TIKI CULTURE

Sci-Fi Movie Monday: It Came From Outer Space, 1953

We have Mod Movie Monday and Noir Movie Monday…it’s time to add in Sci-Fi Movie Monday at the Tiki Lounge!

Some the best Sci-fi movies of the 1950s and ’60s were based on books or short stories by the masters: Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, etc. This movie was based on Bradbury’s story “The Meteor”. To make it more commercially successful, the name was changed to much more sinister

It Came from Outer Space

from 1953, starring Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush, Charles Drake, and co-starring the soon-to-be Professor from Gilligan’s Island, Russell Johnson.

(Note: no spoilers here!)

The story is set in present day 1953, in the Arizona desert. Carlson, an “amateur stargazer” as he is called, spots a large meteor crashing into the desert floor. But when he goes to inspect it, he finds that it’s actually some kind of space ship.

His colleagues of course don’t believe him, until the aliens make their presence known…

This is science fiction literature adapted to screen in the true, mid-century vein, where humanity is examined under the stress of dealing with the unknown. This flick has some fantastic writing, and the special effects are well done for the era, or for any era. Black and white film only adds to the feel. There is mystery, emotion, even some gun-play to keep the kiddies interested, and a kick-ass Theramin score by a very young Henry Mancini.

It Came from Outer Space was also Universal Studio’s first 3-D movie, and if you can find a copy of it in 3-D, it’s worth it. But it stands great as 2-D just as well.

Food & Booze:

For the drinks, how about an Alien Brain Hemorrhage?
Fill a shot glass half way with peach schnapps. Gently pour Bailey’s Irish Cream on top. After the shot is almost full, carefully add a small amount of blue curacao. After it settles, add a small splash (or a few drops) of grenadine syrup, and watch it turn into something pretty icky looking.

As for dinner, how about a little Arizona Tex Mex Meatloaf, Betty Crocker style?

1 1/2 lb extra-lean ground beef
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
2 medium eggs
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic-and-herb seasoning
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Shredded Cheddar, Monterey Jack or similar cheese (mixing is great too!)
Salsa
Tortilla Chips

Kathleen Hughs got into the main credits, even though she only had like one line in the movie. Gee, I wonder why? I can think of two points that might have done it...

•    1 Heat oven to 375ºF. In large bowl, mix all ingredients except salsa. Spoon mixture into 11×7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish; pat into 9×5-inch loaf.
•    2 Bake uncovered about 1 hour or until meat thermometer inserted in center reads just below 160ºF. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top (as much as you want) and continue backing until cheese is melted and internal temp is 160° Drain any liquid before slicing. Serve with ships and salsa. Olé!

Below is the original trailer:

Happy Watching, and don’t forget your tinfoil hat.

- Tiki Chris, reporting from the screening room at Pirate’s Cove Tiki Lounge

HAPPY TIKI NEW YEAR from Tiki Lounge Talk!

Happy New Year!

Holy Caldonia, another year has come and gone. And it’s been a fun one here at the Tiki Lounge, filled with friends, booze, books, laughs, hot rods and tunes.

Here’s to a happy, healthy and swingin’ 1957! Uh, I mean 2013!

Last Drink of the Year

Well, here’s your last Tiki cocktail recipe for the year, and it’s a fun one…

The Blue Whale

I found this poking around on the net…it’s a new drink, created by Aidan Demarest, “one of L.A.’s most sought-after mixologists and the owner of Neat in Glendale”. The drink calls for vodka, but I’m betting it can be just as good…or better…with rum. Actually, I’m pretty sure this is a rum drink already…

Blue Whale (Glenn Koenig/Los Angeles Times)

1 part vodka
1 part Blue Curacao liqueur
1 part orange juice
1 part pineapple juice
1 part sweet and sour mix

Pour ingredients over ice and mix in a shaker. Strain into a Tiki glass, and serve cold.

Well, that’s it kids! Drink up, but stay safe. And remember… like good rum and good Scotch, you only get better with age (and a high alcohol content!)

Cheers, kids!

-Tiki Chris, reporting from Fort Lauderdale Beach, toasting the New Year in style.

Kalikimaka Cocktail, Christmas Punch & Pirate Eggnog: Your Tiki Bar Christmas Drink Recipes are here!

Every year I try to find some cool new drink recipe to feature for Christmas at the Tiki Bar. Last year I shared my own age-old Eggnog recipe, an easy concoction that starts with store-bought nog and goes crazy from there. I’m adding that in at the end of this post, but first here is this year’s featured cocktail,

The Kalikimaka Cocktail

1 oz Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
1/2 oz Kraken Dark Rum
1 1/2 oz. mulled apple cider (Apple juice will do in a pinch)
1/2 oz. cinnamon syrup (see below)
1/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1 dash bitters
Cinnamon sticks

Throw everything in a shaker with ice and shake it up good. Rim a martini glass lightly with cinnamon, and fill the glass with the chilled booze. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and enjoy the holidays!

Cinnamon Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 cinnamon sticks, broken into large pieces
Bring everything to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 8-10 minutes until sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently. Let cool. Ditch the cinnamon sticks, strain into a clean glass jar and cover. Store refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Chris’ Christmas Punch (Non-Alcoholic)

There’s nothing worse for kids at Christmas than to watch the adults making special drinks that they aren’t allowed to have. So here’s something that both adults and kiddies will dig…

1 liter Ginger Ale
2 quarts Apple Cider or Juice
1 cup orange juice
oranges
apples
cinnamon
cinnamon sticks
nutmeg
ice

In a punchbowl, combine the ginger ale, juices, and ice. Add about a teaspoon of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of nutmeg and stir well. Slice oranges into wheels and apples into small cubes and float; sprinkle the top with cinnamon. Serve ice cold with a cinnamon stick. Deee-lish.

And of course, the infamous Eggnog.

Keep out of reach of children.
1 quart good quality store-bought eggnog
About 1 1/2 cups Captain Morgan’s or Sailor Jerry Rum
2 oz Coconut Rum
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pour the nog into a large bottle and add all ingredients (start with ½ cup of rum and keep adding to taste). Shake vigorously and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

Hope this helps with your holiday parties! Merry Christmas!

-Tiki Chris reporting from under the Christmas Tree at Tiki Lounge Talk

International Exotic Cocktail Day 2012- Friday, Oct 5th

It’s nearly here - tomorrow is the third annual International Exotic Cocktail Day!

#IECD is a day for celebrating all that is great, swingin’, kool and magical about Tiki & Exotic Cocktails. Hey, there’s a day for everything now…why not have a day to celebrate something that really matters? BOOZE.

People all over the world will be celebrating this day by having an exotic cocktail (or two, or three…). Wherever, whenever, with whomever…as long as you have a Tiki drink in hand and a smile on your face.

Colleen Drinking Cap'n Mack's Pirate Grog

I’ll be celebrating this day all day. After all, I invented it so I guess I should, right?

I’ll be making Zombies for my co-workers for at-work happy hour (I work at an ad agency, so liquor is ok here in moderation). With any luck and if traffic is on my side, I’ll be swinging by The Wreck Bar to see Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid’s underwater show, then will head over to the Mai Kai around 8 to drink Mai Tais and Jet Pilots, and listen to the Cutback Surf Band. Those cats can really rock old-school surf tunes.

I’ll be finishing the night at home, at my private Tiki bar, affectionately known as Pirate’s Cove Tiki Bar. I’m thinking I’ll mix up a Pirate’s Wench, my own Tiki cocktail concoction.

Happy International Exotic Cocktail Day, kids! Live it up!

Join the #IECD event on Facebook!

-Tiki Chris, reporting from the liquor store on the corner of Tiki Island Road and Tropical Paradise Avenue, Florida

For a list of Exotic Cocktail recipes, visit Tiki Lounge Talk’s mixed-up drinks page!

Vintage Drink Recipe: The Asbury Park Cocktail

Not so much a “Tiki” drink as I usually post, this recipe is in honor of the Asbury Park Boardwalk’s Weekend Tiki Festival going on right now in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

The Asbury Park Cocktail

I couldn’t find much info on where this drink originated, although by the ingredients, I’d have to guess it’s a mid-20th century concoction, maybe leaning closer to the 1930s. It’s a simple recipe that’s perfect for this time of year.