It’s been said that many people consider right now to be the golden age of television. Reason being is that television programs have never been as great as they are now. This would have started with The Sopranos, then Mad Men, then Breaking Bad. The list goes on and on. I have to agree with this statement. Hill Street Blues was cool, but it doesn’t come close to The Wire.
I may be going out on a limb, but I think that we are in the golden age of Tiki right now, and here’s why…
I live in Seattle. I booked a flight and flew six hours across the country to go to the Mai Kai. Why? Because when it comes to Tiki bars, the Mai Kai is it! My visit to the Mai Kai lasted five hours and I could have stayed longer. What is so special about the Mai Kai you may ask? Well, let’s start from the beginning…
Continue reading “Tiki Bar Review #22 The Mai Kai Fort Lauderdale FL”
It seems like most people I meet who love Tiki also love Mid-Century modern. Why is that? Well, I have a theory.
Continue reading “The Mid-Century Modern And Tiki Connection”
When Aaron Thorpe came across his home to be, he took one look at the place and said, “It’s mine.” There’s something about Mid-Century Modern homes that just look so cool and so right. Aaron’s place looks like something straight out of Palm Springs and it’s located in Portland, OR. Aaron has created a home Tiki bar, which is located outside by his pool. It is incredible, but there is so much more to see at Aaron’s home that it would be a crime to not show off the rest of it!
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #10 The Taboo Lagoon At The Shangri-La Portland, OR”
In the Pacific Northwest, Tacoma has always had a bad rap. It’s an unfair because it’s being compared to Seattle. Tacoma may not be as big as Seattle, but it sure has some pretty nice neighborhoods. Titlow is a part of Tacoma that is right off the Puget Sound. The neighborhood is known for its giant park (Titlow Park). It’s very stunning. In Titlow you will find Trader Tom’s Tropical Lounge at Drifter’s Cove…
There is nothing cooler than a family business and it’s even cooler when that family business makes Tiki mugs! Munktiki is Debba Debba, Paul, their son Miles, and Mile’s wife Annie. If you have been to Hale Pele, the Shameful Tiki Room, 3 Dots And A Dash, or Smuggler’s Cove, you have probably sipped out of a Tiki mug made from Munktiki. The operations of Munktiki are based in Portland (Paul and Deb) and Astoria (Miles and Annie). I asked Paul how long his “commute” to work is. He replied, “Three minutes, five if he needs some coffee!” Miles has been working with ceramics all his life and has about the same commute time! I asked Miles about his interest in ceramics…
Continue reading “Munktiki – Behind The Scenes And A Brief History”
Sometimes the hardest part about creating your own Tiki bar is finding the things you want to add to it. There is always eBay or Craigslist, but most of us find our Tiki treasures going to antique stores and thrift shops. I’ve done my share of traveling from one antique shop after another looking for that perfect Tiki mug. It took me over a year to find my Mid-Century Modern couch! Marci Holcomb and Austin Jordan don’t have to search very far for cool stuff. They own their own vintage store: Sputnik Housewares! Marci and Austin’s store and home are in Portland, OR. This is their story…
Continue reading “Home Tiki Bar Spotlight #8 The Lowbrow Lanai Portland, OR”
Day Two of Tiki Kon 2016 started off great with the Island Market Place..
Thinkgeek.com may have come with one of the coolest ideas ever. They combined two of my favorite things: Star Wars and Tiki! There are six different mugs. There is a mug for Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Yoda, R2-D2, Chewbacca, and a Stormtropper.
Jason Alexander of Tacoma Cabana ordered a collection of Star Wars mugs of his own. Once Jason had the mugs in hand, he started to think about what to do with them and came up with a great idea: create Star Wars-themed Tiki drinks!
Continue reading “Star Wars Mugs Call For Star Wars Tiki Drinks At Tacoma Cabana”
There are key people that have made the Tiki community what it is today and what it’s going to be in the future. Right now there are three main Tiki events that happen each year. One of those events is Tiki Kon and Greg Clapp is the man who puts it all together.
Tiki Kon takes place in Portland, OR, and has been going on for fourteen years. It’s a weekend of live music and entertainment. Tiki Kon also includes Tiki symposiums, Tiki bartending competitions, and an open market for artists and vendors to sell their Tiki wares. The main event of Tiki Kon is a home Tiki bar crawl where five or so bars are visited.
I was in Portland and I had a chance to meet Greg in person and ask him a few questions…
Continue reading “Tiki VIP #5 Greg Clapp (Tiki Kon Portland, OR)”
