The Tiki Times – May 2017 Events Calendar: Tiki Caliente and lots more summer kickoff parties

Tiki Caliente

The Tiki Times

From the ashes of the Week in Tiki (and, later, the Month in Tiki) rises The Tiki Times. Still ambitious, but more practical, this monthly guide to what’s going on across the world of Tiki culture will hopefully be a definitive resource of where to find special events that touch on topics of interest to many Tikiphiles. You’ll find all the major Tiki festivals, plus smaller gatherings along with events that scratch our itch for rum and cocktails, surf and rockabilly music, mid-century modern design, even Disney. And don’t forget authentic Polynesian culture, the well from which Tiki springs. The biggest will get extended coverage as “spotlight events.”
Social media: Follow our Facebook page for daily news updates
Pinterest | Coming soon: Twitter and Instagram

MAY 2017 TIKI EVENTS CALENDAR
Spotlight event: Tiki Caliente (May 18-21)
Ongoing events | Upcoming events

May 6 – Dapper Day Spring Soiree at Disneyland Paris.

May 7 – Hawaiian Bazaar & Brunch at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, Calif. A showcase of vendors plus tasty food and drinks at the landmark restaurant.

May 9 – Dirty Dick Takeover at Porco Lounge & Tiki Room in Cleveland featuring Plantation rums and cocktails by Scotty Schuder from the famous Tiki bar in Paris.

May 13 – Shag print signing at TikiCat in Kansas City featuring the acclaimed artist Josh Agle. He’ll be signing prints of the new painting he did for the recently-opened Tiki bar.
Shag TikiCat print

May 13 – Tiki Trader San Diego at Bali Hai. A new event at the historic restaurant featuring more than 40 vendors, music, drinks, fun and food.
Tiki Trader San Diego

********************* SPOTLIGHT EVENT *********************
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May 18-21 – Tiki Caliente returns to Palm Springs, Calif., for its ninth gathering with the theme “Beyond the Reef.” Featuring live music, seminars, room and pool parties, art shows, vendors and more at the historic Caliente Tropics resort.

Tiki Caliente

Tiki Caliente highlights

* An always creative event mug (available only at the event) that pays tribute to Tiki history, crafted by Doug Horne and Eekum Bookum. This year it’s the Menehune Mug, which honors the United Airlines mascot from the 1970s. There’s also a special Handpainted Event Mug Art Show in the lobby of the Caliente Tropics, where more than 20 artists will be taking blank event mugs and painting them in their own unique styles. Artists include Sam Gambino, Doug Horne, Tiki Tony, Big Toe, Christine Benjamin, Bamboo Ben, Thor, John Mulder, Dawn Frasier, Matt Reese, Woody Miller, Crazy Al Evans, Dave Warsaw, Michael Fleming, Eric October, plus more.

* Symposiums and special events featuring some of the West Coast’s top Tiki movers and shakers. This year, guests can enjoy “Shag: Amongst the Tikis,” a unique opportunity to join artist Josh Agle as he talks about the influence of Tiki art and culture on his paintings, his childhood in Hawaii and his young adult years chasing vanishing Tiki bars before they went extinct. Shag will also show images of his art, his own Tiki collection and historic photos of Waikiki in the late 1960s. Bartender Kelly Merrell from Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at Disneyland will present “The No-Rum Tiki Symposium” on both Friday and Saturday, delving into the history of exotic cocktails that use whiskey, gin, scotch, tequila and a few other surprises.

Continue reading “The Tiki Times – May 2017 Events Calendar: Tiki Caliente and lots more summer kickoff parties”

Minimalist Tiki

The Tiki Times – March 2017 Events Calendar: Shag art shows, Tiki bars and festivals, surf rock and more

The Tiki Times

From the ashes of the Week in Tiki (and, later, the Month in Tiki) rises The Tiki Times. Still ambitious, but more practical, this monthly guide to what’s going on across the world of Tiki culture will hopefully be a definitive resource of where to find special events that touch on topics of interest to many Tikiphiles. You’ll find all the major Tiki festivals, plus smaller gatherings along with events that scratch our itch for rum and cocktails, surf and rockabilly music, mid-century modern design, even Disney. And don’t forget authentic Polynesian culture, the well from which Tiki springs. The biggest will get extended coverage as “spotlight events.”
Social media: Follow our Facebook page for daily news updates
Pinterest | Coming soon: Twitter and Instagram
February recap: Bar openings and closings, cocktail competitions, Modernism Week, more

MARCH 2017 TIKI EVENTS CALENDAR

March 3 – The first Chattanooga Surf Stomp in Tennessee featuring The Katatonics (Indiana), The Mystery Men? (Atlanta), and Genki Genki Panic (Tennessee).

March 4 – The Original Tiki Market Place in Garden Grove, Calif. Featuring vendors, live Hawaiian entertainment, food, friends, and more at the Garden Grove Elks Lodge.

March 4 – Grand opening of The Reef at the Caliente Tropics resort. in Palm Springs. Join propriator Rory “Wildsville Man” Snyder, the man behind Tiki Caliente and Mod Palm Springs, at the refurbished Tiki bar in this historic hotel, site of both of his events. The Jimmy Psycho Experiment plays live, and DigiTiki will be recording The Quiet Village podcast live.
Grand opening of The Reef

March 4 – Shag book-signing and print release at Shag the Store in West Hollywood. This free event features the premiere the Leisure Principle serigraph print (Shag’s largest serigraph print to date) and signing for his new book, Shag: The Collected Works. Shag will also be signing prints and merchandise while guests enjoy complimentary cocktails and music.

March 4 – Unsteady Freddie’s Surf-Rock Shindig at Otto’s Shrunken Head in New York City. Featuring The Band of Others, Brad & The Bombers, The Tarantinos-NYC, and Thee Swank Bastards.
Unsteady Freddie's Surf-Rock Shindig

March 5 – Lei Low third anniversary party in Houston. Featuring live music by The Phantomatics and The Phantom Royals, special edition mugs by Eekum Bookum, plus more.
Lei Low third anniversary party

Continue reading “The Tiki Times – March 2017 Events Calendar: Shag art shows, Tiki bars and festivals, surf rock and more”

The Tiki Times – February 2017 News and Events: Bar openings and closings, cocktail competitions, Modernism Week, plus more

Representing sponsor Rhum Barbancourt at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami Beach, Brian Miller is joined by Tiki Mondays With Miller cohort Jelani Jah Edwards-Jöhnson (left). Miller mixed and presented his ever-popular Greedo in Paradise cocktail on Feb. 24. Look for a new bar project from Miller in New York City coming soon. (Photos by The Atomic Grog)

The Tiki Times

Updated March 8
NEW: After each month, look for a summary of all the top Tiki news, plus updates on bar openings and closings, the world of rum, plus more!
Jump below: Tiki news | Bar news | Rum news | Links | Events calendar
March events: Shag art shows, Tiki bars and festivals, surf rock and more

From the ashes of the Week in Tiki (and, later, the Month in Tiki) rises The Tiki Times. Still ambitious, but more practical, this monthly guide to what’s going on across the world of Tiki culture will hopefully be a definitive resource of where to find special events that touch on topics of interest to many Tikiphiles. You’ll find all the major Tiki festivals, plus smaller gatherings along with events that scratch our itch for rum and cocktails, surf and rockabilly music, mid-century modern design, even Disney. And don’t forget authentic Polynesian culture, the well from which Tiki springs.
Social media: Follow our Facebook page for daily news updates
Pinterest | Coming soon: Twitter and Instagram

FEBRUARY 2017

TIKI NEWS: Book and mug releases

Shag the Store announced the release of Shag’s newest signed book, Shag: The Collected Works. It’s available signed by Shag directly from the Palm Springs and Hollywood stores. It’s also coming soon to the online store. The 192-page hardcover book features the “Balcony on Sunset” print on the front cover and the “Three Coats” print on the back cover.

BAR NEWS: Farewell Tiki Mondays With Miller, Longitude, Kreepy Tiki and Trader Vic’s; Aloha The Reef and Tiki Underground

Lost Lake in Chicago continues to rake in the honors, the most recent being named a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program by the James Beard Foundation. “It’s really a thrill to see Lost Lake listed alongside the incredible bars that inspire us daily,” said a message on the acclaimed Tiki bar’s Facebook page. Among the many other nominees are Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston, Arnaud’s French 75 Bar in New Orleans, Bar Agricole in San Francisco, Canon in Seattle, Clyde Common in Portland, The Dead Rabbit in New York City, and The Varnish in Los Angeles. The 2017 James Beard Awards Gala will be held in Chicago on May 1.
Lost Lake's Paul McGee, Shelby Allison and Erin Hayes at the Tiki Tower Takeover at The Hukilau 2016 in Fort Lauderdale. (Photo by Go11Events.com) Lost Lake’s Paul McGee, Shelby Allison and Erin Hayes at the Tiki Tower Takeover at The Hukilau 2016 in Fort Lauderdale. (Photo by Go11Events.com)
* More photos, full coverage of the special cocktail event

Following his Tiki Mondays With Miller finale on Feb. 13 at Pouring Ribbons in New York City, Capt. Brian Miller posted the following missive on Facebook: “The crew and I left it all on the stage and we hope each and every one of you had a great time. We said we wouldn’t go quietly and we didn’t. There was so much rum and so much love. I was humbled by all of it. Thanks to all of you that came on Monday and everyone else that has come to Tiki Mondays over the past 5+ years. It was my pleasure and my honor to serve all of you.” Look for a new venture in New York City in the near future from Miller and company.

There was sad news out of Oakland, Calif, where owner Suzanne Long announced a March 5 closing of her beloved Longitude. Open since August 2014, this was the respected rum and cocktail expert’s first bar of her own, and it was well-received across the Tiki and rum communities. In her Facebook announcement, Long wrote: “Thank you to all of you who have walked through our doors in the last three years. It has been an amazing, glorious adventure and we couldn’t have done it without all of your love and support. Mahalo to you and Aloha, with so much love! And from me, don’t worry. You haven’t seen the last of me yet.” We’re holding you to that, Suzanne!

While many will say it was a shell of its former self, Trader Vic’s ended a 62-year association with the Beverly Hilton with the Feb. 2 closing of the poolside lounge that was the last remnant of the legendary Tiki restaurant at the venerable hotel, Los Angeles Magazine reported. “The original Beverly Hilton Trader Vic’s was a sprawling Polynesian pop masterpiece that opened with the Welton Becket-designed hotel in 1955 and was a celebrity hot spot for decades,” the article says. Added Eater Los Angeles: “Operating on land owned for decades by Merv Griffin and playing host to everyone from Hugh Hefner to the Rat Pack, Trader Vic’s in Beverly Hills had become a beloved staple for that side of town – but now it’s all been scrubbed away.” When the restaurant closed in 2007, the pool bar became the only place in Los Angeles to get an authentic Trader Vic’s Mai Tai and pu-pu platters. A more modern Trader Vic’s restaurant operated at L.A. Live from 2009 to 2014. Now the only U.S. locations are in Emeryville, Calif., and Atlanta. There are more than a dozen overseas locations.

Ayme Harrison (left) and daughter Demi Anne Natoli representing Kreepy Tiki Lounge in 2016 at The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Harrison is shuttering the old Kreepy Tiki and helping launch a new South Florida craft cocktail bar. You can find Natoli at Lost Lake in Chicago. (Atomic Grog photo)
Ayme Harrison (left) and daughter Demi Anne Natoli representing Kreepy Tiki Lounge in 2016 at The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Harrison is shuttering the old Kreepy Tiki and helping launch a new South Florida craft cocktail bar. You can find Natoli at Lost Lake in Chicago. (Atomic Grog photo)

An era ended in Fort Lauderdale, where the proprietors of Kreepy Tiki Lounge announced that the live music venue and craft cocktail bar would be closing its doors on April 1. “We invite you all to celebrate the times we had, friendships we’ve made, and enjoy the last remaining days with us,” said a Facebook announcement. The adjoining Kreepy Tiki Tattoos will remain open during construction in the weeks to come, so look for news on future upgrades to the space near Fort Lauderdale International Airport. South Florida Distillers, makers of the award-winning Fwaygo rums, is a recent new addition to the building. A longtime rockabilly and punk-rock hangout under various names, the bar received a major upgrade (and full liquor license) when Ayme Harrison took over bar operations in late 2014. It was subsequently named one of the best 22 Tiki bars in the country by Condé Nast Traveler, and Harrison’s mixology skills were recognized in 2016 at such high-profile events as The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and The Hukilau. Harrison is one of several high-profile partners in a new craft cocktail bar in nearby Delray Beach called Death or Glory, set to open April 1, according to Miami New Times. The article also says that the old Kreepy Tiki Lounge “may continue to operate in another capacity” under Kreepy Tiki Tattoos owner Jackson Valiente.

It was not all about closings this month. Some exciting news in Palm Springs heralded the opening of The Reef at the Caliente Tropics resort. Home of the annual Tiki Caliente and Mod Palm Springs events, the vintage resort with the iconic A-frame entrance and distinctive mid-century Polynesian Pop architecture had once been home to a bar called The Reef. When Rory Snyder, creator of the aforementioned Tiki weekenders, saw an opportunity to take over the bar space, he jumped at it. He enlisted the talents of artists Buzzy Meeker (design, build-out), Doug Horne (logos, menus and mug design) and John Mulder of Eekum Bookum (mug creation). “I want the mood and menu of The Reef make all who walk in here feel at home,” Snyder said in an announcement on Facebook. “Everyone from the long-time Palm Springs residents, to vacationing tourists, to our enthusiastic Tiki ohana. Because The Reef is located at a hotel, some people might wander in from the pool in their flip-flops and some might arrive dressed up for a night out. Regardless, I want people to come in knowing that, just because this is a tropically-themed bar, they can get still their favorite standard well drinks or enjoy one of our craft Tiki cocktails, along with some good food while having a memorable time. You will be entertained.” Previews were held in February, with a grand opening scheduled for March 4.

It’s clear that the best Tiki bars are a passion project of their owners, and the new Tiki Underground in the Akron, Ohio, area is no exception. Cleveland native Sean Coffey was a Tiki fanatic for 20 years before realizing his dream and opening a tropical paradise for all to enjoy. “Sean has loved Tiki culture for so many years and he’s basically had a Tiki bar, at home,” his wife and co-owner Jessie Coffey said in an article on Cleveland.com. “Now we get to have the public come over.” Funded in part by fans and supporters, the bar is a DIY effort in the truest sense of the word. Coffey took over a 4,500-square-foot space that was formerly home to a sports bar in Hudson, Ohio, bringing South Seas style and the spirit of aloha to an enthusiastic opening day crowd on Feb. 24. A grand opening and the roll-out of more entertainment and menu options were planned for March.

In Fort Lauderdale, news broke about a new restaurant opening in the beachside B Ocean Resort, perhaps best known for the classic “porthole lounge” The Wreck Bar and long-running swim shows by Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid. Naked Crab Seafood Kitchen is the brainchild of celebrity chef and restauranteur Ralph Pagano, who has had success with his Naked Taco and Naked Lunch concepts in Miami. Less successful was the short-lived Naked Tiki on South Beach, but hopefully Pagano’s appreciation of Tiki shines through in his new 150-seat restaurant, which also includes The Florida Bar. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Naked Crab is a “stripped-down but also dressed-up crab and seafood and steak house where I cook impeccably sourced fish,” Pagano told New Times. In related Wreck Bar news, Marina and her pod of aquaticats launched a new, burlesque-themed swim show for ages 21 and older on Friday and Saturday nights at 9:30 p.m. These are in addition to the regular family-friendly “fishtail glam” mermaid shows at 6:30.
Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid at The Wreck Bar

The kitschy dive bar Hula Hula, which has been operating since 2007 and proudly advertising “karaoke 365 days a year,” announced that it has been forced to move from its Seattle Center location. According to a post on the bar’s Facebook page, Hula Hula will shut down March 18 but reopen in a new location in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in April.

RUM NEWS: Bacardi crowns North American Cocktail Competition champion

Darnell Holguin (left) after his presentation at the at the 1306 Bar on South Beach. (Photos by The Atomic Grog) Darnell Holguin after his presentation at the 1306 Bar on South Beach. (Photos by The Atomic Grog)

Darnell Holguin of New York City won the Bacardi Legacy North American Cocktail Competition Finals in Miami Beach on Feb. 13 with his It Was All a Dream cocktail. Other U.S. finalists included Cody Henson of Miami, Will Isaza of Boston, Alex Chien of Chicago, Cameron George of Seattle, and Vincent Toscano of San Francisco. Holguin will represent the United States at the Global Final in Berlin in May. Around 250 people attended the private industry-only event at the 1306 Bar. Our correspondent tasted almost all of the 19 drinks and reported to us (without knowing the winner) that he thought Holguin’s was far and away the best. He called it “a very Tiki-tastic concoction that utilized condensed milk and allspice dram. … The minute I sipped it, I knew it was the winning drink.”
* See video of the competition

LINKS
* At Fort Lauderdale’s Mai-Kai, it’s always Tiki time (The New York Times)
* Connoisseurs tap Cuban history for original daiquiri (USA Today)
* A Voodoo Grog story (Critiki News)
* Black rum: Setting the record straight (Cocktail Wonk)
* How Tiki Month began (Pegu Blog)
* The Golden Age of Tiki…Now? (Tiki with Ray)
* At Jungle Bird, everything old is new again (Sacramento Magazine)
* Portland has the world’s second vegan Tiki bar (Willamette Week)
* The mesmerising mysteries and traditions of Easter Island (Daily Mail)

TIKI EVENTS: Modernism Week, plus rum, surf and Polynesian culture

Feb. 4-March 4 – Dark & Stormy: A Tiki Nightmare show at Night Gallery Fine Art in Santa Ana, Calif. Opening party Feb. 4 with featured artist Big Toe plus live music by the The Jimmy Psycho Experiment.

Dark & Stormy: A Tiki Nightmare

Feb. 4 – Tropical Rum Fest in West Palm Beach. The fifth annual taste of the tropics at the downtown Meyer Amphitheater featuring international rum exhibitors and authentic island cuisine.

Feb. 4 – Unsteady Freddie’s Surf-Rock Shindig at Otto’s Shrunken Head in New York City. Featuring The Obsidians, Howlin’ Thurstons, Strange But Surf, and Infra-Men.

Unsteady Freddie's Surf-Rock Shindig

Feb. 9 – Tiki Bingo at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale hosted by the Gumbo Limbo Chapter of the Fraternal Order Of Moai. A fund-raising event featuring an extended happy hour.

Tiki Bingo at The Mai-Kai

Feb. 11 – Aloha Fest in Venlo, The Netherlands. An evening of European surf music and culture including Surfer Joe, The Terrorsaurs, Kilaueas, Aloha Sluts and more. Plus DJs, unplugged shows, market with Tiki art and music for sale.

Aloha Fest

Feb. 11 – Southern Surf Stomp at Kavarna in Decatur, Ga. All-ages concert featuring Liz Brasher, and The Fugitives.

Feb. 11 – Second Saturday Surf fourth anniversary party at Nomad Bar in Austin, Texas. Featuring Sonny & The Starfires, Los SuperAvengers, and The Zilkers.

Second Saturday Surf fourth anniversary party

Feb. 13 – Tiki Mondays With Miller in New York City. The final voyage of Brian Miller and his scurvy crew, with special guests Gaz Regan and the Hula Belly Sisters. At Pouring Ribbons in the East Village.

Feb. 16 – Mahiki Invasion at UnderTow in Phoenix featuring an hour of Tiki education with Georgi Radev of Mahiki in London. Includes cocktails, a Tiki mug, sponsor Reàl Cocktail Ingredients giveaways, and a recipe guide created by Radev.

Continue reading “The Tiki Times – February 2017 News and Events: Bar openings and closings, cocktail competitions, Modernism Week, plus more”

Week/Month in Tiki (May 1-31, 2016): Recap Tiki Caliente; preview Tiki Kon, Tales of the Cocktail and Tiki Oasis; plus Tiki bar news and more!

The Week in Tiki As usual, May kicked off the Tiki event season with Tiki Caliente in Palm Springs. Check out a recap and photos, plus previews of Tiki Kon in Portland, Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, Tiki Oasis in San Diego, and more upcoming events. We have news on South Florida Distillers joining Kreepy Tiki Lounge in an expanded location near Fort Lauderdale’s airport, plus lots more Tiki bar news. Regular features spotlight the godfather of pop surrealism, artist Mark Ryden; Sven Kirsten’s 2010 compilation, The Sound of Tiki; the Palm Springs outpost of the venerable Tonga Hut; plus the Modern Tiki Lounge website. Our featured rum, the inventive Santeria, is included in an Atomic Grog original cocktail, Koko Kahuna.
* Keep up with The Week/Month in Tiki: Facebook page | RSS feed | Past blogs | Archive
* More below: Artist | Band/music | Bar | Website | Rum | Cocktail | Events

EVENT RECAP: Tiki Caliente expands to four days of wall-to-wall Poly Pop parties in Palm Springs

The Tiki Caliente tribe gathers poolside at the Caliente Tropics resort in Palm Springs. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)
The Tiki Caliente tribe gathers poolside at the Caliente Tropics resort in Palm Springs. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)

Like the first major college football bowl game (but a lot more colorful), Tiki Caliente kicked off the annual Tiki event season in style with its eighth gathering of the tribe in the tropical mid-century splendor of Palm Springs on May 12-15. Expanded to four days at the historic Caliente Tropics resort, the intimate, sold-out event also featured a pre-party at Tonga Hut as well as more symposiums, an eclectic lineup of performers, art shows, vendors and the usual festive room parties. Tonga Hut also served as Tiki Caliente’s on-site bar all weekend, keeping the party going with authentic Polynesian-style cocktails from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m.
* See below: Tonga Hut, bar of the week/month

Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid joins Marty Lush for his Don Ho tribute show at Tiki Caliente 2016. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)
Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid joins Marty Lush for his Don Ho tribute show at Tiki Caliente 2016. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)

Performers included Creepxotica, Ding Dong Devils, The Do-Its, The Jimmy Psycho Experiment, Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid, Martini Kings, Surfbroads, TikiTronic, and Voodoo Organist. Organizer Rory Snyder ratcheted up the kitschy fun with a yacht rock party co-hosted with Marty Lush (aka Digitiki of The Quiet Village podcast). Lush also performed a rum-fueled Don Ho tribute show, “Suck on This.”

Symposiums featured some of the most creative minds in Tiki cocktails, including “From the High Seas to High Tiki: Rum’s Cocktail Voyage” by Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco, “Finishing Touches” by Marie King of Tonga Hut, and “Punch and the History of the Communal Cocktail” by Chad Austin of Bootlegger Tiki in Palm Springs.

Tiki Caliente organizer Rory Snyder (front) enjoys a Zen Tiki Lounge room party. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)
Tiki Caliente organizer Rory Snyder (front) enjoys a Zen Tiki Lounge room party. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)

While not officially part of the event, the room crawl has become a fixture and allows guests to meet and mingle as well as show off their mixology skills. Many participants go all-in with full-blown Tiki decor, DJs, live music and more. Organized by the crew from the Zen Tiki Lounge podcast, this year’s crawl spanned three days and featured 15 rooms. Among the more noteworthy parties were hosted by Zen Tiki Lounge (celebrating their 10-year anniversary), Kevin Upthegrove of the 5 Minutes of Rum podcast (serving a riff on the Cobra’s Fang/Cobra’s Kiss called The Snakepit), and the faculty and students from Poly Hai (serving the “Wake Your Tiki Ass Up Coffee Grog” with sponsor Deadhead rum at 9:30 a.m.).

Artist Tiki Ray Kieffer sees one of his tikis installed at the Caliente Tropics in Palm Springs during Tiki Caliente 2016. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)
Artist Tiki Ray Kieffer sees one of his tikis installed at the Caliente Tropics in Palm Springs during Tiki Caliente 2016. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)

Commercial Tiki bars got in on the act on Saturday night with a Tonga Hut bash followed by the finale, hosted by Huntington Beach’s Don the Beachcomber in the Caliente Tropics lobby and featuring live music from Jason Lee and the R.I.P. Tides. The room crawl judges gave the best cocktail award to John and Janet Mulder of Eekum Bookum for their gin Saturn. The award for best decor/theme went to artist Doug Horne for “Swampfire Ball.” The judges choice award went to Stephen Holt’s Kraken Hunter Bar.
* Room crawl photos on Facebook | Tiki Central discussion
Live at Tiki Caliente: Listen to the Zen Tiki Lounge podcast

The Mulders collaborated with Horne on the Tiki Caliente 8 War Club, one of the most creative event mugs we’ve seen in a long time. Horne also created the official event limited edition print and limited-edition war club pedants. The art of Shag was also featured in a special reception and party for the massive “Trousdale Twist” painting. Shag, who owns a mid-century modern home in Palm Springs, was on hand to meet guests and soak in the Polynesian Pop atmosphere.

More from Poly Hai: Gallery of 400+ images from Kari Hendler | Videos
* Official sites: Tiki-Caliente.com | Facebook page

EVENT PREVIEW: Step back into the WWII era at Tiki Kon in Portland

Tiki Kon

The northwest Tiki scene is gearing up for the 14th annual Tiki Kon, happening July 8-10 in Portland. Themed to Polynesian Pop’s roots in the post-World War II era and the USO, the eclectic event is centered at a new host hotel, the Red Lion Hotel On The River. Guests can enjoy Tiki-themed music, art and fashion, with a rollicking camp show, surf and lounge bands, educational symposiums, themed food and drinks, vendors from around the world, and the longest-running home bar tour of its kind.

Here’s a look at the schedule and highlights of the vintage weekend. Unless noted, all events are at the Red Lion Hotel. Some individual events have tickets available at the door, while others are free and open to the public. Check the online schedule for details.

Continue reading “Week/Month in Tiki (May 1-31, 2016): Recap Tiki Caliente; preview Tiki Kon, Tales of the Cocktail and Tiki Oasis; plus Tiki bar news and more!”