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key west updates |
nomeus
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 06, 2012
Posts: 273 |  Posted: 2013-11-16 10:15 pm Permalink
was down that way today and want to give my 2 cents....
holiday isle and postcard inn...one has the rum runner bar and the other has the tiki bar which is creatively called "tiki bar" :/. the rum runner is actually a really neat structure but both bars are total crap. i asked the bartender if he had falernum and lemon hart to which he replied "whats that?". the tiki bar has tikis but they are more cartoon style and again, garbage drinks. the bars are all made for speed, not tasty cocktails.
safari lounge has a real big tiki behind the bar, dead center but thats it. crap drinks, sports on the tv. thatched roofs and animal mounts are not enough to sell me. one thing all these bars have in common is, they all serve watered down rum and juice in tiny plastic cups.
in summary...if youre in florida and you see a huge sign that says "tiki bar"...stay away
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11104
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2013-11-17 12:07 am Permalink
Yup - There is a theory that the traditional "Chickee" hut used by the Seminole Indians in Florida merged with the word "Tiki", and thus any palm frond beach hut in Florida became a "Tiki Hut". The Seminoles use it to this day in their tribal council logo:
"Chickee huts are Native American houses used mainly in Florida by tribes like the Seminole Indians, chickee huts, also known as tiki huts are also found in tropical destinations and hotspots such as the Hawaiian Islands, Bahamas and many other places. Chickee huts add a tropical panache to houses, backyards or poolside areas."
(quoted from: www.http://how-to-build-a-tiki-hut.com)
This stratification of terminology created the sad state of the term "Tiki Bar" in Florida that I mention in this link:
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=45592&forum=1&vpost=683095
[ This Message was edited by: bigbrotiki 2013-11-17 05:20 ]
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TikiTacky
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Nov 23, 2010
Posts: 1289 | Posted: 2013-11-17 11:02 am Permalink
Sven, you always amaze me with your knowledge on this subject. Keep it coming!
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TikiHardBop
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 21, 2009
Posts: 409
From: Rockledge, FL
| Posted: 2013-11-18 4:56 pm Permalink
Holiday Isle is known for it's Rumrunner, which is a terrible drink, but has tons of 151 in it, so it will kick you on your butt -- especially if you've been out in the sun all day. It gets totally crazy there during 3-day weekends. Half of Dade county is there. They also pull boats up on a sandbar about a mile offshore and get rowdy out there!
Realistically, outside of a few higher end restaurants in Key West, you aren't going to find any well made drinks between Key West and Miami. The same goes with any of what you would traditionally recognize as "tiki".
And BigBroTiki is right (as usual). Outside of the Mai Kai, every "tiki bar" in Florida should be more correctly called a "chiki bar", but man that gets some people worked up. Don't be hatin' on Jimmy Buffet either!
But the Keys are pretty wonderful. Enjoy them for what they are and just order your booze straight up.
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nomeus
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 06, 2012
Posts: 273 | Posted: 2013-12-07 1:42 pm Permalink
the drinks literally tasted like the rum was watered down and the "juice" was water with some pulp floating in it. i took a few sips and tossed it
_________________
getting drunk is like borrowing happiness from tomorrow
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TikiHardBop
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 21, 2009
Posts: 409
From: Rockledge, FL
| Posted: 2013-12-11 2:30 pm Permalink
Was this at any one place in particular or throughout the Keys in general?
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Doc Aikane
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Apr 02, 2014
Posts: 16
From: Fort Lauderdale, FL
| Posted: 2014-04-19 10:07 pm Permalink
In defense of Key West (a part time home for me) . . No, you won't find much in the way of mid-century style Tiki bars there. Key West already had 200 years of Caribbean heritage when Polynesian Pop hit the scene in the US - it's just not the setting where Tiki Culture would thrive. But trust me, if you get away from the tourist bars, you'll find true cocktail culture does exist in the small city. Just step inside The Rum Bar at the Speakeasy Inn on Duval and you'll be a believer. Listed as one of the top 15 rum bars in the WORLD by Rum Journal, you'll find a knowledgeable bartender, samples of some of the best rums in the world, and a special concoction created by the owner (Bahama Bob) made by collecting roots from exotic trees and soaking them in 151.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGmLTTveL1o
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