PrintIs It Tiki Time?
In Sunday’s New York Times, drinks writer Jonathan Miles pulls up a chair at Elettaria and gets friendly with that timeless tiki tipple, the Navy Grog.
He’s hardly alone. As has recently been noted by writers ranging from New York to San Francisco, tiki is on the upswing. Earlier this month, the soft opening of the nautical-themed Rusty Knot—like Elettaria, staffed at least in part by bartenders seasoned at some of New York’s most renowned cocktail establishments—was apparently so popular that owners remained closed the following days to let the hype cool down.
On the West Coast, this enthusiasm is nothing new: for the past few years, Forbidden Island near San Francisco has been pouring Fog Cutters and Nui Nuis for a growing crowd of happy customers. Last weekend I visited Teardrop Lounge in Portland, which hosts Tiki Third Tuesdays, serving drinks such as the Cobra’s Fang and the Test Pilot alongside plates of bacon-wrapped chicken livers. And in a tiny, tiny spot in West Hollywood, second- and third-generation descendants of Ray Buhen—one of the original bartenders at Don the Beachcomber, the Polynesian palace that launched a thousand imitators—carry on the rum-soaked tradition at Tiki-Ti.
Why the lasting love for a style that fizzled out more than 30 years ago? "Fun" is the short answer, but that’s not the only thing. The painstakingly researched books from Jeff “Beachbum” Berry have sparked many a mixologist’s imagination, and as Miles notes in his column, dipping into the tiki well may also be a response to the increasingly serious approach adopted by many of today’s cutting-edge cocktail bars.
Whatever the reason, now there are more places to pull up a Scorpion Bowl and sit back and contemplate the island life. What do you think: is tiki’s renewal timely or tacky?
Related: The History of Tiki [American Heritage]
About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Hot Topics
Sponsored Link
Recipe
Mango Bean Salad
Fresh fruit and hearty beans make a refreshing side for our Morningstar
Farms® Southwestern Style Veggie Cakes.
Get this recipe »
2 Comments:
Ummm.... Trad'r Sam's in San Francisco, anyone?
AnaisKoi at 3:48PM on 03/26/08
I tiki! Hooray for spring! My tiki glasses coming out of their box in the closet....means summer is almost here! ( I almost said" my tiki glasses coming out of the closet..lol)
bisbee at 5:00PM on 03/26/08