A Moment of Tiki episode 73: Tony Canepa

Episode 73 of A Moment of Tiki: Tony Canepa, is now live on the interwebz. I invite you to read all about it on my Substack.

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A Moment of Tiki episode 72: Pineapple Parlor

Episode 72 of A Moment of Tiki: Pineapple Parlor, is now live on the interwebz. I invite you to read all about it on my Substack.

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A Moment of Tiki episode 71: Black Velvet, if you please

Black velvet art is one of the staple items of decor found in home and commercial tiki bars alike. In this episode of A MOMENT OF TIKI I look at two of the most influential artists who excelled at this form and captured striking, dramatic images from the South Pacific on black velvet: Edgar Leeteg and Ralph Burke Tyree. Read the full post on my Substack.

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Inside the Desert Oasis Room

When I first got into tiki, a great source of information for me was the "Inside the Desert Oasis Room" podcast, produced and hosted by Adrian Eustaquio. Now, this podcast wasn't the only place I went to in order to learn about tiki culture, but it was an integral part of my journey, a more intimate doorway into the personalities, artists and locations that contributed to the rich history of this vibrant subculture. It's been a part of my daily commute for almost seven years now.

Back in the summer of 2021, Lisa and I took a road trip through the Southwest to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary (the original goal was Hawaii, but the COVID pandemic derailed those plans). As we scheduled several days in Anaheim to visit DisneyLand, I reached out to Adrian for suggestions of must-see tiki venues in the area. In the course of our conversation he invited Lisa and myself to visit his home bar, the Desert Oasis Room, where we could record episodes of our respective shows amidst general carousing and tomfoolery. Alas, that didn't happen, but it planted the seeds for this interview, episode 233 of "Inside the Desert Oasis Room." The audio may be listened to via the embedded YouTube video below, or it may be downloaded from wherever one accesses podcasts. It was a fun conversation but I hope before too long we'll be able to have another in person. Here's is what Adrian has to say about the episode:

Today we chat with Jayme Lynn Blaschke! Jayme is a tiki enthusiast and YouTuber out of New Braunfels, Texas who makes instructional videos on lamp building, cocktails, tiki carving and more. We talk about how he got started in tiki and YouTube, his building and production process, and what's in store for his channel!

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A Moment of Tiki: Next-Level Float Lights

No fooling! I am back after a long break to play catch-up on all the Moment of Tiki episodes I've published in the interim. Episode 66 marks the four-year anniversary of A Moment of Tiki! This month I'm coming at you with "next-level fish float lights." What's next-level you may ask? Hint: I swiped the idea from an old Oceanic Arts catalog...

Slipping back in time a little bit brings us to the previous month's installment: Episode 65, Grow Your Own Sugarcane. Believe it or not, this is insanely easy to do. If you live in the sunbelt, you can grow sugarcane in-ground. If you live in colder climes, you can grow it in a pot. What plant is more tiki than sugarcane? Not many, that's for sure!

Finally, Episode 64 was a big one for me. In "How to Make a Shell Light," I take on one of the most iconic items of tiki decor to be found in all the classic tiki bars of yesteryear. The shell light is certainly time-consuming to create, but technically it's not that difficult and I think you'll agree the results are spectacular!

Now Playing: Webley Edwards Hawaii Calls: Exotic Instrumentals
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A Moment of Tiki: Nathanael Ross Smith

Happy 2024! In the first episode of A MOMENT OF TIKI for the new year, Jayme sits down with Nathanael Ross Smith, an artist probably best known for his illustration work done for the tiki bar Pagan Idol in San Francisco. During our conversation, Nathanael discusses his love for Universal monsters, film noir, tiki culture, the mid century design aesthetic, bad Roger Corman movies and touring as a professional bassist for the folk rock group The Oh Hellos. Nathanael mentioned he'd designed a custom mai tai glass for a home tiki bar and I said I would share it during the episode. Well, that didn't happen, but the glass design may be viewed above for those who are curious. The episode itself may be watched at the link below:

I also realize now that I've been lax in sharing recent episodes here, so let me catch up real quick. In episode 62, I carved a tiki based on the logo/mascot from the late 1950s television series "Hawaiian Eye":

In episode 61, I acquired a replica whaling harpoon from an estate sale and took viewers on a step-by-step restoration of the piece:

In episode 60, I construct way too many tiki light covers for a soon-to-be open new tiki bar in downtown New Braunfels:

And finally, in episode 59, I show how I power carved two Tiki Bobs--one an outdoor sculpture and the other an indoor side table. These were a lot of fun to put together and I hope you find them equally entertaining:

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A Moment of Tiki: Witco barstool jackpot!

I am terrible about posting new episodes of A Moment of Tiki here in a timely manner, but better late than never, right? First up is my latest--Episode 57: Witco Stool Jackpot! And when I say jackpot, I don't use that term lightly. Vintage Witco decor is highly sought after by tiki and mid century modern collectors alike, so when the opportunity presented itself to obtain five classic Witco barstools for less than the cost a single one would command on the open market I had no choice but to pounce. The downside was that they were filthy and in a state of terrible neglect. Watch how I brought them back to life in the video below!

Episode 56: BossaNova Life, sees the Lagoon of Mystery play host to Duke and Lola BossaNova of the long-running YouTube series that delves into kustom kulture, vintage trailer rallies, antique and thrifting and home tiki bar builds. They're fun folks to hang out with, so why don't you hang out with us as we chat?

And last but not least is Episode 55: Music for a Dark Tiki Bar part 3, the final installment of my series on how to select musical genres to create an exotic and escapist ambience in your tiki space without letting the sounds of the modern world intrude:

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A Moment of Tiki episode 54: Music for a Dark Tiki Bar part 2

Ready for a new episode of A Moment of Tiki? Episode 54 brings you part 2 of "Music for a Dark Tiki Bar" with contemporary Pacifika, surf rock and Latin big band. There's plenty here to dispel the myth that a good tiki bar playlist is limited to Martin Denny on repeat!

I do continue to hold forth a bit and share some of my philosophy on selecting genres to listen to but I'm not quite as insufferable this time around. You may watch the video via the embed below or https://youtu.be/xEhRPNh-jNU.

I also need to catch up on a few more episodes I haven't shared here yet. In reverse numerical order, here is episode 49: Vanuatu Slit Drum Ornament:

And episode 48: How to Build a Glass Float Light:

Now Playing: Various artists Music for Moai II: Music to Shake Cocktails To
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A Moment of Tiki episode 53: Music for a Dark Tiki Bar

From almost the very first episode of A Moment of Tiki, which premiered three years ago, folks have asked me to do an episode on music. I put it off, not because I didn't have opinions (Oh boy! Do I have opinions!) but because I knew how much work it would be. Well, in episode 53 I finally tackle that beast and hold forth on what I think constitutes good "Music for a Dark Tiki Bar."

Yeah, I do hold forth a bit. You may watch the video via the embed below or follow this link.

I also need to catch up on a few episodes I haven't shared here yet (yeah, my bad). In reverse numerical order, here is episode 52: La-La-Lauhala:

Here is episode 51: Krypton Bar Rescue:

And finally, episode 50: How to Build a Home Tiki Bar:

Now Playing: Various artists Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters Collection, vol. 2
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A Moment of Tiki episodes 46 & 47: Bamboo Redux & Kingston Negroni Shootout

My apologies for being lax in my postings. I've fallen a bit behind, but am catching up now by sharing the two most recent episode of A Moment of Tiki. First up is Episode 47: Kingston Negroni Shootout.

The Negroni is one of the most popular cocktails in the world, but isn't tiki. The Kingston Negroni, however, which uses Smith & Cross rum instead of gin, arguably is a tiki cocktail (or at least tiki adjacent). That got me to thinking (as these things often do) that Smith & Cross was wildly popular because it was the most ester-filled, hogo-laden Jamaican rum readily available in the U.S. at the time. In the years since, we have been blessed with an array of even more potent potables from that Caribbean nation. Might some of the newer, funkier rums make for an even better Kingston Negroni? At the very least, a shootout incorporating a selection of four pungent Jamaican rums would highlight the nuances that separate them from each other and offer deeper understanding of their roles in cocktail creation. So that's exactly what I did. FOR SCIENCE!

Way back in episode 1 of A Moment of Tiki I discussed how I torch bamboo that I've harvested myself. Since then, I've learned that bamboo mites are a serious problem in some parts of the U.S. where bamboo grows naturally, and flame treating at home normally doesn't get the bamboo hot enough to kill all the mites or their eggs. Fortunately, folks in Asia have been using bamboo for centuries and have devised methods to kill these insects and ward off infestation by soaking the bamboo in a solution of borax and boric acid. A bonus of this is that the treatment makes bamboo toxic to other wood-boring insects such as the dreaded powder post beetle and termites. It also offers some protection from mold and fungus. I explore all of this in Episode 46:

Now Playing: Chaino Jungle Echoes
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A Moment of Tiki Episode 45: Tapa Light

It's August 1, and that means it's time for a new episode of A Moment of Tiki! Remember how I admitted a few months back how I'd neglected the lighting elements of my home tiki bar and needed to rectify that oversight? In episode 45 I do just that, making a drum-style hanging lamp out of some fantastic Samoan Siapo tapa cloth I obtained from an estate sale some years ago.

Of course, nothing is ever easy and I'm not nearly as clever as some people seem to think I am. The tapa light seemed like it would be an easy build, and I suppose it would've been had I actually known what I was doing. But I didn't know what I was doing, having never done this before. So I made mistakes. Lots of them. Some mistakes weren't just wasted time, but actually made the job more difficult going forward. Fortunately, I perservered and came out the other end with a pretty nifty tapa lamp. If I ever make one of these again (and you know I'll do something like this again eventually, even if I don't have authentic Samoan tapa cloth to work with) the process should go much more smoothly because those mistakes I made? They're not easily forgotten.

Remember to let me know what you think in the comments!

Now Playing: The Phantomatics She Left Her Brain at the Drive-In
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A Moment of Tiki: Dry July part 2

What's this? Jayme back with a rare mid-month episode drop for A Moment of Tiki? It's like a Christmas miracle! That's right, I'm back with episode 44: Dry July 2. If you missed the previous installment, the idea behind Dry July is that some folks who normally consume alcohol on a regular basis choose to abstain for a month. The reasons for doing so vary, but it has evolved into a national charitable event. Learn more at DryJuly.com.

Last time out, I shared my recipe for the Kokoleka Wai Niu, a rich, decadent sipper that it 100% tropical. This time out I go the opposite direction with the Tambulu Fizz, a recipe of my own devising that is a bright, light, intriguing sipper. I incorporate the dramatic (and somewhat unusual) flavors of rooibos tea, ginger beer and tamarind syrup to create a mocktail with flavor notes and mouthfeel to keep your tastebuds off balance for the duration. And I also give instructions for making tamarind syrup at home. Why isn't tamarind more ofen used in tiki cocktails? It seems like a no-brainer to me! Both recipes are included at the end of the episode.

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A Moment of Tiki: Dry July and Nautical Antique Warehouse

I'm back with a couple more episodes of A Moment of Tiki to share. First up is episode 43: Dry July. The idea behind Dry July is that some folks who normally consume alcohol on a regular basis choose to abstain for a month. The reasons for doing so vary, but it has evolved into a national charitable event. Learn more at DryJuly.com.

I'm of the firm opinion that all bars--be they of the commercial or home variety--should have an attractive list of non-alcoholic cocktail alternatives for guests who are not imbibing. The reason does not matter. Giving someone a Sprite garnished with a day-glo cherry doesn't cut it. With tiki, however, this is magnified tenfold. Tiki's all about the experience and the immersion is disrupted when everyone else is getting fantastic, creative beverages whilst those abstaining from alcohol are offered options that are, shall we say, lacking in effort. Whether you call them mocktails, drybations or zero-proof cocktails, the end result should be no less a treat for the senses. When I came up with this recipe, I wanted something that'd be a treat for the eyes with a blend of bright, unexpected tropical flavors. I also wanted a texture and mouthfeel that were decadent and luxurious. The end result is a little sweeter than I usually aim for, but I believe the end result works well. If it's too sweet for your tastes, feel free to have the amounts of cinnamon and orgeat syrups. If you try this at home, be sure to let me know what you think!

Episode 42 features a road trip to Nautical Antique Warehouse in Galveston. I've relied on a lot of DIY in building out my tiki space, but even the most creative maker sometimes just wants to buy some decor and be done with it. This video should give viewers a good look at this tiki-adjacent gem on the Texas coast. Owners Michael and Adrienne Culpepper have been bringing authentic ship salvage to buyers for 22 years now and make annual buying trips to huge ship breaking yards in India, Bangladesh and Turkey. Subscribe to their mailing list to get the heads-up on when new cargo containers full of amazing finds arrive. I'd visit much more often if Galveston weren't a three-plus hour drive away from me.

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A Moment of Tiki: Rattan lamp conversion

Episode 40 of A Moment of Tiki is now live amongst the interwebz! Lighting can make or break a home tiki bar, but sometimes crafting tiki lighting from scratch isn't in the cards. In that case, repurposing found lighting from thrift stores, garage sales or flea markets is a viable alternative--if you keep your eyes peeled. With a little bit of creativity, found lamps can be converted into theme-appropriate lighting fixtures that are often easy on the bank account. In this case, I found an older rattan table lamp at a thrift shop at a bargain price. It wasn't tiki, but almost anything involving rattan is halfway to the South Pacific already. By seeing the potential in it, I was able to easily convert it into a worthy addition to my home bar!

Now Playing: John Williams Spanish Guitar Music

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A Moment of Tiki: Ritual Rum Alternative and Tiki Drinkware

Episode 39 of A Moment of Tiki is now live amongst the interwebz! Despite my love of rum and tiki cocktails, I firmly believe that any good host (and good tiki bar) should have a solid selection of non-alcoholic beverages available for guests. It doesn't matter why someone isn't drinking at any particular point in time--what matters is that the host is ready to accommodate. So when a friend recommended Ritual Rum Alternative, I was intrigued. How did this rum substitute taste? Was it truly a replacement for rum? Would it work well in traditional cocktails? I tracked down a bottle and put it through its paces, reporting my thoughts here in this video.

Then in episode 38, I survey the state of tiki drinkware. Tiki is known for elaborate ceramic tiki mugs when it comes to imbibing the legendary tiki cocktails. But are tiki aficionados limited to this particular style of drinkware alone? Absolutely not! In this episode of A Moment of Tiki, I explore some of the options available to the home tiki bartender, including (but not limited to) tiki mugs, zombie and mai tai glasses, Siesta Ware, carved monekypod and Japanese sumi-e bamboo cups. There's a lot of cool stuff out there, and I know I'm barely scratching the surface. If you know of some great tiki drinking vessels I'm leaving out, drop me a note in the comments below!

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A Moment of Tiki: Okolehao and Moai Carving

Happy new year, folks! I'm back to kick off 2022 with an all-new episode of A Moment of Tiki... plus an older episode from November that I forgot to share here on the blog. What can I say? I'm nothing if not consistent.

In episode 37, I do a quick exploration of Okolehao. Okolehao is Hawaii's indigenous spirit, first distilled on the islands in 1790. Hawaii was a major base for U.S. whaling ships of the era, and the first crude stills were jury-rigged from the try pots the ships used to render the blubber from whales into oil. This is where the spirit gets its name: ʻōkole ("butt") + hao ("iron"). Okolehao has traditionally used roasted roots of the ti plant has the primary fermentable, but other sugar sources on the islands, such has sugar cane and pineapple, have also been used alongside ti root. Following World War II, cheap, unaged whisky from the U.S. was more economical to use so ti flavoring was added to the imported white dog spirit and sold as Okolehao. By the early 2000s pretty much all commercial production of Okolehao had ceased and it was nearly impossible to find. Thanks to the craft spirits movement, though, a small handful of distillers in Hawaii have begun producing versions of this heirloom spirit once again. On this episode of A Moment of Tiki, I sample some from Island Distillers out of Honolulu. I also give it a try in the Polynesian Paralysis, a classic mid-century Okolehao cocktail recipe out of the book "Beachbum Berry Remixed."

Then in episode 35, I take an old pecan log and attempt to carve it into a Moai based on those from the island of Rapa Nui. I use a combination of chain saw, angle grinder and die grinder. Of these power tools, I used the chainsaw and angle grinder (with a Kutzall Extreme shaping disk) to rough out the shape, then finessed the details using my die grinder with some Saburrtooth burrs. Because I am dumb, I left the log exposed outside for several years, which meant insects and fungus had gotten to work on it, which caused some issues. The log was also pecan, which turned out to be one of the hardest woods native to North America. Probably not the best planning on my part, but hey, I make the mistakes so you don't have to!

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Pufferfish ornament giveaway!

My latest episode of "A Moment of Tiki" is now live, and just like last year with Tiki Bob, I'm having another end of December giveaway! This year I've made pufferfish ornaments, just perfect for a tikified Christmas tree, Festivus aluminum pole or (to be totally honest) hanging year 'round in the the home tiki bar. They're cute. They're economy-sized. They're not cuddly, however.

I've made three different color variants to be given away free of charge, on my various social media platforms. And hey, if you don't win one, I lay out the how-to steps in my video for "A Moment of Tiki," so it's win-win for everyone! Here are the links:

• The red pufferfish will be awarded via the "A Moment of Tiki" YouTube page.
• The green pufferfish will be awarded via the Lagoon of Mystery Instagram page.
• The blue pufferfish will be awarded via the A Moment of Tiki group on Facebook.

All pages have their own rules for entry clearly stated. Good luck! The puffers need new homes for the holidays!

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MAROONED again!

Way back in the early days of my tiki adventure, David invited me to be a guest on his Texas tiki-centric podcast titled (appropriately enough) "Marooned: A Texas Tiki Podcast." That experience led directly to my launching A Moment of Tiki, so if you were unsure of who to blame before, now you know.

But I digress. After nearly four years, I assume the trauma has faded from David's memory, because he returned to the scene of the crime for another podcast interview with me. I know. I'm baffled as well. Regardless, you can let my rambling soapbox soliloquies get into your ear holes at this link: www.podomatic.com/podcasts/maroonedpodcast. Here's what David has to say about this outing:

Aloha, tikiphiles! Thanks for joining me for another episode of Marooned: A Texas Tiki Podcast. My guest this episode is long-time friend of the podcast and host of A Moment of Tiki, Jayme Lynn Blaschke.

It's been almost four years since Jayme's first appearance on the podcast and he was long overdue for his return.

To keep up to day with Jayme, you can follow him on Instagram, @lagoonofmystery. To follow A Moment of Tiki, you can join the A Moment of Tiki Facebook Group. To keep up to date with my tiki travels, you can follow me on Instagram, @davidphantomatic. To keep up to date with the podcast and the comings and goings of the tiki world, you can join the Marooned: A Texas Tiki Podcast Facebook Group. Until next time, okole maluna, y'all!

If you're a glutton for punishment, you may find my original interview from January of 2018 at www.podomatic.com/podcasts/maroonedpodcast/episodes/2018-01-19T00_00_00-08_00.

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A Moment of Tiki: Kon-Tiki, Tucson

November is here, bringing with it the all-new Episode 34 of A Moment of Tiki, in which we visit the historic Kon-Tiki in Tucson, Arizona! Established in 1963, the Kon-Tiki is a throwback to the Polynesian pop palaces of tiki's heyday. It's a fantastic immersive experience with the largest collection of Milan Guanko tikis in the world (in case you're wondering, Guanko was a Filipino carver who developed a reputation as one of the top carvers of the era, so his work is kind of a big deal).

There were a couple of things about our visit I didn't get to share in the video, so I'll do so here. First, I was surprised that the Kon-Tiki wasn't a stand-alone building. It's semi-detached in a strip mall area, and had we not been on the lookout for it, we might've just driven straight past. It looks as if it may have been stand-alone at one point, but somewhere along the line (I'm looking at you, 1970s) other stuff went up around it, some of which just happened to be built onto the restaurant. Odd, but the important thing is that the Kon-Tiki remains with us to this day. The other thing I noticed was the fact there are multiple flat screen TVs in there, presumably to draw in the sports crowds. That's unfortunate, and a bit of dissonance in an otherwise immersive tiki environment, but if those TVs are responsible for keeping the Kon-Tiki with us for decades to come, then I shall happily tolerate them.

And because I failed to share these here back when their first aired, I have a couple of bonus episodes for you as well. First is Episode 27: Podcasts A-Go-Go! in which I share some of the great podcasts that taught me much of what I know about tiki culture, rum, cocktails, music and woodworking. It's a diverse bunch.

And finally, Episode 26: Krypton Bar which involved a small tiki bar dating to the early 2000s I rescued from CraigsList and am in the process of refurbishing. Some day we'll have a restoration episode dedicated to it, but I'm only doing a bit here and a bit there on it, so progress is slow.

Now Playing: Various artist Technicolor Paradise
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A Moment of Tiki: Witco Rescue and Oceanic Arts

Once again, I'm cramming two months' worth of A Moment of Tiki into one blog post. Earlier this summer, Secrets By Miss Lisa and I embarked on a road trip out west to take in as much tiki as humanly possible. These two episodes are a direct result of that trip. First up is Episode 33: Witco Rescue, my October installment which is now live on the YouTubes! Whilst killing time in Tuscon as we waited for the venerable Kon-Tiki to open, we stopped into a Goodwill. There, on the shelves, was a pile of lumber marked "carved wood" for an insanely low price. I've heard stories of folks happening upon vintage Witco pieces at garage sales and thrift stores before, but never has such a thing happened to me. Until now. Spoiler alert: I take it home, restore it and make it a centerpiece in our home.

The other video I have for you is my installment for September, Episode 32: Oceanic Arts, in which I pay a visit to the No. 1 supplier of all things tiki worldwide. Located in Whittier, California, Oceanic Arts was founded in 1956 by LeRoy Schmaltz and Bob Van Oosting and has had a hand in pretty much every major tropical build that has happened since that time. They supplied materials to Walt Disney for the construction of the Enchanted Tiki Room, as well as to the Thornton family for the build-out of the famed Mai Kai. Oceanic Arts is everywhere, and a visit there is an experience in sensory overload.

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