Tiki History
Stories Behind the Drinks
Where these recipes came from, why they were kept secret, and how they came back.
1933–1950s
5 min readDon the Beachcomber and the Birth of Tiki
Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt opened a tiny Hollywood bar in 1933 and quietly wrote the rulebook every tiki bar still follows.
1944–present
4 min readTrader Vic and the Mai Tai Question
Victor Bergeron claimed he invented the Mai Tai in 1944. Donn Beach said otherwise. The truth shaped the drink you make at home.
1970s–today
4 min readThe Fall and Revival of Tiki
Tiki collapsed in the 1970s and came back forty years later, rebuilt from old menus, notebooks, and stubborn detective work.
Technique
3 min readIce, Garnish, and the Ritual of Service
Crushed ice, mint clouds, flaming lime shells and carved mugs are not showmanship for its own sake — each one changes how the drink tastes.