It’s hard to say where Jeff and Sherri Nelson’s Hala Kahiki Tiki Hale begins or ends. I take that back, I can tell you that the Tiki starts in the living room but then it works its way into the kitchen, down the hall, and downstairs to the door. Jeff Nelson is definitely living the Tiki lifestyle, because Hala Kahiki Tiki Hale isn’t Jeff’s Tiki bar, it’s his home…
What’s the tiki scene like where you live?
Jeff- The tiki scene here in Seattle is a bit interesting. We have great tiki bars to the South (Tacoma and Portland) and to the North (Vancouver). We have a great Ohana of friends that love tiki and have wonderful unsuspecting tiki bars tucked away into their homes. It’s amazing who you meet when you visit one of our Northwest tiki bars.
What brought you into the ‘Tiki lifestyle’ and how long has it been part of your life?
Jeff- My interest in tiki began in 2005 when I started traveling to Hawaii for work. I had visited Hawaii nearly a dozen times before, but it had been a number of years. I was vice president of marketing and sales for a higher education lending company and had numerous clients on Oahu. As a smart business traveler, I always planned some free time when I was there including a weekend before my workweek, and the weekend following.
One Saturday morning I decided to head out and visit the Weekend Market at the Aloha Stadium. After walking around for a while, I spotted a tiki carving with a pineapple on its forehead and decided to buy it. It was about 4 feet tall. When I got back to my rental car to put it in the trunk, I questioned myself, ” How am I going to get this thing home?”. After a visit to the Home Depot to purchase some cardboard, bubble wrap and tape, I began to wrap up my new tiki friend. It was very infrequent that I would have my wife drop me off at the airport and pick me up from my trips, but this return home required her to pick me up. I found my wife and two sons waiting for me at the baggage carousel. After retrieving my suitcase, I told them that I was waiting for an over-sized item. After about 15 minutes my cardboard wrapped package was in my hands. I didn’t reveal what was inside until I got home. To my wife’s surprise, she was introduced to my new tiki friend. He became a focal point in our living room.
Each time I traveled to Hawaii for vacation or business with my wife Sherri, we broadened our addiction with visiting the La Mariana Sailing Club and the original Thor Store in Waikiki.
Because my work region included the entire West Coast, I had the opportunity of visiting many iconic tiki bars including The Bali Hai, Tiki Ti, The Tonga Room, Forbidden Island, Kon Tiki (Tucson), Trader Sam’s and numerous Trader Vic’s locations. Some of my fondest memories were at a few Trader Vic’s locations that are dark today including Scottsdale, at the awesome Hotel Valley Ho, Palo Alto, at Dinah’s Garden Hotel and in Bellevue, WA.
I jump started my collection of tiki mugs well before the big craze began, giving me the opportunity to getting my hands on some rare mugs off eBay and in antique/thrift stores.
What made you decide to build your own Tiki bar? Any story behind the name?
Jeff- We originally didn’t think about building a “tiki bar” per se, but it was more decorating our home with Tiki and Hawaiiana. I would consider our “tiki bar” really as our entire living room, dining room and kitchen. We have always loved Disneyland, the Enchanted Tiki Room and Trader Sam’s, so we have incorporated some of that into our decor as well.
The name, Hala Kahiki Tiki Hale was based upon the pineapple tiki that I brought home from Hawaii. It simply means “Pineapple Tiki House” in Hawaiian.
Can you give a little history of how your bar all came together?
Jeff- I’ve always been interested in discovering the history of things. It was no different that I wanted to understand how tiki bars came into existence. It was all about creating escapism, beginning with Donn Beach of Don the Beachcomber and many others that followed including Victor Bergeron of Trader Vic’s.
I see it as a way to step out of the reality of life by immersing yourself into something that recaptures a lost innocence and atmospherically evoking a foreign world, both visually and in liquid libation form.
From bringing home all of the Aloha from Hawaii and visiting tiki bars throughout the West Coast, we wanted to have it be part of our home. It’s simply a collection of all the tiki mugs, artwork and Hawaiiana we’ve gathered for over 13 years. It’s our labor of love, an ongoing and ever-changing project that we like to share with others. It’s all about sharing Aloha!
What is your favorite Tiki drink? Why?
Jeff- Wow, that’s a difficult question to answer. I would say that I have a few based upon flavor profiles. First off, I love a great Mai Tai. One that is true to form based upon its original creator Trader Vic and his recipe and I love the Three Dots and a Dash for its complex flavoring. Other than that, I love all the concoctions that Jason Alexander comes up with at Devil’s Reef and Tacoma Cabana (Jason you owe me a few for this plug!).
What is your favorite Tiki bar? Not including your own!
Jeff- This one is hard to answer as well. I would have to name a few. First I would say the La Mariana Sailing Club in Honolulu for its authentic culmination of all kinds of tiki artifacts that Annette La Mariana Nahinu rescued from closed tiki bars in Honolulu. Second, Trader Sam’s at the Disneyland Hotel because of its “Disney touch”. And lastly, to a few local and awesome tiki bars, Tacoma Cabana, Devil’s Reef and of course Hale Pele.
Outside of great drinks, what do you think are essential elements in creating the perfect Tiki environment?
Jeff- Creating a tiki bar is really based upon the personality of its creator. I would say that an essential is to include tiki itself. Not some fake or Oriental version of tiki. No white walls or ceilings! Pink flamingos don’t belong.
Do you feel that music has an important role in creating a great Tiki experience? What would be some of your favorite artists and albums?
Jeff– Just imagine watching a film without a soundtrack. That’s what a tiki bar is without music. As I previously said, a tiki bar should provide a form of escapism. This is achieved not only visually, but also audibly. Music in a tiki bar is imperative.
I like to listen to the classics that include Martin Denny, Arthur Lyman and Les Baxter. But, I do enjoy some of the newer Exotica music today, especially The Tikiyaki Orchestra.
Favorite albums, Exotica by Martin Denny, Ritual of the Savage by Les Baxter and Taboo by Arthur Lyman.
What does the future hold for you and your home tiki bar?
Jeff- Ongoing renovations, new collectibles, cocktail shaking, more hangovers, new friends, great memories, and nui ke aloha (much Aloha).
Thank you Travis Bay for all the awesome pictures used for this post
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