Tiki Drinks [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

by Adam Rocke (Author), Shag (Illustrator) "When it comes to Tiki drinks, the most important item in your arsenal is the blender..." (more)
Key Phrases: chilled goblet, chilled collins glass, hurricane glass, Morgan's Spiced Rum (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Light the torches and grab the tiny paper umbrellas - the handbook of delicious tiki beverages is here. In Tiki Drinks, former bartender Adam Rocke selects his favorite tropical libations. The effect of "tiki" or "boat" drinks, says the author, is to evoke the sensation of being marooned on a tropical island with a bevy of insignificant others eager to do your bidding. 50 of the best tropical drink recipes include pina coladas, daiquiris, tropical punches, margaritas, freezes, coolers, and other classics that will conjure island breezes and rolling waves. Lesser-known but equally transporting drinks include such creative variations as the Pirate's Cove, Buccaneer, Zombie, Frozen Mudslide, and Bahama Mama. In addition to serving up liquid exotica, Rocke offers tips on mixers, glasses, and serving techniques - all necessary accoutrements of the pro or amateur bartender who wants to keep the natives restless.

From the Publisher
TIKI DRINK BOOK WORSHIPS THE SPIRITS The recent wave of Tiki madness is in full swing as Polynesia meets pop culture, and Surrey Books has joined the party with TIKI DRINKS ($12.95, hardbound), a compilation of seventy classic and novel concoctions guaranteed to turn any party into a luau.

Tiki, a Polynesian term for carved wood amulets, figures and posts, first took hold after World War II when servicemen returned from the South Pacific, bringing home images of scantily clad natives and pounding drums that emblazoned the conformist 1950s culture.

While Tiki collectibles were once relegated to garage sales and flea markets, today’s trend has gone mainstream…and mass market. Macy’s East opened a decorated "Patio Luau" department complete with patterned plastic plates. On the other end of the island, Kmart, Savon Drugs and Home Depot sell tiki torches and figures for the yard. Ralph Lauren even sports a line of T-shirts with a wooden tiki idol ingrained with "Polo." For the ultimate in "Petiki," Bamboo Ben, who designs custom tiki bars, builds Polynesian-style dog huts and litter-box covers, complete with thatched canopy.

Of course, the craze has spread online with zines and sites featuring collectibles while eBay buyers haggle over mugs, recently paying $1,000 for one from Elvis Presley's movie Blue Hawaii. But a tiki mug means nothing unless it’s filled with a tropical drink topped off with a paper umbrella.

Author Adam Rocke stirs up seventy concoctions in Tiki Drinks, the definitive guide to mixing and shaking your way to paradise. Don’t know the difference between a pony and a jigger? The book offers simple tips on setting up a tiki bar including measurements, garnishes and liquors, and features recipes for old favorites like the Singapore Sling as well as some new additions like the Caicos Cooler.

Rocke, who also writes for Maxim and GQ, spent a year on Florida’s gulf coast, traveling to the islands and taking a "poll of the populars." Researching the local drinks was as much fun as writing about them, he recalls. "TIKI DRINKS is designed to bring the ocean to you if you can’t get to paradise."

Tiki artist and consummate hipster, Shag, provides the illustrations for Tiki Drinks. His clean, tight graphic style, reminiscent of '50s and '60s commercial art, has also been a hit with Time Magazine, Entertainment Weekly and Forbes. Shag recently expanded into gallery work, and his latest piece, the Madonna of Kahiki, is nothing less than, well, "shagadelic."

Why tiki, and why now? The culture is as much lifestyle as it is art, and its revival may be an antidote to the frantic pace of a wired generation seeking comfort from a primitive haven at home. Perhaps the trend reflects a desire for a simpler time, tinged with a nostalgia that author Dennis Coupland, who coined the term Generation X, first described as a longing for experiences we never had, a hunger to be part of a previous generation.

Or a thirst…Tiki is really about tiki bars serving up flaming cocktails, and Gen X doesn’t have a lock on the fad: a president or two has been known to partake in "Politiki." Richard Nixon, for example, used to escape to Trader Vic’s for some daytime tropical ambiance along with his favorite drink: the Navy Grog. (151 proof rum definitely packs a presidential punch.)

Many bamboo-thatched bars and tiki-toriums are vanishing, but TIKI DRINKS provides all that’s needed for spirit lovers of all generations to set up shop at home. So kick back, hang a light and sip a drink…it’s tiki time.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Surrey Books; illustrated edition edition (October 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572840366
• ISBN-13: 978-1572840362
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #540,007 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Killer Drinks and Shag!, January 21, 2001

By	Hearse Queen "grimrides" (northern california, usa) - See all my reviews

If you reviewed this book on it's recipes alone, it's a winner, with tons of tropical treats sure to delight you and your friends at your next kitschy luau shindig. Easy to follow instructions and ingredient lists make mixing tasty exotic drinks a snap.

But what I truly dug about this book, is the artwork which illustrates the book by kulture kulture maven Shag. Shag, also known as Josh Agle (the last two letters of his first name and the first two letters of his last name make up his swanky alias) is well known in the kustom kulture set for his retro styled artwork, which evokes the feel of 50's and 60's magazine ads, and record covers. The vividly colored clean illustrations he's drawn that accompany the drink recipes are just marvelous.

A tall chic woman with a big red turban, brandishing a large bottle of Rum, super swanky cocktail bars with hipsters a plenty, this book is a real treat not only for the tastebuds, but for the eyes as well..

Since I've gotten it, I've noticed all my friends have grabby hands when placed in direct proximity of it. They have to pour over it, examining and exclaiming in joy at Shag's ultra kitschy cool artwork.

I personally feel that as Shag's artwork becomes more widely known, this book is going to become a real collectors item. Take it from me, and treat yourself to a copy today!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tiki Drinks in Seattle, April 2, 2002

By	Erik White (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Great Book! I own a number of Tiki Drink Books and this is fast becomming one of my favorites. If you haven't yet, try mixing up a Horny Monkey. My wife says they are actually better if you double the rum.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tiki Drinks ROCKS!!!!, February 3, 2001

By	Lacey Lane (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

I love tropical islands -- white sand beaches, azure blue waters, gentle trade winds -- and the many umbrella drinks you normally associate with them. I've been fortunate to visit many of them and Adam Rocke's book takes me back to each and every one whenever I mix up one of his fabulous concoctions. Shag's artwork is truly incredible, too. I've gone through the book cover-to-cover a number of times and I can't get enough.