Author: Ray

Tiki VIP #45 Devon Devereaux – Creepy Tiki

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I love tiki bars because they are dark, mysterious and dare I say creepy?

As I’ve gotten more and more into tiki culture, I’ve learned that not everything in a tiki bar necessarily needs to be tiki. There are other elements that play well with tiki, like nautical, Disney, mid-century, atomic age and last but not least, goth and horror. No one combines the elements of goth and horror better than the artist, Devon Devereaux. He is the master of Creepy Tiki and here is his story …

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Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #81 PaPa Nui – Charleston SC

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It’s hard to deny that World War II had a massive impact on Tiki’s popularity. Many GI’s came back from the war in the South Pacific with a new-found love for all things tropical and shared this love with the rest of their family. This would be the case with Scott Evans. Both of his grandfathers served in the South Pacific and this sparked his interest in tiki. His grandfathers inspired him so much that Scott built his own tiki bar and called it PaPa Nui in honor of his grandfather. Here is the story of PaPa Nui …

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Tiki VIP #44 Cristian Salazar Diaz- Adventures With Alchemy

Posted by Ray on in Tiki Video, Tiki VIP 2 Comments

You may know Cristian from Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, and I’m guessing he has poured you many HippopotoMai-Tais, some Krakatoa Punches and maybe an Uh Oa! or two. But did you know that Cristian has his own YouTube show? It’s called Adventures With Alchemy and in each episode, he reveals some of his secrets on how to make truly great cocktails. If you’re into tiki drinks or even craft cocktails, Adventures In Alchemy is a must watch!

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Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #80 Kapu Tiki Lounge – Milwaukee WI

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There is nothing more beautiful than a tiki bar outside. But what do you do if you live somewhere that actually gets cold in the winter? The answer is you do what Pete Flessas did and extend your tiki bar into your basement. Pete and Kelly’s Kapu Tiki Lounge started with a tribal mask and ended with a super cool tiki escape that goes inside and out, or would it be the other way around? Here is Pete’s story about tribal masks, Dark ’n’ Stormies and graven Images …

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Tiki Triangle – A Book About Tiki And Tiki Cocktails by Justin Cristaldi

Posted by Ray on in Tiki Cocktails, Tiki Lifestyle

Visiting your first tiki bar and sipping your first Mai Tai can be a life changing experience. It was for me and for many others who fell in love with tiki culture. As you start to get more and more into tiki, you realize that there’s so much to discover, there’s tiki art, fashion, escapism, mugs and last but not least, cocktails. Tiki Triangle by Justin Cristaldi is a great book to help you enter into this wonderful world of tiki. Tiki Triangle has chapters on the history of tiki, tiki’s connections to WW2, food, rum, ingredients and tons of tiki cocktail recipes!

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Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #79 The Back Side Of Water – Gig Harbor WA

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The Backside Of Water, what an interesting name for a tiki bar, right? But if you love Disney and more specifically, The Jungle Cruise, you will totally get it! When Chris and Lauren Ringlee bought their new home with a finished basement, they knew what they had to do, they built a tiki bar! Here is their story …

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Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #78 The Parrot’s Perch – Niskayuna NY

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When people think of New York, they immediately think of New York City. But there is more to New York than just the Big Apple, there’s the rest of the state and it’s huge! Niskayuna is located above Albany, and I’ll be honest, I’d never heard of Niskayuna until now. Brendan Halayko and his wife Beth live in Niskayuna and they have an awesome home tiki bar called The Parrot’s Perch. Here is their story …

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Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #77 Bora Bora Hut – Breda (The Netherlands)

Posted by Ray on in Home Tiki Bars

A tiki bar in The Netherlands?

That’s right! Fran lives in Breda, which is located in The Netherlands and as you can guess, there isn’t much tiki going on there. So, Fran decided to build his own tiki bar. He liked names that repeat and he called his bar the Bora Bora Hut! Here is a story about enjoying tiki when there isn’t much tiki close to you …

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Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #76 The Lost Pearl – Rochester NY

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It gets cold and snowy in upstate New York and if you’re looking for a tiki bar, sadly you are out of luck. The nearest tiki bar is three hours away and in Canada. Kirk Doran lives in Rochester and after a life changing trip to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto down at Walt Disney World, he decided to build his own tiki get-away. The name of his bar is called the Lost Pearl which is named after his aunt and it’s a perfect escape from the snow and cold weather. Here is Kirk’s story…

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Tiki VIP #43 Tony Rangel – Big Daddy’s Bear Cave

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If you’re looking for reviews on rum, tiki mugs, how to do tiki crafts or just to learn about tiki, Tony Rangel has you covered! Tony has a YouTube show called Big Daddy’s Bear Cave and each show you learn something new, and I promise that you will be entertained. Oh, did I mention, Tony loves all things Disney as well? There’s tons of episodes that cover Disney culture as well. Here is Tony’s story …

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