vegas tiki glasses, statues, books, and bars are back in style - by Mike

Vegas Tiki

Vegas Tiki is alive and growing. From Trader Vic's to Cost Plus World Market you can bring the Tiki god into your life. This particular Polynesian god is celebratory and seems to fuel and re-fuel on rum drinks that come in categories called large, small, strong, weak and hot. The best place in Vegas to find rum spirits is at Trader Vic's in "Planet Hollywood". But nearly everyone in Vegas serves a Mai-Tai now, from Bellagio to "Imperial Palace."

Luckily, Trader Vic's has kept the Vegas Tiki tradition alive, which has its ups and downs. Today it is very much alive and popular again. Tiki culture has inspired lots of people and is even used in a movie like "Cocktails," with Tom Cruise and Oscar winner Elizabeth Shue.

Here is a photo of a Tiki bar you can buy for your home or backyard. Tiki bars come in many variations; some even have marble counters and can cost a lot of money.

You are probably so accustom to Tiki motifs you do not even notice them. They became popular in the 30's, and today there is still a lively demand for Tiki glasses, Tiki bars, Tiki statues, Tiki masks and Tiki books. Want an authentic Tiki bar for your home? Check out our links on this page. In a day you can set your backyard up as a complete Polynesian oasis and become most popular person in your neighborhood.

Feeling more adventurous, take a cruise to the Marquesas Islands from Tahiti. The Marquesas Islands are the cradle of Tiki civilization. The author of Moby Dick, Melville lived here. The painter Gauguin died here. I want to visit the mysterious jungles of Puamau and hear firsthand the haunting stories about the statues.

Marquesas Islands in the photo are the home of Tiki culture. You can take cruises to the Marquesas Islands and learn more about its haunted statues.

What makes the whole Tiki experience to me is its music. That catchy, jive sounding tune means rum is nearby. I start salivating when I hear it. Some bands you need to know: Outriggers, Milt Raskin, and the incomparable Martin Denny. The albums you want to get have titles like Exotica, Primitiva and Forbidden Island.

Want to impress your friends, or put your date in a good mood, make an authentic Mai-Tai. When I heard this recipe I had to write it down. It's the real thing and you will want to practice it till you get it perfect. It was invented by Don Beach. That's no joke. Just so you can be Tiki-cool, remember the name: Don Beach of Hollywood Beachcomber. Don was a hellcat with a couple of Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars, this world adventurer invented Mai-Tai despite what Trader Vic's says. Commit the following to memory:

The Tiki glasses pictured represent the Polynesian gods. These are some of many variations of Tiki items you can buy and use to create an island retreat in your own home. Tiki glasses also make unique and curious gifts.

A real Mai-Tai can give you an out of body experience. This is a complex drink. It's an official IBA cocktail. Yes, that means it is one of only a few cocktails chosen to be included in the yearly World Cocktail Competition. It's the drink mixer contest of contests. The rum and pineapple drink you call a Mai-Tai is not the complex, sublime concoction that Don Beach, the original Tiki master, dreamed up in the summer of 1932 which would soon launch the whole fanatical "Tiki" phenomena.

Try mixing this: 6 parts dark rum, 6 parts white rum, and 3 parts orange Curacao (an orange liqueur). You will also need to add 3 parts Orgeat syrup (sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar and rose water), and 2 parts fresh limejuice. You can get Orgeat on Trader Vic's website. Combine everything with ice but the dark rum. Now shake really well. Strain it. Take that dark rum and pour it till it sits on the top. Garnish with lime peel, mint leaves and a pineapple spear. The very first sip will hit you hard. That's the idea. You're on your way to getting Tiki-ed in Vegas Tiki.