Bootlegger Cocktails

courtesy: Bootlegger Tiki

Tiki Town

Our Valley has always been Fantasyland. Whether pretending it’s a lost bit of the Old West, a Moroccan hideaway, cutting-edge modernism, or even a Polynesian paradise, there are always a couple themed bars to back up the illusion.

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There is an oft-repeated theory circulating over the years that the inspiration for Polynesian-themed Palm Springs institutions such as Donald Wexler’s Royal Hawaiian condos, Charles Dubois’s South Pacific A-frames, or Ernest Gantt’s beloved Don the Beachcomber restaurants grew out of the nostalgia felt by servicemen returning from the South Pacific after the end of World War II.

            Over the years, I’ve met a number of Marines and Navy men who fought in the South Pacific and the one thing they never expressed about their experiences was nostalgia.

            The fact is, Tiki culture (or craze, as some would have it) can be traced back to the late 30s when Vic Bergeron opened Trader Vic’s in Oakland. Don the Beachcomber opened in Hollywood in 1943 and later expanded to New York, Chicago, and Palm Springs. Though its popularity has waxed and waned, I would argue that Jimmy Buffett and his Parrot Heads have carried the flame (if not the Mai Tais) for succeeding generations. Ok, maybe not the specific style, but a sand-hammock-palm tree vibe of which Donn Beach would certainly have approved.

            Personally, I think the impetus for exporting Tiki Style from saloons to suburbs dated to Hawai’i’s admittance to the United States as the 50th state on August 21, 1959. It had been anticipated for some time, so I don’t think it’s pure coincidence that Wexler’s South Palm Springs condos were completed that same year. On the other side of town, Don the Beachcomber’s was the place to party for the Old Las Palmas crowd and even set aside a special room for movie mogul Jack Warner and his cronies to play cards late into the night.

            But all that is really beside the point. The point is, Tiki is fun. Ok, maybe not as a steady diet, but there is no better break from the mundane than to sip on something sweet and lethal in a silly setting of fake fish nets and Polynesian deities.

Bootlegger Tiki

            Roughly situated on the site of the old Don the Beachcomber’s, I first stumbled out of Bootlegger Tiki not long after it opened. Luckily, I was staying with a friend who only lived two blocks down Via Lola, but even at that, I barely made it. I should’ve known better. Not about going in…I’d heard stories about the old Don the Beachcomber’s and couldn’t wait to give Bootlegger a try. I wasn’t disappointed. Small, intimate, and dark with just the right amount of new and vintage décor, it’s the perfect place to wile away a hot afternoon before the raucous cocktail crowd comes in and brays the place to death. Actually, though I was a bit annoyed when they instituted pre-paid reservations (Kills the spontaneity of “I must have a Zombie now!”), it keeps the small room from overcrowding and killing any semblance of vibe.

            Ah, yes. My amateur’s mistake. It’d been years since I’d visited the Tiki Ti in Hollywood, so I’d forgotten that you can’t toss back tiki drinks like it was relatively harmless Gibson. On my first visit to Bootlegger’s, I ordered a Mai Tai. Perfect, a classic, just the right blend of rum, curacao, orgeat, and lime. In fact, it was so perfect, I ordered a second. I may have ordered a third, but I’ll never know because the impish tiki gods interceded and made a mish mash of reality. Yes, I vaguely remember walking home unaided, but I believe I had to take a couple breaks.

            My other fav thing about Bootlegger is how often they mix up the drink selection. I believe they are up to about Volume 17 of their special cocktail menu.  My current pick is the Mexican Safari with mezcal, ancho reyes verde liqueur, grapefruit, lime, lemongrass, and grapefruit bitters. And when I order, I respectfully ask the bartender to limit me to two. 

Tonga Hut

            This downtown Palm Springs tiki bar and restaurant is actually the young offspring of the oldest surviving tiki bar in Los Angeles. Founded in 1958 by two brothers in North Hollywood, the

original Tonga Hut Tiki Lounge still stands testament to tiki’s enduring legacy. 

            Locating the Tonga in PS can be a bit challenging because of its second-floor location, but it’s well worth the challenge. The bar is small and intimate with a nice view of North Palm Canyon—an excellent tourist-watching perch. The Tonga also features a Pu Pu Platter on its menu. I’ve never quite figured out what ‘Pu Pu’ means, but the classic ones are the right antidote to sweet rum drinks. In the Tonga’s case, the platter features Chinese spare ribs, potstickers, popcorn shrimp, egg rolls, and chicken skewers. The Tonga has many of the old school tiki cocktails, including the original “1934” recipe for Don the Beachcomber’s Zombie…which is news to me since I don’t believe Don the Beachcomber existed before 1943. But let’s not quibble. Made with 3 rums and some mysterious spices, the drink is aptly named. A limit of 2 per person is a wise policy.

            The real special part of the Tonga Hut is the ‘Secret Room,’ a hidden ‘speakeasy’ that can only be reached through a telephone booth. With a max capacity of a dozen revelers, it’s the perfect spot for a private party. 

The Reef

            Fifty years ago, this space at the Caliente Tropics Resort (one of the last of the great tiki-themed motels of tiki’s golden age), there was famous bar/nightclub called the Conga Room. Alas, this popular spot has gone the way of plaid leisure suits. Luckily, entrepreneur/mixologist/modster, Rory Snyder, created The Reef in, a much-needed addition to the Caliente Tropics, which for years had been fairly begging for the rebirth of a tiki bar.

            Snyder and crew have done themselves proud with The Reef’s décor and, especially, with one of the most extensive tiki cocktail menus around. All the favorites are here and quite a few surprises as well. I admit that I have not yet tried the Treasure of Amadarita (multiple rums mixed together with grapefruit juice, crème de banana, spices, and honey [$15]…add an additional $85 to have it in a take-home tiki mug), but it has a couple classics such as a Singapore Sling and Planter’s punch that I cannot resist. Alas, there is no Pu Pu Platter on the rather mundane food menu, but there is a Loco Moco, a Hawaiian classic with a meat (or  meatless) patty on top of white rice, eggs, and gravy. If anything can clamp a lid down on a couple Zombies, it’s Loco Moco.

Toucan’s Tiki Lounge

            Yes, you can probably score a decent Mai Tai at Toucan’s if you really must, but the star this Uptown Palm Springs nightclub, is the drag and cabaret shows. For over twenty years, Toucan’s has garnered accolades such as the “Desert’s Number One Gay Bar,” “Best Dance Bar,” and “Best Drag Show.”  They are famous for their five day weekend which includes show such as “Drag Nights Slayhouse,” “Lips, Looks, and Lashes,” “Dreamgirls,” and “Mayhem Monday.” Tikis comes in many flavors!