don’s Beachcomber’s drinks called the Q.B. Cooler and renamed it the Mai Tai. The truth, as always, is fuzzy. The ingredients are certainly not the same although the flavour is strikingly similar. One part theft, one part improvisation, and one part inspiration? You be the judge!

I have a fabulous book titled “Sippin’ Safari” that has a bunch of Tiki history and original drink recipes. Here is the original recipe for the Q.B. Cooler as written in that book:

Ingredients:

• 1 oz orange juice
• 1 oz club soda
• 1 oz dark Jamaican rum
• 1 oz white Pontalba rum (can sub Old New Orleans white rum or Virgin Islands white rum)
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz honey mix*
• 1/2 oz aged Demerara rum
• 1/4 oz falernum
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger syrup**
• 4 oz crushed ice

* The honey mix can be made by mixing equal parts clover honey and warm water and stirring until the honey dissolves. Cooled and bottled, it will last a week in the fridge.

** The Ginger syrup can be procured by either buying it or making it by cutting a 2 inch long piece of ginger into thin slices and placing it in a saucepan with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Then, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 2 hours before straining and bottling. Keep in the fridge.

Directions: Throw all ingredients into a blender and run at high speed for 5 seconds. Pour into a glass/mug/shoe, drink, and repeat.

***

Tiki Purchase O’ Da Week

In this space, I’ll highlight one thing I recommend that you purchase if you are at all interested in what you have read so far. This could range from books to furniture to decorations to barware to costumes. Today’s item is:

The aforementioned Sippin’ Safari book.

It is a great read as it has a lot of history and it provides lots of long-thought-to-be-lost recipes. I highly recommend it.

***

Ballsy’s Tiki Corner

Each week, I will upload a picture of one of my personal Tiki items. Today’s item is:

The aforementioned Tiki torches!! Yes, I still have them!

Keen-eyed readers will note that, yes, there is evidence of a fire. Luckily, it was put out before anyone was too drunk to notice…

***

That’s all for now. If you are into any aspects of Tiki, I would love to hear your stories in the comments. I’m off to Bali with Joey and the boys. That only makes sense if you went to my middle school and you signed my brother’s yearbook. Right next to “Have a bitchen summer!” was “Off to Bali with Joey and the boys”. No one knew who Joey was…