The Tropical Swing - Your Weekend Tiki Bar Cocktail

There was an interesting show on the tube last night about the history of Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey. It prompted me to take a gander at Jack’s website, where I found a few decent drink recipes incorporating the sweet booze bottled at America’s oldest registered distillery. Of course the one that had both the words “Tropical” and “Swing” in it caught my attention!

The Tropical Swing

The Tropical Swing

1 oz of Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey
1 oz simple syrup
½ oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz of pineapple juice
Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a large rocks glass over the rocks. Garnish with a cherry.

-Tiki Chris P reporting from behind the bar at Pirate’s Cove Tiki Bar, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Tiki Bar! Here’s An Affair To Remember, from 1957 for Mod Movie Monday

Here’s a special edition of Mod/Noir/Retro/Vintage Movie Monday for Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air, and it’s contageous…so grab your favorite guy or doll and watch

An Affair to Remember

from 1957 starring Carry Grant and Deborah Kerr. Absolutely one of the most romantic movies ever made, even hardened tough guys dig this flick. The plot is simple: Grant and Kerr meet by chance on a cruise ship and fall in love. They know their love is taboo, since they are both engaged to other people. But their love is strong, and they agree to meet six months later at the top of the Empire State Building. If I say one more word on the story I’ll give away the whole thing, so I won’t. I can tell you this is a beautifully made movie, with a fantastic score and lavish settings. Although Grant is in his early 50s (and Kerr in her early 30s) the romance works perfectly as Carry charms his way through the movie. Interesting notes: • The two lovers make their vow to meet at the Empire State Building at exactly the halfway point of the movie, 59-1/2 minutes into the 119-minute flick. • An Affair To Remember is listed as the #5 greatest romance of all-time by the American Film Institute. • This is the flick that was referenced in 1993’s Sleepless in Seattle. After the release of that film, a renewed interest in An Affair To Remember resulted in over two million video tape sales. My Take: I’ve never been one for romance flicks. My mother suggested I watch this movie many moons ago, and I guess she knew me well, because I loved it. I don’t exactly why…but it’s the kind of movie that appeals to everyone, not just chicks. Food & Booze: This is the perfect movie to watch while sharing some fondue and wine. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for perfect fondue: 1 lb shredded cheddar, jack, and/or Swiss cheese 1/4 stick butter 3 cloves minced garlic salt & pepper 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce flour 1-2 cups beer Toss the shredded cheese with some flour, just enough to coat lightly (this helps with the melting). Flatten one cup beer (by swirling) and add to heated fondue pot. Toss in the butter, garlic, and Worcestershire, and stir until butter is melted. Add a pinch or two of salt and a few shakes of pepper. Then add the cheese a little at a time, stirring constantly till you get a nice, smooth, cheesy fondue. Add a little more beer or more cheese as needed. If you put too much beer, you’ll get cheese soup. Too little and your fondue will be glorpy. Serve with toast points, apple slices, or fresh vegetables for dippin’. Mmmm mmm.

For a nice Valentine’s Day drink, try the Lover’s Cocktail here.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Here’s the Trailer…

-Tiki Chris & Colleen reporting from the very romantic lanai at Pirate’s Cove Tiki Bar.

Waikiki Tiki: Art, History & Photographs by Phillip S. Roberts

A few years ago you were lucky to find one or two decent books about Tiki or Hawaiian culture, but the resurgence in the popularity of our favorite bamboo-laden way of life has made it possible for some fine people to publish some fine works.

Waikiki Tiki: Art, History & Photographs by Phillip S. Roberts is a perfect example of a great Tiki coffee table book. Filled with great photos of everything from Tikis to Tiki Lounge menus, this tome gives another fun look into Hawaii’s and Tiki’s past.

Here’s a snippet from the Bess Press website: “Honolulu, HI (November 2010) - Bess Press introduces a stylish history of Waikiki tiki. Featuring a collection of archived tiki ephemera, carvings, and photographs, author Phil Roberts gives an evocative pictorial documentation of the past and present Waikiki tiki and the newfound popularity of its culture. As a well-known tiki enthusiast and researcher, freelance journalist, and former local radio personality, Roberts has had a unique and diversified exposure to the changing façade of Waikiki. The collection presented throughout the pages of this book detail over three decades of research.”

The description of the book reads, “Waikiki Tiki: Art, History and Photographs is a contemporary, landscape-styled book that offers a pictorial documentation of the past and present of tiki (and related art forms) throughout Waikiki as well as Hawaii’s island of Oahu. This book displays original photographs that document the tiki art culture scene that blossomed after WWII through its modern forms today. A great many of the images captured in these pages no longer exist in real life. Much of the ephemera and archival material pictured reside only in the author’s private collection.”

Inside Waikiki Tiki

Another kool book to add to your Tiki collection, Waikiki Tiki will make a groovy addition to your Tiki Bar or swingin’ pad.

Waikiki Tiki can be purchased through Bess Press online, or through Amazon.com.

-Tiki Chris P. reporting from the library at (the fictional) Tiki Island Resort, Florida

Your Weekend Tiki Cocktail: Don the Beachcomber’s Navy Grog

Imagine yourself sitting on a beautiful, white-sand beach, the Pacific Ocean in front of you, majestic black mountains behind you, a pretty native girl laying in the sand next to you wearing a grass skirt and flower leis, and assorted cases of exotic rums strewn across the beach, washed up from a pirate wreck, there for the taking. What’s a person to do? How about mixing up a big pitcher of

Don the Beachcomber’s Navy Grog

As far as I can find through my limited (and alcohol enhanced) research, Don concocted this cocktail around 1941. A little simpler than drinks like the Zombie, it’s easy to make, tastes good and will knock you on your ass. (Supposedly he limited his customers to two of these strong-arse drinks).

Here’s the scoop:

1 oz Light Puerto Rican Rum (Bacardi Silver, Meyers White)
1 oz Dark Jamaican Rum (Myers Dark, Coruba Dark, Appleton Estate)
1 oz Demerara Rum
3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
3/4 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Honey, warmed
Club Soda

Shake everything but the soda up in a shaker and strain over rocks in a tall Tiki mug. Top it off with the soda and give it a quick stir with an appropriate swizzle stick (a flamingo, Tiki head, or something vintage. Don’t be lazy and use one of those plain plastic ones with the little ball on the end and nothing else). Garnish this masterpiece with a combination of lime, pineapple and cherry on a sword, and if you can, add an orchid. Fantabulous, man! Make sure you set up one for your half-naked Hula goddess laying next to you. (Hey, we can dream, can’t we?)

-Aloha from Tiki Chris, reporting from a little island somewhere in the Pacific surrounded by rum and pretty Hula girls. Tiki Lounge Talk, where your Tiki fantasies come true. Or at least sound like they do. You know what I mean.

Who Cares About San Francisco’s Tonga Room? I do.

The Tonga Room as it is Today

The historic Tonga Room at the  Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, one of America’s last surviving Tiki Bars from the golden age is slated for demolition to make way for - you guessed it, that dirty word - Condos. The Tiki community and a group of SF preservationists have been trying desperately to keep the owners from closing it down, but the owners (and unfortunately for people like us who would like to preserve the past) have every right to do with they want with the property, and I agree they should have that right. The owners are adamant to remove the Tonga Room from their property in order to build new hotel rooms and condos, but are willing to carefully dismantle the Tonga Room, store the artifacts and help move it to a new location. Personally, although I believe it should be preserved as-is and could be a major profitable attraction, this is probably the best compromise that can be made. It’s just a shame that developers like these owners don’t realize that places like The Tonga Room are what make an area desirable to begin with - and once it’s all gone, who cares about living in their condos?

Last month, the San Francisco Chronicle (online) published an article about the looming demise of the world-famous Tonga Room Tiki restaurant & lounge. The article, written by a staffer whose name I shall not dignify with posting here, caused an uproar of anger among the Tiki-loving community, as well as many San Franers. Why? Well to begin with, the name of the article is

“Tonga Room Execution Stayed. Does Anyone Care?”

The Tonga Room's history goes way back to the pre-war era when it was the SS Tonga

Yes, the SFWeekly Blog staffer (not even sure if he’s on the payroll) who usually writes about sports or community events wrote a number of articles slanted heavily with his opinions about the Tonga Room and its impending doom. His slant was basically that it is nothing but an out-dated dump, a tacky catastrophe that should be plowed under and forgotten as soon as possible. A blemish on the nuevo-hipster world where clubs with numbers for names and cookie-cutter upscale condos rule. A ridiculous piece of grandpa’s past, an overpriced monument to crappy kitsch that interferes with progress.

His last article, the one that asks if anyone cares, is a sarcastic, juvenile attempt to slander not just the Tonga Room but Tiki culture as a whole. Phrases like “historic preservation label slapped on postwar kitsch” and “tiki bars are relics of a bygone era” were cutting enough to enrage an entire population of preservationists and Tikiphiles…enough to foster 111 comments in just a few days, 99% of which were from people opposing his opinions.

Now, let’s take a minute to be fair. The guy has a right to his opinion. The post was on a blog, not the front page of the SF Chronicle. He has the freedom to say what he wants, just like I do here. That said, let’s also be fair by saying that even though the article is published on the SF Chronicle’s blog, it’s STILL the SF Chronicle, a reputable newspaper that is committed to publishing real news along with editorial opinion - but traditionally, those opinions are based on well-researched facts, not the ramblings of some kid who just doesn’t care - or doesn’t get it. And that is the tragedy of this article; the writer doesn’t care because he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about.

He assumes that because he doesn’t like original Tiki bars, that no one does. He assumes that because (possibly) his circle of influence is content to drink Vodka made in France (France???) and chain-store lattes, eat overpriced food at “trendy” restaurants and brag about it, and go into debt paying for cookie-cutter foreign cars just to show off, that the rest of us do.

Over the years the SS TONGA began taking on more and more Tiki decor

He should have done his homework. He should have done a few minutes of research on the net, and he would have realized that yes, there’s a big revival of Tiki Culture, and it shows no signs of slowing down. A few keyword searches would have shown him The Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale, still thriving even in this recession, packed to the gills with people who come just for the experience along with people who are avid regulars. He would have found Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber, and their world-wide success. He would have found Otto’s Shrunken Head in Manhattan, or Taboo Cove and Frankie’s Tiki Room in Vegas, newly-constructed Tiki Bars built in the traditional way. (Taboo Cove had a great run at the Venetian. It doesn’t get ‘hipper’ than that).

This individual, like so many people today, is using his platform to push his misinformed opinions and beliefs on the rest of the world. Well, 100+ comments on his blog show that the world is pushing back. If he wanted to make the point that the owners of the Fairmont Hotel are entitled to do with they want with the property, then he could have done so in a much more responsible manner. Instead, he blurted out his opinion as if the entire city of San Fran (and basically the rest of the world) agrees with him. That’s what we professional writers call ‘bad journalism’.

By the 1960s The Tonga Room was transformed into a full-fledge Tiki Bar complete with mid-pool bandstand, hurricane bar and a real tropical storm

Now, some of you may be saying to yourselves, “Hey Tiki Chris, ain’t you just blurtin’ out your opinions here? Ain’t that, like, the same gig?” Well, it’s a little different here, kids. First of all, this is a site for people who love Tiki, not a newspaper’s blog. Second, I’m not saying anything here that’s not based on fact. Millions of people enjoy Tiki bars around the world. Many of them would be sad to see our history pushed away to make room for condos. The owners of the Fairmont do have the right to plow it down, if they want. And the guy who wrote the article doesn’t seem to think anyone in the world likes Tiki Bars anymore, and that they should all be forgotten and turned into TGI Friday’s. Well, ok, I made up the TGI Friday’s, but it gets the point across.

Can the Tonga Room be saved? Of course. Should it? Absolutely. Should the owners of the Fairmont Hotel included the Tonga Room in their renovation plans, and market it as a world-class attraction? Damn straight. But they haven’t, and they won’t. Hopefully the investors who’ve taken an interest in moving the room will be successful. Hopefully this piece of history and architectural wonder will be spared the wrecking ball and preserved for generations to rediscover and enjoy. Perhaps the kid who wrote that goofy article will learn a lesson from the comments.

Comments welcome.

(This article assumes the reader has already read up on the impeding closing of the Tonga Room in San Fransisco. If not, just Google it (Tonga Room news) and you’ll see all there is to know about the topic)

-Tiki Chris P, a little steamed, reporting from the newsroom at Tiki Lounge Talk, the Tiki Blog for people who believe in preserving our past and enjoying it to the fullest.

A Final Note: Last year, the Sheraton corporation decided to renovate one of Fort Lauderdale’s most famous landmarks, The Yankee Clipper Hotel. This seaside hotel, built in the 1950s, looks like a cruise ship moored at the beach. But it’s not only famous for its unique outer look, but for its lobby bar - called The Wreck Bar, this kitschy-fun lounge looks like the inside of a sunken ship. But what makes it truly unique is the portals that look out into the hotel’s pool, where people sitting at the bar can watch swimmers go by. For years this has been the site of the world-famous Mermaid show, where beautiful women with Mermaid tails swim by doing water acrobatics. When the plans to renovate were announced, everyone assumed this mega corporation would remove the Wreck Bar and replace it with a modern, more trendy and dull lobby bar. Well to everyone’s surprise and to the Sheraton’s credit, they restored the bar to its original glory, not changing a thing except the rugs and the upholstery. The Wreck Bar fits into the hotel’s new decor perfectly, and Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid and her pod of beauties swim their show to a packed house every Friday Night, year round. A true success story about blending the old with the new. Maybe the owners of the Fairmont need to take a trip to South Florida, huh?