Just about Four Years ago Trader Jay’s Home Tiki Bar was born (read about it here). I thought I’d take a spell to enjoy how far it has come while keeping in mind that it will never be complete.
Over the past four years I have met so many wonderful people as well as grown my tiki mug collection and rum collection… but collecting tiki décor has really provided some great memories. Here are just a few followed by some updated pictures of Trader Jays…
Meet Georgina! She is a classic replica of a ship’s figurehead. She was a gift from one of my best friends. A few years ago his father, Big George, passed away. George thought that if his son wasn’t interested in keeping “Boobs” (her name at the time) then maybe I’d want her for my tiki bar. Of course I was honored and knew I’d be able to find a home for Boobs, however first I had to make her a little more “family friendly” (since she was very much naked, hence her name). Mrs. Trader did most of the handy work in adding a coconut bikini and grass skirt and then I decided to rename her Georgina in honor of Big George.
Now she hangs proudly watching over all of TJ’s patrons.
My “Maui Hook”… it is hard to ignore the influence of Disney on my bar, hence a Maui Hook. On our recent summer family trip to Hawaii I decided that I, obviously, wanted something to add to Trader Jay’s but since wall space is filling up it had to be something unique. All over the little gift shops you’ll find plenty of Hawaiian Fish Hook necklaces (called Makau) which symbolizes love and respect of the ocean. It was seeing those that set me on my path to find a big hook for TJ’s.
The feat, however, was not as easy as you might think it should be. Finally, after a week and a half my wife and I stumbled upon a nice lady who had a wood carving shop in Kona and saw the hook. The lady explained that her son-in-law had carved 14 hooks but only 2 remained. She said she was looking for the right “Ohana” for the final 2 hooks (and, of course, someone willing to pay the right price). Mrs. Trader and I decided if we didn’t go for it there in Kona then we might not find the right fit at all.
Now the hook hangs in direct line of site of the entrance to Trader Jay’s, a perfect staple.
The Caines Tiki has a much simpler story but still is very special to Trader Jay’s… it is actually the first tiki that I owned. What makes it even better is my good friend Caines personally carved it. This one-of-a-kind tiki was a gift to celebrate a promotion over 14 years ago and has had a place in my home ever since.
Those are just a few stories of the many treasures Trader Jay’s holds… and the great news is that its story will never end as Trader Jay’s will continue to grow and evolve. The ultimate dream is to put bamboo on the ceiling but that doesn’t quite make the list of overall house priorities just yet (maybe I can crowdfund it?)
Check out the rest of the photos below… if you see something you’d like to know more about then let me know, always happy to share! Mahalo!
Where do I even start to share our Laki Kane experience? It is almost beyond words but I will try to do it justice…
I will be 100% honest that there was a split moment in time that we didn’t want to leave London City Center however, in hind site, the 20 minute tube ride and 8 minute walk was WELL WORTH the effort… even in the rain. We were greeted with an extremely warm welcome by Georgi Radev, Creative Director for Laki Kane and other amazing members of the team. (As a side note, I want to apologize to the Laki Kane team because I am horrible with names and wasn’t able to remember everyone… but know you all offered first class hospitality.)
The entrance, like many great tiki bars, is unassuming. It looks like a storefront, however, different than others, you can see inside… possibly a ploy to lure guests into the tropical paradise? Then, as you entered, there is a covering on the windows that almost mask the outside as a island/ocean view. As we walked to our seats at the bar, Georgi provided a tour of his escape. He spoke with such love and passion… much like I start to speak when talking about my small DIY Tiki Bar. The tables and decor aren’t just “there”, there is a purpose to them with each section of tables representing a different tropical escape (The Caribbean, Thailand, Polynesia and Indonesia).
As we sat were we welcoming (again) by the attentive bar team and offered a wonderful mint and lime welcome drink. It was light and aromatic and the perfect precursor as we indulged in our menus.
In true Trader Jay fashion, I have to start with the eponymous drink, so I asked for a Laki Kane (Lucky Sugarcane). Mrs. Trader started with a recommendation from Georgi, the Guinness Punch in Manhattan. The Laki Kane was very light, and fruity but not too sweet. It blended coconut water with passion fruit and rum. It was a great compliment to the Guinness Punch in Manhattan… this drink was deep, complex… a work of art. It took the classic Jamaican Guinness Punch and added the sophistication of a Manhattan for a regal drink.
With our first drinks in hand, Georgi whisked us upstairs to show us something new they were almost ready to roll out upstairs… the Spiced Dry Rum Club. It is truly an experience I’ve never seen and am a little sad that I wasn’t able to partake. During the 2 and a half hour experience you sit at your own pot still, learn all about the history of rum whilst distilling and creating your own a bottle of flavored rum to bring home! Then, your recipe is saved into their database so, at any point, you can re-order your rum. (Georgi, how do you feel about starting one of these in the U.S.?)
After our extended tour we returned to the bar and continued to explore and enjoy the menu. We had some food and it was all delicious, but we came for the drinks… Here are the others that we enjoyed:
The Mahi Mahi (Trader Jay): The bar team seemed to agree that this was one of their favorite drinks. The layering and coloring was SPOT ON… just like a mahi mahi fish. The drink was good as well, a nice overproof rum with fresh fruits and even some tangerine sherbet shaken in.
Southern Lights (Mrs. Trader): This drink featured one of Mrs. Trader’s Favorites… Bombay Gin. This fresh drink featured star fruit (carambola) juice… something that you rarely see. It was the right level of sweet and tart. The bonus was that it comes with a souvenir Laki Kane tiki necklace! SCORE!!!
The Rita Hayworth (Mrs. Trader): This is Laki Kane’s take on a Margarita. It has the key flavors of a marg but with some additional feel. The pineapple is a nice touch as well as the Blood Orange (Solerno) liquor replacing triple sec. The Morano glass vessel is beautiful and the fired lemon on top gives it an aromatic edge.
The Pin-Up Zombie (Trader Jay): This one was my favorite for Multiple Reasons…
I love “Rum Forward” drinks where the rum is 100% the star
Who doesn’t love a drink on FIRE?!
I enjoy the fact that, as Georgi put it, that they like to take some of the classics and put their own spin on it. With the Pin-Up Zombie there is a hint of “pine”… yes, I said PINE. It is so subtle but gives it that different ending that makes you think “what was that? I liked it!”
I am a sucker for an amazing Tiki Mug and this is one of my new favorites! There are plenty of Zombie mugs out in the world… I enjoy my Shrunken Head from Trader Sam’s… however I have yet to see a female zombie. The design is beautiful and unique and I’m thrilled that I was able to bring her home in 1 piece. (Georgi explained that they have a local artist design all their mugs and I thought that was remarkable… there were many great designs and I’m thrilled that I was able to bring home two!)
Tropical Fever (Trader Jay): This is probably the most “out there” drink I have had in a long time and it, like the rest, was amazing and wonderful. It is a take on “High Tea” but mixed with the caramel tea is rum, maple syrup, grapefruit juice and… wait for it… peanut butter! Yes, PEANUT BUTTER! And, if you are a fan of it like myself then it is the tiki drink you have dreamt of. It even has a dry ice component so that “steam” is released from the teapot it is served in.
Before I wrap I want to point out some other things that took the Laki Kane experience to the next level…
They use either Bamboo or Pasta straws!!! While I don’t agree with the whole “if we stop using plastic straws then they world will be saved” movement, I can appreciate people trying to limit the waste. What I cannot appreciate is a paper straw! So hats off to Laki Kane using pasta! It is for sure more expensive but a much better alternative than paper.
The garnish game was top notch! They opt for all natural garnishes instead of plastic stirrers and toys… while I love me a good stirrer, these drink toppers kept with the fresh ingredient theme and were just as fun, beautiful and creative.
Finally, the table “doorbell”… this is not an original idea but I like the thought process. Each table has a device that both says who the table is reserved for as well as can be used to call your server when you need a new drink. This is especially helpful on a crowded Friday or Saturday evening. Since we sat at the bar we didn’t need one but nice to see that one was ready for us!
In parting can I just say that Laki Kane is a MUST visit! Everything about it is FIVE STARS, 10 out of 10, two CocoThumbsUp! The decor is wonderful and thoughtful, every drink we had was better than the last and, most important, the staff was amazingly hospitable and top of their class!!! Keep it up, Laki Kane Team, I cannot wait to find a reason to return!!!
This year’s Anniversary trip was a big one… to celebrate 10 years we traveled over the “pond” to London for a week.
We did a TON of things and had an AMAZING time… but this blog’s focus is on Tiki and we had two great evenings that warrant tiki blog documentation. The first was a visit to the oldest Trader Vic’s currently operating. The London version of the Home of the Original Mai Tai opened its doors in 1963 and have been a part of Tiki History ever since.
Being in a large hotel (London Hilton-Park Lane) makes it easier to find than many newer tiki bars, that usually favor city outskirts or back alleyway entrances. However, in true “tiki fashion”, you enter and immediately head down a winding staircase to escape from the hustle and bustle of the big city hotel. The decor is fantastic! Wood, bamboo, lamps, canoes, all the things that you would expect to see in a historic tiki bar.
As a side note, this was my first visit to a Trader Vic’s establishment… yes, I had to go all the way to England to pay tribute to Vic.
As normal, we wanted to sit at the bar however that became a little bit of a challenge. On one side of the bar there are 4 barstools in a space that really should only fit 3. While the other side of the bar has a lot more space, we were told it was reserved for a special event. We chose to squeeze on to 2 of the 4 stools and while we were a bit crammed at first, it all worked out.
I, of course, had to start with a Vic’s Original 1944 Mai Tai. I’ve waited a long time to have one… however I might have to wait a bit longer. While the drink was fine, it was not crafted how Vic would have wanted. The biggest issue is that they used Mount Gay Rum… I have nothing against Mount Gay, but Vic used a Jamaican Rum. I’m a realist, I know that 17 year J. Wray & Nephew is long gone, however I believe that an “Original 1944 Mai Tai” should still feature an aged Jamaican rum.
I didn’t let this disappointment sour our evening but I was a bit taken back. Speaking of sour, Mrs. Trader really enjoyed her London Sour… created for the opening of Trader Vic’s London.
We indulged in some bar bites, including the Beef Cho-Cho which are soy-sake glazed beef skewers that you finish yourself over a flame. They were both fun and delicious.
We also had the opportunity to experience a number of different drinks including the Suffering Bastard, Navy Grog, Trader Vic’s Sling and some anniversary extras (including some drink tastings and a delicious cake).
In the tiki world I feel like it is important to be kind but also be honest among friends… I wasn’t blown away by the drinks from the menu, however our bartender, Aleks, was given free reign to mix us each up something based on our pallets and both drinks he was SPOT ON! Aleks was a great bartender… he was funny, engaging, wanted to know about us. It was wonderful to be able to sit at the bar and discuss rum, tiki drinks and Trader Vic with him. He was excited to learn about my home tiki bar and our tiki travels.
Also, we had the opportunity to talk with the Assistant GM, Guy, who too was wonderful to talk with. Both gentlemen were very welcoming… both welcoming us to Trader Vic’s as well as to London (as it was our first night). Guy even allowed us a parting gift of a menu to bring back to Trader Jay’s.
Overall, I would never steer anyone away from Trader Vic’s London. We had an AMAZING evening! The decorations are wonderful! They are quintkicensial tiki from one of the ORIGINALS, there is a bit of everything and I want to take it all back to Trader Jay’s. The team is warm and welcoming and offers an amazing escape from the very Non-Tiki London. The drinks from the menu were fine but chat with your bartender and let them get creative and you should be pleased!
(Special Note to Guy if he is reading… I’m still disappointed that the camera wasn’t charged for the wall of tiki!)
For my birthday Mrs. Trader bought me a personalized Oak Barrel from American Oak Barrel. At first I was only going to use it as a part of the eclectic decor that I continually add to but then it seemed like a waste to just have an empty barrel hanging there… empty… when I could be hanging there with rum inside.
So, here we go. Figure I’ll chronicle the adventure here so that everyone can follow along…
March 12, 2018 – Day 1: Since this is a new barrel, before spirits can be added it has to be cured. So, first I did a few rinse outs and then I filled it to the top with hot water. Now it needs to sit for 3-5 days (boring) before we can add rum. I’ll have to keep the water filled until none is leaking out so stay tuned…
March 17, 2018 – Day 5: So the barrel started out pretty “leaky” however after two days of soaking it sealed up nicely. Just in case I let it soak for an additional 3 days to make sure it was nice and solid.
No time like St. Patrick’s Day to add the rum… I selected a lightly aged El Dorado white rum from Guyana. I’ve heard good things about El Dorado but have not had the pleasure yet to experience acclaimed 15 year rum. While I am pretty sure I won’t be able to wait 15 years, I’m hoping the small barrel will add to the flavor and body to the rum over the next few months. More coming soon…
April 8, 2018 – Day 27: The rum takes to the skies!!! Way back when I was first starting decorating Trader Jay’s I was on a long hunt for pulleys or sailing blocks. I felt like we definitely needed them for the decor. I kept coming up short but then Mrs. Trader stumbled upon some while out and about. She bought three (not knowing which I’d like/want). Well, while they were good they just sat unused for over a year.
Since receiving the Barrel I had it in the back of my head that I wanted to hang it from the ceiling using the pulleys. So, Sunday I finally made it happen. While there is some nervousness over it all, it seems to be anchored well and secure.
So now I have an Aging Rum Barrel hanging from the ceiling… and that’s the real dream, right???
Planning to give the rum a taste around the one month mark…
My Rum and Tiki journey has reached a year and what a ride! I’ve learned to much but still have a long way to go! As I sit on the Beach down in Key Biscayne (island off Miami) I sip a frozen mojito (highly recommended) and reflect on my learnings so far.
I figure the gateway to the Caribbean is as good a place as ever to summarize my lessons thus far.
So, in no particular order…
If the drink menu says “Mai Tai = spiced rum and fruit juices” then that is a hard pass! I can accept a slight variation from Trader Vic’s Original Recipe but it better have fresh juice and aged, quality rum.
There is no substitute for fresh squeezed lime juice (or my special Frozen squeezed juice).
Finding a quality rum at the basic bar is near impossible. Main stream bars haven’t caught on… most just carry Bacardi, Captain Morgan and then they think they are fancy if they have Meyers.
I’ve tried a decent number of rums over the past year but still think Appleton Estate Reserve is my favorite multi-use mixing rum. It is the go to for my Mai Tai and many other drinks.
For sipping, still keeping Plantation 20th anniversary on the top of the shelf (though I won’t lie that Zacapa is working its way up).
If you are lucky enough to find a bartender who knows rums then talk as much as you can to them! They will share what they like and will enjoy the conversation enough, usually, to let you sample.
Overproof rum doesn’t have to taste like rubbing alcohol… get some Plantation OFTD! It is a powerful ally (in the right quantities).
There is never enough self space in an at home-Tiki-Bar-in-progress.
Always buy the Tiki mug that comes with the drink, you’ll regret it if you don’t.
Take your time and measure your drinks… you wouldn’t make a soufflé by just eyeballing it, don’t compromise on a perfectly crafted cocktail.
Your tiki bar will never be finished… both decorating and stocking with rum/liquor/mixers.
