Tiki bars are island-themed bars and restaurants known for their complex fruit cocktails and tropical decor, including tiki carvings. Don the Beachcomber is considered the original tiki bar, and Trader Vic’s is another popular chain. After falling out of fashion in the 1960s, tiki bars made a comeback in the 1990s with a focus on vintage decor. The main focus of tiki bars is their colorful cocktails, often made with rum and other colorful spirits. Bamboo bars and tropical plants can be purchased online to create your own backyard tiki bar.
A tiki bar is an island-themed bar and restaurant that specializes in complicated fruit cocktails. They’re generally whimsically decorated with tropical décor, including island flowers and plants, surfboards, and tiki carvings. Modern tiki bars often try to not only create an island look, but also make it look vintage from the mid-20th century, when the style first became popular.
The original tiki bar is believed to be Don the Beachcomber, named after its founder, Donn Beach. Established in the early 1930s, this Los Angeles bar was originally a seaside theme, with starfish and fishing nets. Later, the founder decided to make it uniquely Polynesian in vibe by adding traditional decorations including carved tikis. With this, the trend has truly begun. Don the Beachcomber has grown into a chain that includes 16 restaurants across the country.
After WWII, some returning soldiers found themselves longing for the tropical feel of the South Pacific. They became a large part of tiki bar patrons, and the bars’ popularity continued to grow. With Hawaii’s admission as a US state in 1959, the allure of a romantic island-themed bar gained even more popularity.
Donn Beach, leaving his chain of bars to other managers, moved to Hawaii to open Waikiki Beach, a bar considered one of the two best examples of the style. The other contender for top status was the Los Angeles chain, Trader Vic’s. This chain, which still has 25 locations, used to be a friendly rival to Don the Beachcomber restaurants, and both claim to have invented the mai tai, a popular rum cocktail.
After the 1960s, tiki bars fell out of fashion, perhaps due to America’s unpopular war with Vietnam. After nearly three decades of declining popularity, 1990s retro trends brought back the roaring style. Focusing on the vintage look of post-WWII decor, the bars now not only present a tropical escape but also a nostalgic look at mid-20th century America.
The main focus of the tiki bar has always been complex and colorful cocktails. Often the bartenders were secretive about their recipes, sometimes even removing bottle labels so customers couldn’t understand the drinks. The drinks often have funny or evocative names like Scorpion, Zombie, Coconut Lime Ricky and Guava Daiquiri of the Party Gods. Many drinks are rum-based, but often contain colorful spirits such as chartreuse, blue curacao or midori.
If you’d like to create a tiki bar in your backyard, many online companies sell bars made entirely of bamboo, some with matching stools and thatched roofs. These sets start around $2,000 US Dollars (USD). With a few strands of colored lights and some tropical plants, you can have your own luaus and tropical parties all year round.
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