Let's Get Tropical!! Everything you need to know - History of TIKI and the Future of TROPICAL Drinks

[@MrEdZareh]

"I know this may seem like a very serious conversation for a cocktail channel but for me it ties in with the very notion of hospitality because you should never want someone to feel uncomfortable." Brilliant. Thank you.

[@ChinoCanibal]

If anyone want to know more about it, there's an amazing book "Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki" wrote by Martin Cate which explain all and have a lot of recipes to try.

[@ThatMikotan]

Agreed! Got the book after starting to get into Tiki/Tropical drinks and it's a wonderful read!

[@Cocktail_Kvltist]

I absolutely love the Smuggler's Cove book, it's a must have for anyone interested in tropical cocktails. Plus I really like how he breaks down rum in different categories.

[@ThatMikotan]

@@Cocktail_Kvltist I know! I try to stock my bar with at least one in each category! Category 3 is super great for mixing and sipping! I do agree you need a ton of ingredients to pull off a lot of the drinks, but they're so good when done right!

[@gregsoucie]

Definitely a fantastic resource. I've made quite a few of the recipes and it's really well written and informative. I also have yet to make one drink from that book I didn't love.

[@jaydub2971]

Great deep dive into a more nuanced subject than some might think, handled respectfully. Cheers, Cara.

[@BehindtheBar]

Thank you, that means a lot!

[@davidf.8345]

As much as I enjoy learning new drink recipes, I also enjoy the history and origin stories. Keep them coming please. 👍😁

[@treyokelly3520]

Tiki is my favorite sub-class of cocktails. The history, the Style, and i love good rums. Runs Are center in my collection of spirits for my home bar

[@DwightMS1]

I remember those Tiki bars Cara. They could really transport you to a wonderful fantasy world for a while, especially with the help of a Tiki drink. You had the atmosphere, the music, good Chinese food, great drinks. For about an hour, you could forget all about your troubles and take a delightful little holiday, without having to jump on a plane.

[@BehindtheBar]

For sure, we definitely shouldn’t lose that escapism magic!

[@michaelmills7896]

Tiki is a revered concept in traditional Polynesian and Maori culture and you have approached it sensitively and without being preachy. Nice work Cara. The cocktails are exquisite as always.

[@ChrisWCorp]

LOVE these history lesson episodes. So much history behind the cocktails and drinks, it's always fun to learn a bit while having a sip.

[@lania3717]

Thank you for highlighting Filipinos. I am Filipino. That said I know Filipinos love working in the entertainment *edit I mean hospitality* industry. Did you notice when you go to Las Vegas or go on a cruise, a lot of the card dealers, bartenders and servers are Filipino. They get to travel to foreign countries, make more money than they would have if they stayed at home and they can send that money home to the Philippines. Yes I know it's a product of colonization. But I personally benefited from colonization. I wouldn't be an American citizen today if my parents didn't move us here in 1988. My mom was the stereotypical #1 export of the Philippines, a nurse. I am also a nurse. We have moved past colonization and don't want to go back. We are blessed to be here and thankful for the opportunity to be here. By the way Filipinos are Asian even though a lot of us look Polynesian so we are not offended by Tiki. I love your videos.

[@BehindtheBar]

Thank you for your insight, really interesting!

[@ThatMikotan]

Excellent video! As someone who loves rum and tropical drinks! It's nice to see more discussion about the history of it! Tiki/Tropical is not a template, but a style of drink and culture!

[@BehindtheBar]

Well said!

[@trotzkii]

Very informative video! I love the content that you make and find the channel to be very useful for discovering new things. That said, I have a minor gripe to confess; I was very distracted by the constant camera adjustments that the camera operator kept making and found it made the video almost unwatchable at times. I really try to support the channel, but I had to share how jarring these constant tweaks made the video.

[@labeda101]

I was wondering if it was just me. The shots with lines near the edge of the frame were incredibly distracting. Great content that was thrown off by the cinematography.

[@BehindtheBar]

Thank you for the feedback! These videos (sponsored by A+) were made with a different production company than my usual team so I’ll definitely pass this on to them and sorry that it affected your enjoyment!

[@dark-grey1241]

I found it distracting, not completely “off-putting”. I wouldn’t use this technique further, probably included to give a nod to being on a boat on the ocean in a tropical setting. May have been better if it was greater emphasised, further rotation of the camera in each direction, and maybe not. Good work on the content. I look forward to some truly awesome drinks featuring on your channel. I had a particularly exquisite Rum Old Fashioned at Flamingo’s Tiki Bar Cairns in 2021 using Dictador 12 and possibly Bacardi Ocho. Wish I knew that recipe but for now I must plan to return.

[@missedit7451]

Love the work, always happy to see what Cara has to teach us, but had to listen to this one with just audio as the shaky image was making me really nauseous. Great info as always tho! Thanks Cara :)

[@ronrupert4728]

I just found this channel a week ago and have watched several of the videos since then - these are great! Completely agree that the constantly changing video tweaks made this one unwatchable.

[@kawonewilliams1949]

This is a great conversation for a cocktail channel. Thank you for actually addressing it.

[@alexandreblracing]

WARNING getting into Tiki side effects include: always needing 1 more bottle of rum, needing 1 more tiki mug and telling everyone that the Mai Tai they ordered is far from the original recipe.

[@tortillagorilla]

Ha ha. Very true (especially one more rum bottle)

[@BehindtheBar]

😂

[@davidstewart3868]

And you are always running out of fresh limes.

[@alexandreblracing]

@@davidstewart3868 Ohh yes definitely!

[@arcanum3000]

My ten bottles of rum and I can confirm.

[@abhijithhb4795]

Always love to know the history of the drinks, and you do a great job.

[@mdp9777]

Great video Cara! I appreciate learning the stories behind these drinks that we take for granted

[@SirZorgulon]

Great video, really interesting to see the history behind the drinks, which are of course an important (and very tasty!) part of cocktail culture. Quite right that we can find a way to celebrate and enjoy these drinks without the dodgier aspects of the aesthetic.

[@jamesmcgraw7866]

Well put, thanks for sharing the link to the Pacifica Project.

[@webboxmedia]

what a great episode. thanks for doing this one. learning so much. will read up on the additional links for sure.

[@konradkurz8353]

So excited to see a tiki episode!!! Love the approach!

[@nullasalus3]

Great, informative video! I appreciate your taking the time to talk about issues such as these on your channel.

[@Mr_Ghoulie]

I have a food and drink recipe book. Hawai'i Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine, written by Arnold Bitner and Phoebe Beach (Don's widow.) It's supposed to have Don the Beachcomber's recipes. I'm not sure how accurate the recipes are. But, in the biographical sections, they say that during the depression, Don went to soup kitchens in Chinatown. Where he would eat, but also learned how to cook. Which is probably why his restaurants had Chinese food. It was just stuff he knew how to make.

[@BehindtheBar]

Ah that makes sense!

[@mikezimmermann89]

SUPERB video! Keep ‘em coming.

[@TheFeralBachelor]

I enjoy this topical video and look forward to more. I'd also like to see "everything you need to know" video about Rum.

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

I think she did one of those...? I know she's featured a numbered of rum based drinks on other videos

[@BehindtheBar]

The closest is this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIWwk6ynmaaSesk But definitely need to do a deep dive!

[@dark-grey1241]

@@BehindtheBar I just revisited this earlier presentation and now I’m eagerly anticipating your next video on this track. Have you posted it yet? How about now? Are we there yet? So impatient for this to continue.

[@CC-TimesTwo]

Great video! I've been getting into tropical drinks lately and had been struggling a bit regarding the use of the iconography you mentioned. We are getting better informed and I agree we can find a way to still enjoy these drinks and be culturally-friendly. I envision use of cups/mugs with less problematic designs moving forward, probably more reliance on pineapples/coconuts and such. Keep these videos coming!

[@ginafriend1690]

A class not to be missed! Your dress certainly fits in 🌺 I only know yrs & yrs ago .. I crawled up a long staircase at a basement restaurant bar, a few times, drinking Mai Tais 🥴 At least I'm able to remember! Lol ☺️

[@jpcampbell]

It is fascinating how 1-2 people really launched a phenomenon like this.

[@J.5.M.]

Thoughtful video! Thanks

[@hietanbs]

Fantastic video, can’t wait for more in this series!

[@BehindtheBar]

We’ve already had one come out if you haven’t seen it yet, and another two in the works! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3-lpZppepmtoLc

[@gerardoojeda6194]

Great video explaining the history of the movement. I always pictured tiki drinks to be overly sweet and poor quality. It wasn't until I tried tropical drinks at restaurants with a solid bar program that i realized how good they can be when made with fresh ingredients. Some bars here in Texas riff on them by adding mezcal, sotol or tequila.

[@begoodpeople8167]

Yes! And thank you!! Looking forward to more of this content

[@chickrepelant]

ooh! I love "tropicana" gonna use that one from now on slainté!

[@dominozaur98]

Week ago i ordered a shaker and started learning this bussiness more seriously, because of your channel and i'm looking forward for more tiki or rum based drinks i can try to make, since they fit my taste the most. And i hope some of them are won't that complex to make, for now i tend to simplify some recipes and adding "On a bugdet" to it's name

[@BehindtheBar]

These are not all ‘tropical’ per say but all rum based and not too complicated! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIWwk6ynmaaSesk

[@pakirrikafka9754]

very good information and yes please do more of this kind of videos

[@aaronsams350]

I love the history lesson! I'll be filtering my future tiki experiences through this video.

[@scottbaron121]

As a bartender who worked/lived in the Caribbean for many years, I'll add a few notes. (1) NONE of us enjoyed making Tiki drinks, for the most part. Too many ingredients and we rarely had access to things like Orgeat syrup and Falernum. (2) We tended towards "tiki" drinks that had the fewest (and most accessible) ingredients. Mai Tai's, Rumrunners, Painkillers, Bushwackers, Mojitos etc. Most state-siders don't know the difference anyway. State-siders ALWAYS wanted an "island drink" and wanted to know what WE would drink. Honestly...rum and coke's and Jaeger shots. We'd make stuff up for tourists. Sorry to kill the fantasy.

[@BehindtheBar]

Haha behind the curtain!

[@anonymouscrank]

Thank God the Tiki bar is open Thank God the Tiki torch still shines Thank God the Tiki bar is open Come on in and open up your mind

[@TheTribalBarGuy]

Great video packed with facts and good quality info. Thank you. About the controversy regarding the word "Tiki" I tend to look at it as a good starting point to explore and popularize the topic instead of being "aggressive" about it. What a better ambassador then a tasty drink that can start a talk to teach us a lot about some great cultures, our ancestors and the diversity around us, manteining the respect it deserves.

[@Fumbles9001]

“Tiki” isn’t teaching anybody about other cultures, it’s just a bastardization and mockery of Polynesia

[@BehindtheBar]

Really good to hear your perspective on it and love the positive outlook!

[@mattmathai]

Nice video. I love tiki drinks (less so the culture) mostly because I love the flavors of tropical juices. And it gets quite tiring making drinks that use 8-10 ingredients.

[@ItsMe-fs4df]

As a Maori from New Zealand, it always feels weird saying Tiki... I over pronounce the 'i' to make it sound different, and I absolutely hate the tiki mugs with faces on them 🤣 However, tropical drinks are my jam. All the rum! Over garnishing, boozy AF and more often than not, fire 😁

[@BehindtheBar]

So good to hear your perspective pal!

[@timtom7097]

That dress is wild

[@joshayala9022]

Love this video. Maybe you could do one sometime more in depth about the drinks of the 70s/80s, you mentioned that great article on your sex on the beach video which was quite an interesting read. Personally I think the Slow Comfortable Screw Against the Wall may be one of the funniest drinks ever named, I would try it if it wasn’t such a weird mix of flavors (sloe gin, southern comfort, vodka, orange juice and galliano)

[@BehindtheBar]

Good idea!

[@triggerthesound767]

great content and explanation

[@Cocktail_Kvltist]

Excellent video and this is something I have been thinking more about recently which is how to celebrate Tiki without being offensive or dealing with the whole cultural appropriation vibe. I love the drinks and have been exploring them from the Smuggler's Cove book which I highly recommend to people interested in this style of cocktail. That being said I am definitely interested in where the conversation about these cocktails is going.

[@wongjefx980]

Mai Tai's are potent... I attribute Mai Tai's to having two kids right after visiting Hawaii... Tiki cocktails and Long Island Ice Tea go down so fast, and hit so hard... great history lesson on this... always wondered what was up with this Tiki stuff... met a girl who would rave about a Scorpion Bowl and didn't know what the heck that was...

[@fugu4163]

For me Tiki are very boozy drinks with a ton of sugar. What will kill you first the alcohol or the sugar? I am always looking for variations that are refreshing but are more moderat concerning alcohol and sugar.

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

That's why fresh fruits (and fruit nectar) that add sweetness and flavor are so important. No need to add extra sugar unless it's a frozen drink, and even then you can get away with less than what's typically added at a lot places.

[@BehindtheBar]

This is definitely the misconception we want to move away from! Most recipes can be scaled down to ‘normal’ booze quantities and yes, fresh is key!

[@zeejb]

Much respect on how you brought the cultural appropriation discussion into this. Truly enjoyed this, as I've definitely taken a turn towards the 'tropicana' cocktail world lately! Keep it up!

[@bru3271]

Cute Dress!!

[@BehindtheBar]

Hey thanks!

[@HaruNoKaze]

The shakiness of the camera was so distracting, once I saw it I couldn't unsee it. Growing pains of the new video crew I assume, video's content was great nonetheless!

[@BehindtheBar]

Thank you for the feedback! These videos (sponsored by A+) were made with a different production company than my usual team (we’ve been putting out videos from the new team for a good few months now) so I’ll definitely pass this on to them and sorry that it affected your enjoyment!

[@nolatamblyn1593]

@@BehindtheBar The horizontal shelves in the background unfortunately make any camera shake very noticeable. Great content regardless!

[@alicevirgin]

Your channel was interesting.

[@bob___]

This is a good and accurate video, and I agree with the point of view. Please allow me to add that "tropical drinks" is more accurate than "tiki drinks" for this category, because the category is often taken to include drinks like the Painkiller, which are Caribbean (and therefore tropical) drinks that were not invented by Donn Beach or Trader Vic or other purveyors of Pacific-themed entertainment. Also, please allow me to admit to a personal prejudice, because I think the Trader Vic Mai Tai is one of the few "tiki" drinks I would put on my short menu of really great tropical drinks. To me, most of them can't stand up to a decent daiquiri. Complexity doesn't always make for a great drink, and it seems like Donn Beach, especially, was focusing at least as much on developing recipes that could be kept secret as he was on recipes that were really great. That being said, Donn Beach apparently never referred to his style as "tiki," and his original South Pacific-themed restaurant was an authentic expression of his life experience, which included, not only rum running with his uncle in the Caribbean, but also working on a merchant ship in the South Pacific. I think we can assume Donn Beach had some familiarity and a genuine affection for the cultures he represented in his restaurant(s). But that doesn't mean we should not be careful with how this is done today. My personal preference would be for '60s/'70s-style surfer-themed restaurants as an alternative. (Of course, surfing is also a cultural appropriation, but one step at a time.)

[@Kang2112]

Cara so beautiful I love this video on Tiki thanks for the education.

[@frankmartinez4856]

Cara you got that Tiki/Pinup Beautiful 🤩 look! Great insight of the Tiki Culture! Bravo to you Kitten 🐈‍⬛

[@lttrbox]

Great video! Since I saw people giving out more book recommendations below, I really want to add 'Tiki' by Shannon Mustipher. It's super crafty, as well as super informed and respectful. This book is really showing a stylish way forward without sacrificing any of the experience or tastes of tropical drinks.

[@kingstonlor9969]

bin chicken mug!?! haha someone do it, from a bird that was once praised by ancient egyptians

[@niktheorginal]

Great content, just next time with a tripod please and not shakey handheld cam :)

[@DerDrako]

It was great learning abpout the history of Tiki. I just wonder if one thing is true.... You were born in 1989? I cannot believe!

[@BehindtheBar]

Sure was! As in you think I’m older or younger haha?

[@DerDrako]

@@BehindtheBar Younger of course.^^

[@ciegoderdacc14]

I love you

[@junior.the.tourist]

Don’t know if you start changing the vocabulary of the past you may forget it and repeat the past..

[@TheHalonerf]

This is a great presentation of a tasty and often tasteless phenomenon! Long live orgeat!!! :)

[@lrvogt1257]

Good succinct overview. Thank you for including inappropriate cultural appropriation which I know many find harmless but it's unnecessary. I love the drinks and the general Pacific Island vibe but have steered clear of the demigod faces. I actually don't care for the ceramic glasses because I like to see the drink. I've just come to calling it Tropical Cocktails because there are great ones like Piña Colada and Hurricane that fit the rum & fruit profile but aren't "tiki" . Cheers

[@BehindtheBar]

Thanks pal, a lot who don’t agree but I never see the reason to make anyone uncomfortable if it can be avoided 😊

[@spacini]

Please no virtue signaling while speaking about TIKI cocktails and hand wringing over the term TIKI. Long live TIKI culture.

[@H20Spy]

Suggesting Tiki has even a hint of cultural negativity within is offending my venue. Real Tiki skin is much thicker.

[@liamrogers2152]

I love tiki! so if its raciest then I'll happily identify as raciest. I'm already a Tikiphile

[@Brad-ic4bp]

These days, everyone's just fishing for insults - It's so far past the point of absurdity that it's genuinely funny.

[@BehindtheBar]

I really hope that you watched the video and understand the nuance that I’m trying to show here. It’s not about drawing lines or calling anyone racist, just understanding the cultural context that the phenomenon grew from and making sure we’re not being exclusionary moving forward 😊

[@jbbrandmeyer]

Tiki is not an offensive word to use by anybody but stuffy white ladies. If the word tiki offends you, the names of most traditional tiki drinks and pinup girls probably offends you too, and the whole genre might not be to your liking but leave it alone. It was created as an homage and had no malice intent. Tiki bars are probably the least offensive thing white people have done to Polynesians. Tiki bars, like a luaus provide cultural, relevance, and encourage tourism. I.e. revenue for the same people you are claiming to offend.

[@BehindtheBar]

Hey pal, I definitely can’t claim to speak for anyone but based this off the resources listed in the description - they’re worth a read if you haven’t yet 😊

[@beebobox]

fascinating history lesson, thanks so much, I will still be calling it Tiki, because this woke culture is wrong. I also hereby give anyone and everyone of any culture creed or color permission to use any viking themed stuff for anything they like. that's how it should work, except not needing my permission

[@lemonysnick5171]

That culture IS wrong. It only serves to divide and destroy. Even if people are trying to do good, it produces nothing fruitful whatsoever. It inserts suspicion and assumes the worst intentions. It's a blight in the world right now.

[@shawnmiranda]

Just because you disagree with it, doesn't mean it's wrong. Cara has her opinion and you have yours. Like she said, if the use of the word Tiki makes patrons uncomfortable, Bomba/Nomada will change it to tropical. That said, I too am not fond of the current state of the "cultural appropriation" conversation. Mostly because it feels like it's being driven by a singular demographic, leftist white American gen Z Twitter girls. The issue with culture is that it is more than one person's opinion, it is the opinions of millions over generations. On the internet however, whoever the white girls side with wins and everyone else gets cancelled. I am an Indian dude and I live in America, personally, seeing white, or black people copying or using aspects of Indian culture doesn't trigger me, if anything it makes me happy that they are embracing it. I am fully aware of all the atrocities the British committed in India. But a British person who had nothing to do with colonization wearing Indian clothing, doing Yoga, or giving their kids Indian names doesn't even remotely upset me. If anyone is upset about it, it's their racist ancestors who would explode at the thought of their heirs participating in cultures they considered barbaric and uncivilzed. We're at a point in history in many regions where the current generation has had nothing to do with colonization or the atrocities of the past, that makes it as good a time as any for people to dabble in each others cultures. There are enough real world problems that are worth being mad about, someone engaging in your culture is IMO, not one of them.

[@lemonysnick5171]

@@shawnmiranda Great response, sir.

[@BehindtheBar]

Such a thoughtful response Shawn, I really appreciate it! I was careful to base this video on points that have been raised by people from the cultures discussed (see the Pasifika Project or this article in Punch amongst others: punchdrink.com/articles/problem-with-tiki-bars-cultural-appropriation/). I hope I made it clear that I’m not calling for a ‘cancelling’, just an acknowledgment of the cultural context of the Tiki phenomenon and how the world has changed since then. As I say in the video, I consider it part of my job to be welcoming and non-exclusionary so will always listen and adjust where anyone is being made to feel uncomfortable 😊

[@shawnmiranda]

You as well! I thought your handling of it along with several of the commenters on your page was quite excellent! I didn’t question the decision you make because you’re one of the few content creators that does their homework!

[@sd63]

I liked the video, but not the 'preachiness' of 'cultural appropriation'..you do realise that absolutely everything we have today has been brought to us and 'appropriated' by us from another culture don't you? PIzza is Italian, most Chinese dishes in Europe of the USA have been appropriated from traditional Chinese recipes and adpated for Caucasian tastes. You wear a tiki shirt in your Mai Tai video, is that not 'cultural appropriation'? We are not mocking or belittling any culture by adopting parts of it we like and nobody 'owns' an idea. I'm sure none of us go around pretending to be Polynesian or Hawaiian. It's high time we stopped apologising for everything and got back to enjoying life and the rich culture we can experience from around the World. Here endeth the lesson, now go and make another Tiki drink in one of those fantastic mugs

[@BehindtheBar]

I think it’s appropriate to listen to people from that culture, have a look at some of the references in the description 😊

[@Lawlzinator]

History isn't PC, so nah. I'll call it Tiki. As will most people.

[@BehindtheBar]

That’s literally my point - we can’t erase the history of it but can make it more inclusive going forward.

[@jackchandler9313]

Jeez, it's drinks, stop reading woke shit into it!!!! Grow up

[@sTL45oUw]

For somebody for a not crazy part of the world, that woke shit about educating yourself seems so cringe. Colonization rocks.

[@verum-in-omnibus1035]

Whenever you hear someone say a word is “problematic” you should stop taking them seriously. Now I’m definitely gonna make a Tiki 🍹

[@BehindtheBar]

I’m not sure if you watched the whole video but the point is definitely not that we should ban tiki drinks!

[@peterkettenis4665]

This video was published in a Thursday, or Thors/Donners Day, names from a religion whiped out by Christianity. Please stop using these names for these days, since they are very offensive to anyone with Nother European heritage. (same goes for Tuesdays, Wednesdays en Fridays, the rest of the days may be offensive to Italians though)

[@BehindtheBar]

If you ever come into my bar I will call the weekdays whatever you want me to. I gain much less from digging my heels in about something that means nothing to me than I do from making everyone around me feel comfortable 😊

[@fredsiggins]

You might think these kinds of false equivalencies make you sound clever, but they're actually just intellectually lazy and totally miss the point the video is trying to make.

[@MizterB]

@@fredsigginsThey're certainly not intellectually lazy, and they _humorously_ rebuke the video's qualifications about 'cultural sensitivity' (or whatever). Also, of course they're unrelated to the video. Pull the stick out your snatch & stop simping mate 😂

[@uraniumrock8381]

As an anglo American who's ancestors predate the revolution on both sides, tiki culture, as a uniquely mid century American phenomenon, is a part of my culture, and I am deeply offended that a European would criticize it. I am outraged and saddened that a Scot, with no deep understanding of my culture, as an outsider, would critique and attack my own culture so wantonly.

[@BehindtheBar]

The video is literally saying that we should respect and celebrate mid century tiki and everything that it gave us - the drinks, the escapism and the joy! But we’re in a new era now and it’s lazy to keep relying on the same imagery 😊

[@fredsiggins]

Your condescending snark doesn't make you clever mate. There's no attack here, just a thoughtful discussion on how awesome tropical drinks are and how we should all be better at respecting each other's cultures while still having a drink and a laugh!

[@hello-cn5nh]

Climate "crisis" 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@chriss1757]

You lost me when you started droning on. Back to whiskey.

[@BehindtheBar]

🙄