BEFORE TIKI: HOW AMERICA INVENTED THE SOUTH SEAS FANTASY

Before tiki bars, tiki mugs, Mai Tais and flaming cocktails, there was something else: the American fantasy of the South Seas. Where did tiki really come from? In this first episode of The History of Tiki, we go back before Donn Beach and Trader Vic to explore the cultural forces that eventually created tiki as we know it. We look at Herman Melville, Paul Gauguin, Hawaiian music, rum, the history of sugar and slavery, colonialism, travel, Hollywood, Prohibition, the Great Depression and the rise of the tropical cocktail—and how all of these things helped shape America's fascination with the South Pacific. But there's an uncomfortable side to this story. Tiki was built partly from American interpretations of Polynesian and other Pacific cultures. Those interpretations could be creative, entertaining and genuinely beautiful—but they could also simplify, romanticize and appropriate cultures that were very real and much more complicated than the fantasy being sold in an American bar. And I don't want to ignore that. I'm a white male from the Midwest. That is my perspective, and it matters when I'm talking about cultures and histories that aren't my own. Cultural appropriation isn't some abstract issue that belongs to somebody else's conversation. It is a real part of tiki's history, and I think it's important that anyone telling the story of tiki acknowledges it honestly. That doesn't mean we can't appreciate tiki. It means we should understand what we're appreciating, where it came from, what was borrowed, what was invented, and what was lost or distorted along the way. This episode is my attempt to start that conversation while exploring the fascinating history that eventually led to the birth of tiki. I also want to acknowledge the work of historians, researchers, collectors and bartenders—including Sven Kirsten and Jeff “Beachbum” Berry—whose research and preservation efforts have helped make it possible to reconstruct much of this history. If you want to learn more about cultural appropriation and tiki: Punch — “The Problem With Tiki Bars” Read the Punch article on cultural appropriation in tiki In this episode: What existed before tiki? The real history of Polynesia and the Pacific Herman Melville and Typee Paul Gauguin and the Western image of Tahiti How Hawaiian music influenced American culture Rum, sugar and the legacy of slavery The evolution of the tropical cocktail The Daiquiri Prohibition and the Great Depression Hollywood's South Seas fantasy The rise of the Hawaiian shirt Cultural appropriation and tiki How all of these influences eventually led to Donn Beach and the birth of tiki This is only the beginning. In the next episode, we finally step through the door with Donn Beach and the birth of tiki. If you're interested in tiki history, rum, cocktails, Hawaiian culture, Polynesian-inspired art and architecture, tropical music, travel, food and the complicated history behind the escapism, subscribe to Tiki N Tapas and follow along for the entire journey. Aloha and Hola, my friends. Two Cultures. One Adventure. #Tiki #TikiHistory #TikiBar #DonnBeach #Rum #Cocktails #MaiTai #PolynesianPop #HawaiianCulture #CocktailHistory #RumHistory #CulturalAppropriation #TikiNTapas