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Extolling the virtues of the basement tiki bar |
Ragbag Comics
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Feb 24, 2009
Posts: 70
From: Chicago
|  Posted: 2011-01-02 2:34 pm Permalink
Stayin' cool here in Chicago...at least today. Most other days have circled cool straight into COLD this winter.
Alas, the condo association won't let us build a bar in the basement (and... you wouldn't want to even if they'd let you) so we'll have make a couple Suffering Bastards and belly up to the ol' Llama to get through the winter...
--Pete
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uncle trav
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 27, 2005
Posts: 1542
From: Kalamazoo
| Posted: 2011-02-12 10:37 am Permalink
It's Saturday and it's cold. I just turned a Christmas gift certificate for the liquor store into a bottle of Appleton Estate Extra and I am good to go. The space heaters are roaring as I write this and I will soon be juicing lemons and limes. I have some guests coming over this evening and the exotica is ready to chase the chill from the air. Nothing will raise your spirits like good company with good cocktails. We may not have palm trees swaying outside here but I couldn't see them from my basement lounge anyway. To all of the other TC members stuck in the snow, this evening I will be raising a Mai Tai to you. Tonight is cocktail night in the exotic underground of Kalamazoo.
_________________
"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann
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Big Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 11, 2007
Posts: 1923
From: SoMass
| Posted: 2011-02-12 1:40 pm Permalink
Hey, Trav!
I'm holding a car club meeting in my basement lounge this evening. There'll be Exotica, Rum & PuPu. I've got 2 1/2'-3' of snow outside & it's about 27 degrees. We'll be warm & toasty in the Mauna Kai Lounge tonight. I'll post some pics, later. The name of my car club is the Idol Mixtures.
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uncle trav
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 27, 2005
Posts: 1542
From: Kalamazoo
| Posted: 2011-02-12 1:55 pm Permalink
Well That's two of us. Looks like a multi-state event!!!!!
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ErkNoLikeFire
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 07, 2010
Posts: 423
From: Michigan
| Posted: 2011-02-12 3:52 pm Permalink
I say thee nay to snow and cold weather. Especially since I had a pipe burst in the basement and it filled up with a few inches of water forever dashing my hopes of turning it int o a small lounge. Basement tiki love will have to wait a while longer in Lansing.
_________________
"I've been ionized, but I'm okay now." - B. Banzai
“The trouble with jogging is that the ice falls out of your glass.” Martin Mull
"Rum is not drinking, it's surviving" Robert Shaw THE DEEP
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TikiTomD
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: Sep 20, 2009
Posts: 631
From: Flagler Beach, FL
| Posted: 2011-02-12 5:22 pm Permalink
Having experienced ErkNoLikeFire’s part of Michigan in January about a decade ago, I’d advise that any freezable commodity in that basement bar contain at least 25% ethanol, in case the heat fails. Trav’s choice of Appleton Estate Extra, at 43% ethanol by volume, should be good to pour at temperatures below minus 10 degrees F. Depending on the mixers and the ambient temperature, one might need to float some 151 proof to maintain the resulting cocktail in a liquid state.
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ErkNoLikeFire
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 07, 2010
Posts: 423
From: Michigan
| Posted: 2011-02-12 8:29 pm Permalink
Luckily I have 2 5ths of Lemon Hart 151 to alleviate any frozen drink issues. Unfortunately for some reason that mystifies me, 2 bottles of Orgeat that I haven't a clue how they got down there were frozen solid. I now have two 5ths of syrup cicles.
_________________
"I've been ionized, but I'm okay now." - B. Banzai
“The trouble with jogging is that the ice falls out of your glass.” Martin Mull
"Rum is not drinking, it's surviving" Robert Shaw THE DEEP
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uncle trav
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 27, 2005
Posts: 1542
From: Kalamazoo
| Posted: 2011-02-13 05:17 am Permalink
Hang in there Erk. I know all about the water in the basement issue. If it gets deep enough you can have a real dive bar. Tom, I had plenty of antifreeze for the guests last night so no problems with the cold at all just a very pleasant evening.
_________________
"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann
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Haole Jim
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 17, 2009
Posts: 397
From: central coast metro Chicago
| Posted: 2011-02-13 08:05 am Permalink
After last daughter moved out mid '09, her upstairs room became her father's Tiki-theme music room. Couple big windows for light, no basement "vibe" wanted, thank you. "Quest for loght and ventilation"
It's been a delightful daily-use place and sanctuary-micro asylum. No formal bar, plenty of ambiance, tho.
You folks taking advantage of e-piping in some Exotica-Lounge-Surf-Crime Jazz music from Cudra Clover's Exotica Hour podcasts from Maui? Free and excellent!
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Big Kahuna
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 11, 2007
Posts: 1923
From: SoMass
| Posted: 2011-02-13 09:33 am Permalink
Thanks for the music tip, Jim. I'll have to check it out.
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Thunderlips
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 04, 2005
Posts: 134
From: Massachusetts
| Posted: 2011-02-13 12:09 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2011-02-12 13:40, Big Kahuna wrote:
I'm holding a car club meeting in my basement lounge this evening. There'll be Exotica, Rum & PuPu. I've got 2 1/2'-3' of snow outside & it's about 27 degrees. We'll be warm & toasty in the Mauna Kai Lounge tonight. I'll post some pics, later. The name of my car club is the Idol Mixtures.
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Hey Big Kahuna,
I know next to nothin' about cars but I know plenty about booze! Would love to see the Mauna Kai sometime and in return you & yours are invited to Chongo's Lounge in Brimfield (not too far from Grafton).
'Course, my bar's only open in the warmer months on account of no insulation. All I can do is press my nose up against the cold patio doors and dream of Summer...
(Almost defeats the purpose of the damn place!)
_________________
JUGTOWN
Country & Western Rockabilly Rhythm & Booze
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uncle trav
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 27, 2005
Posts: 1542
From: Kalamazoo
| Posted: 2012-11-24 06:16 am Permalink
Time to fire up the space heaters kids. The first snow of the season is falling in my part of Northern Polynesia and it has been waaaaay to long since my last cocktail night in the home lounge. Need a new sound system and have to rearrange the bar a bit to fit in some new items. A perfect time of year for a bit of faux Polynesia to take the chill off.
_________________
"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann
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TikiTomD
Grand Member (3 years)
Joined: Sep 20, 2009
Posts: 631
From: Flagler Beach, FL
| Posted: 2012-11-24 06:29 am Permalink
Trav, though it's a beautiful sunny morning in Florida, the flames are dancing in the faux fireplace next to the Blowfish Bar, as temperatures are in the bone-chilling 50s.
-Tom
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