Tiki bar

For the Tiki Bar TV podcast, see Tiki Bar TV.
Kalua Restaurant (Seattle, 1953)

A tiki bar is a themed drinking establishment that serves elaborate cocktails, especially rum-based mixed drinks such as the Mai Tai and Zombie cocktails.[1] Tiki bars are aesthetically defined by their tiki culture décor which is based upon a romanticized conception of tropical cultures, most commonly Polynesian. Some bars also incorporate general nautical themes or retro elements from the early atomic age.[2][3]

Many early tiki bars were attached to hotels or were the bar sections for large Asian restaurants.[4] While some are freestanding, cocktail-only affairs, many still serve food; and some hotel-related tiki establishments are still in existence.[5] Large tiki bars may also incorporate a stage for live entertainment. Musicians such as Alfred Apaka[6] and Don Ho[7] played a historically important role in their popularity, and the bars also booked acts such as exotica-style bands and Polynesian dance floor shows.

  1. ^ Kirsten, Sven (2000). The Book of Tiki. Taschen. p. 55.
  2. ^ Bosker, Gideon (1998). Atomic Cocktails. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 8.
  3. ^ Berry, Jeff (2010). Beachbum Berry Remixed. San Jose, California: Club Tiki Press. p. 30.
  4. ^ "A match made in paradise". punchdrink.com. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  5. ^ Kirsten, Sven (2000). The Book of Tiki. Taschen. p. 200.
  6. ^ Sinesky, Alice (September 16, 1986). "INTERVIEW WITH DONN BEACH" (PDF). The Watumull Foundation, Oral History Project.
  7. ^ "Don Ho polynesian palace". ooga-mooga.com/. Retrieved 9 February 2019.