"TIKI CULTURE"
1930s: Tiki culture in America began in 1934 by Don the Beachcomber. Don was a bootlegger for Pat O’Brien from 1920-1933 (American Prohibition) in New Orleans. His name at that time was Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt. After Prohibition, Ernest changed his name to Donn Beach, went to Hollywood and opened the first Polynesian-themed bar and restaurant that featured Cantonese cuisine and exotic rum drinks. He also invented the Zombie and the Pu Pu Platter.
A few years later, Victor Bergeron (Trader Vic) opened a Tiki themed restaurant in Oakland, CA. His restaurant grew into a worldwide chain. Trader Vic is known for inventing the Mai Tai.
1950s: Soldiers returning home from World War II from the South Pacific in the late 1940s and early 1950s officially rocketed the Tiki Culture into pop culture.
2000s: At the turn of the millennium, a revival of the Tiki Culture rose from the torches with the help of Tiki author and god, Jerry “Beach Bum” Berry. His research on the culture and its cocktails are unsurpassed. |