1934 – early 1960s
The Tiki Era
Don the Beachcomber opened in Hollywood in 1934, three days after Prohibition ended. He invented Polynesian fantasy out of whole cloth — rum, fresh juices, exotic syrups, faux-Pacific glassware. Trader Vic followed. For thirty years, tiki dominated American cocktail culture. The Mai Tai, the Zombie, the Painkiller, the Hurricane — all from this golden age of tropical drinks. Most are still misunderstood today; the originals were balanced and powerful, not the slushy disasters they became later.
22 drinks from this era
20th CenturyThe Tiki EraAperol SpritzThe Tiki EraBelliniThe Tiki EraBlinkerThe Tiki EraDe La LouisianeThe Tiki EraDeath in the AfternoonThe Tiki EraEl DiabloThe Tiki EraHurricaneThe Tiki EraIrish CoffeeThe Tiki EraLion's TailThe Tiki EraMai TaiThe Tiki EraMoscow MuleThe Tiki EraNui NuiThe Tiki EraPalomaThe Tiki EraPicadorThe Tiki EraSuffering BastardThe Tiki EraSuffering Bastard No. 2The Tiki EraThree Dots and a DashThe Tiki EraVesperThe Tiki EraVieux CarréThe Tiki EraYellow BirdThe Tiki EraZombieThe Tiki Era