Tiki Time -- LeNell it All

by LeNell Smothers, Posted Sep 1st 2010 @ 5:00PM

Photo: Demián Camacho Santa Ana

With the renewed interest in classic cocktails over the past decade, it wasn't uncommon to get a little attitude from some bartenders -- whether in hip urban establishments or honky tonk bars -- if you ordered piña colada ("the blender is broken"), a Mai Tai, or any other foofy drink that traditionally comes in a funky mug with a fruit salad garnish. Not anymore. Tiki drinks and all their gewgaw are back in full swing.

In the early 30's, Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt figured out how to make some money with his interest in Polynesian culture. He named his place Don the Beachcomber (and later even changed his own name to Donn Beach), becoming quite the entertainer and host at his restaurant bar. Legend has it that he ran a water hose on top of his tin roof to mimic the sound of rain so customers would keep chatting and drinking. With over 80 drinks to his credit, he is the father of the tiki cocktail craze that lasted for decades. With copy cats galore attempting to make a profit off his concept, many of the liquor bottles at the Beachcomber bar were replaced with ones labeled with cryptic letters and numbers to keep the recipes as secret as possible.

California's Victor Bergeron built on the Beachcomber's success. His tiki entertainment empire became known as Trader Vic's. His books Trader Vic's Book of Food and Drink (1946) and the Bartender's Guide by Trader Vic (1947) are worth adding to your library.

The tiki craze was also helped along by films, books, and more. Movies such as the Bing Crosby flick Waikiki Wedding and Blue Hawaii starring Elvis assisted the popularity of the tiki movement. In 1947 the Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl left the coast of South America on a raft to test his theory that Polynesia had been settled by the Incas -- his account of that trip, Kon-Tiki, won acclaim as a bestseller. James Michener's Pulitzer prize-winning book Tales of the South Pacific made it to Broadway as a musical with songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein. In 1959 Hawaii joined the Union amid much fanfare which furthered the interest in Polynesian food and drink.

The interest in tiki continues to spur product development. Now you can even buy a Voodoo Tiki tequila that is supposedly aged in barrels made from wooden tiki sculptures buried in Mexico.

If you'd like to learn more about tiki's influence in the drink world, grab some albums of Martin Denny, pick up some tiki mugs from your local thrift store or even Target that resemble the Polynesian wooden sculptures, pour yourself a Zombie and peruse these websites:

Tiki Room: a go to site for music, books, and nostalgia info.
Trader Tiki: a great resource for authentic tiki syrups.
Critiki: Michelle Whiting's collection of tiki bar reviews, images, and musings.
Beachbum Berry: Great research into original tiki recipes with a series of guides, including Grog Log and Intoxica!

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of Casa Cóctel with partner Demián Camacho Santa Ana. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Filed Under: Drinks
Tags: beachcomber bar, BeachcomberBar, blender drinks, BlenderDrinks, featured, mai tai, MaiTai, pina colada, PinaColada, tiki bar, TikiBar