Chapter 05 of 5
Modern Tiki & The Ethics of Escape
The craft cocktail revival and navigating the line between homage and appropriation.
- The Dark Ages
Ferns and Fluorescents
By the 1980s, Tiki had withered into sticky-sweet neon drinks and dusty plastic plants. The artistry of the original recipes was largely forgotten.
- The Catalyst
Jeff 'Beachbum' Berry
A historian-bartender spent the 1990s decoding the 'secret codes' of old Tiki menus. He single-handedly recovered the lost craft of complex tropical drinks.
- Craft Revival
Beyond the Gimmick
Modern Tiki bars in the 2000s pivoted back to high-quality rums and fresh juices. The focus shifted from cheap kitsch to culinary sophistication.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
Which individual is credited with decoding 'secret' vintage menus to spark the modern Tiki revival?
🍹 The Strange Social Life of the Tiki Bar
- 01The Architects of ParadiseDon the Beachcomber, Trader Vic, and the birth of a manufactured tropical aesthetic.
- 02Post-War Polynesian PopHow returning soldiers and 1950s suburbanites turned Tiki into a national obsession.
- 03Liquid Theater: The Art of the SipAnalyzing the elaborate cocktail rituals, secret recipes, and exotic garnishes.
- 04The Death of the Pupu PlatterThe 1970s decline as kitsch lost its cool and cultural awareness began to shift.
- 05Modern Tiki & The Ethics of EscapeThe craft cocktail revival and navigating the line between homage and appropriation.