Memories from Hukilau 2010, Fort Lauderdale

There’s nothing like getting a bunch of swingin’ kats and kittens together with island music, vintage threads and lots of rum. Well kids, let me tell you, his year’s Hukilau didn’t disappoint. From tattooed chicks in short skirts and flower leis to guys wearing palm tree shirts and short-brimmed fedoras, the eclectic crowd that swamped Fort Lauderdale was more fun than a barrel of fez-wearing monkeys.

That's me, Tiki Chris with three of my best girls - Colleen, Shannon & Molly

If you’ve been to an event like this (or to this one) you know how much fun can be packed into a couple of rum-drenched days. If you haven’t then you should definitely plan to. Our presence at the event was truncated due to a busy work schedule, but we still had a fantastic time on Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking forward to the Hukilau!

The Hukilau in Fort Lauderdale is this weekend, and I must say that us kats and kittens at Pirate’s Cove Tiki Bar have been looking forward to this since we left last year’s shindig. This year, we’ll be hitting the Mai Kai for dinner and show with a couple of friends who’ve never seen it…in fact, even though they’ve lived down here in the land of palm trees and Mojitos for years, they’ve never been to the Mai Kai at all. Krazy, huh?

Bahia Cabana, site of the Hukilau

That brings up a point. It amazes me just how little most people know about our little Tiki and Retro culture, even though if you look hard enough, it’s everywhere. The Hukilau is one of the largest Tiki events in the galaxy, and brings in a lot of business to Fort Lauderdale. Yet most of the people I’ve yapped about it to have never even heard of it. Hell, I didn’t find out about it until just a few years ago, and I love this stuff! Maybe it’s best kept as a best kept secret, huh?

As for this  weekend, we’ll be attending the Friday night party and we’ll be at Bahia Cabana during the day on Saturday; we’ll be watching the premier of the Tikimentary ‘In Search of the Lost Paradise’; we’re going to the Wreck Bar for the Mermaid Show and will hit the Mai Kai in the evening. (Note to burglars: We have a very large dog, an cop-wired alarm and a next door neighbor with a shotgun and a coke habbit).

So as far as Tiki Lounge Talk posts go, not sure how things are going to play out in the next couple of days, so you might not hear from me until Sunday. That of course depends on the level of intoxication achieved at The Hukilau, catch my drift? Groovy. And for those swingers going to the big party - see you there kids…just like last year, I’ll be the guy in the Hawaiian shirt!

-Tiki Chris Pinto, reporting from the lanai next to the pool.

Tiki Aquarium Stuff!

Tiki can be found in the strangest places these days. I happened to be in a Petco on Saturday, where Colleen was volunteering for an animal rescue. I’ve always had a fascination with fish tank decorations, so of course I had to check out the latest pirate shipwrecks and bubbling divers. Well kids, much to my surprise I found a shelf full of Tiki stuff! The lighting was too low to try to take pix so I found some on the web…kool Tiki stuff for your aquarium, or better yet for whatever you can imagine.

My new tiki swizzle stick holder

I bought this Tiki guy and am now using him to hold swizzle sticks on my Tiki Bar. These things are made up of that composite plastic stuff, so their pretty much indestructible.

Poking around online I also found this kickin’ Aloha Tiki Aquarium. Pretty neat, huh? It ain’t cheap though; least expensive one I found on the net was over 250 clams.

And it’s only two feet tall, so it ain’t like it’s giant Tiki to stand in your corner, it’s a table-top deal. Still groovy though. But it seems to me that you Tiki carvers out there could do a better job, customized to fit over someone’s round fish tank. Let me know when you make your first sale. I don’t even want a cut, just give ole Tiki Chris credit for the idea!

-Tiki Chris, Reporting from the pool at Tiki Lounge Talk, the place for Tiki Culture and Retro Fun!

New Booze for the Tiki Bar: DeKuyper’s Key Largo Schnapps Liqueur

Ah, the Tiki Good Life

I honestly don’t know if this stuff is brand new (Bought it last night, but it’s nowhere to be found on the DeKuyper website) or if I’ve just missed it. Either way, it’s new to me, so here we go…

DeKuyper’s Key Largo Schnapps Liqueur Review

The Label says it mixes tropical flavors with island breezes or something…Ok, I was already into some rum when I tried to read the damned thing…anyway tasting it straight up (which I never recommend for anything intentionally made for mixing, unless it’s to get an idea of the flavor…translation, don’t do this as shots) it has an extremely sweet, vaguely citrus flavor with a silky, syrupy feel. It’s not as orangey as Triple Sec, not as strong as coconut rum. It’s clear, so it won’t screw up your drink’s color. Basically a sweet, mellow, fruity liqueur that adds a nice flavor without overpowering the drink.

Key Largo Liqueur by DeKuyper

The Bottle:

Clearly I only bought this ($9.99 at Winn Dixie) because of the bottle. No Floridian Tiki Bar should be without any booze that has “Key”, “Tiki” or “Parrot” in the name. On that same note, Anything bright green, blue or orange is also required. This bottle has Key in the name and parrots on the label. Fannnntastic.

Recipes for this stuff range from simply mixing with OJ and grenadine to a nice sounding concoction called the Key Largo Kooler. There’s not much about it online (which is why I suspect it is fairly new…either that or hopelessly unpopular). I tried it with the orange juice and thought it wasn’t bad, although a little too sweet for my taste (and way to sweet to be considered a real, Exotic Tiki bar cocktail, although the potential is there with some tinkering). The krazy thing is, with all the other flavored brandies and liqueurs in the world, I’m not sure stocking this stuff for drinking purposes is necessary. But for ten clams, it sure looks great next to the Tiki idol on the bar.

Have you tried this booze? Leave a comment with your recipe or…well, comments!

-Tiki Chris reporting from the floor in front of the bar after too many Zombies.
Tiki Lounge Talk, the Tiki Culture Blog for swingin’ hipsters and hep kats.

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Hukilau 2010 is coming up fast!

The Hukilau 2010, June 10-13, Fort Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida

Tiki Lovers come together each year where the palm trees sway and the rum flows freely (but not free, of course!). Join the fun at the Hukilau 2010 in Sunny South Florida this June. Tickets start at $15 pp for Saturday’s festivities and max out at $85 for the 3-day Aloha Pass, which gives you access to everything except the shuttle and the Á La Carte stuff.

We made it to last year’s for the Saturday stuff and let me tell you, it was a blast. Hawaiian music, retro-swingy-twangy-surf music, dancers, art, booze, Tiki torches, fun decor and a Tiki bazaar all sorts of fun stuff to blow your green on.

Appearances by Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid and Jeff “Beach Bum” Berry, along with live music, seminars, great food and a special evening at the world famous Mai Kai make this event something you’ll remember for years. So if you’ve got the time and the lettuce, come on down to the Hukilau this June. Look for Colleen anp d ole’ Tiki Chris - like last year, I’ll be the guy in the Hawaiian Shirt.