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Has Anybody Heard of a Backscratcher? |
tikisobayli
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Dec 05, 2002
Posts: 155
From: ATL
|  Posted: 2004-01-06 7:21 pm Permalink
It has been a while since my last post...sorry..However, I have been looking for a drink recipe for a Backscratcher. Has anyone heard of the drink? I remember being young on a trip to Hawaii with my parents and begging my mom to order this drink because 1)it came in a very large tiki mug and 2) it had a long wooden backscratcher in it used i guess as both decoration and a stirrer. Anyway, please pass along any info you folks might have!
[ This Message was edited by: tikisobayli on 2004-01-06 19:28 ]
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Traderpup
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 26, 2002
Posts: 1049
From: Long Beach, CA
| Posted: 2004-01-06 7:29 pm Permalink
I seem to remember a drink like that known as a 'Tropical Itch'.....
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Doctor Z
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 01, 2002
Posts: 1608
From: The Hale Moana Lounge, Torrance, CA
| Posted: 2004-01-06 7:34 pm Permalink
There's a drink in Intoxica! called the "Tropical Itch" that was served at the Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki that came with a wooden back-scratcher. Could this be it?
8 oz. passion fruit juice or nectar (not syrup)
1 1/2 oz. Bacardi 151
1/2 oz. orange curacao
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 oz. dark Jamaican rum
1 oz. bourbon
Fill a large hurricane glass with crushed ice, add all ingredients, and stir well. Garnish with pineapple, mint leaves, orchid and a wooden back-scratcher.
[ This Message was edited by: Doctor Z on 2004-01-06 19:35 ]
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Phillip Roberts
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 09, 2003
Posts: 1569
From: OAHU/Seattle
| Posted: 2004-01-06 9:13 pm Permalink
[ This Message was edited by: filslash 2008-09-10 13:39 ]
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Kono
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 08, 2003
Posts: 1266
From: Orlando
| Posted: 2004-01-07 03:53 am Permalink
They still serve it at the Hilton Hawaiian Village also. Ya get to keep the backscratcher but not the mug (I don't remember it as being anything special, the mug that is).
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martiki
Official Mixologist
Joined: Mar 29, 2002
Posts: 3058
From: http://www.smugglerscovesf.com
| Posted: 2004-01-07 11:12 am Permalink
They serve a Backscratcher at Trader Dick's in Sparks, and you keep the wooden scratcher. It's not very tiki looking and the drink isn't very good at Dick's either. Always stick with the Navy Grog at Dick's - it's a sure bet!
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 11003
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2004-01-07 5:29 pm Permalink
Backcover of the BOT, that Tropical Itch had a plastic back scratcher in it. Wonder if it was customized (with the Crane Kon Tiki logo on it), never seen one.
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tikisobayli
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Dec 05, 2002
Posts: 155
From: ATL
| Posted: 2004-01-07 6:39 pm Permalink
Thanks everyone for the info. Dr. Z's reference to Intoxica reminds me that one can never have to many books (as I only own Grog Log). It is interesting that the drink has bourbon in it, not an ingrediant you see often. Again, thanks!
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captnkirk
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 06, 2002
Posts: 322
From: Hockessin, Delaware
| Posted: 2004-01-08 8:22 pm Permalink
Famous Honolulu bartender Harry K. Yee first served the Tropical Itch with a back-scratcher as a stirrer in 1957.
I can't find his recipie anywhere, but I bet Beachbum's is pretty close.
Here is one from the Great Tiki Drink Book if you only want a small drink.
1.5 oz Pineapple Juice
0.5 oz Passion fruit syrup
2.0 oz Dark Rum
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Fill a highball glass with ice, pour everthing into the glass, stir and serve.
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RevBambooBen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 12, 2002
Posts: 7418
From: Huntikington Beach
| Posted: 2004-01-08 9:01 pm Permalink
Caliente Tropics has Tiki Back-scratchers now (without the drink) . I can only imagine what those will be used for at Oasis-4. (last years Bax Balls aka TC Beach Balls almost started a riot!)
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Sabina
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Apr 08, 2002
Posts: 371
From: The Lounge of the Seven Pleasures!
| Posted: 2004-01-09 6:41 pm Permalink
One of my fondest Kahiki memories is about the backscratcher, and resultant backscratchers-
My dad would order a backscratcher when we would go- and for YEARS afterwards, the silly bamboo scratchers would accumlate in the downstairs 'boys' bathroom at our house. Similar to the souvenir mugs and swizzles, the cheap backscratchers were 'take home goodies!'
It was a very DAD thing.
Anyhow, sometimes when we hadn't been to Kahiki in a while my Dad would make bad jokes about getting 'the itch' to go back to Kahiki. Particularly in winter when it snowed- clearly a 'tropical' itch.
In tribute, my home bar always keeps a supply of cheap bamboo backscratchers on hand for backscratcher cocktails so my friends can 'get the itch' to return. Now if only I could find a place that would custom imprint them for me... (for now, I just paint them myself.)
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tikisobayli
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Dec 05, 2002
Posts: 155
From: ATL
| Posted: 2004-01-09 8:41 pm Permalink
Very funny memory Sabina....Dads always seem to be full of the "bad jokes"!
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thejab
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2986
From: Tradewinds Apartments, Alameda, CA
| Posted: 2004-01-12 11:11 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-01-07 11:12, martiki wrote:
They serve a Backscratcher at Trader Dick's in Sparks, and you keep the wooden scratcher. It's not very tiki looking and the drink isn't very good at Dick's either. Always stick with the Navy Grog at Dick's - it's a sure bet!
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I tried Trader Dick's version on Saturday. According to the menu, It's made with Bourbon, Curacao, and passion fruit. It wasn't bad but they were out of back scratchers and it was more expensive than most drinks there (I assume to pay for the back scratcher). In adition to the Navy Grog, the Shark's Tooth is good (and very strong) at Trader Dick's.
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Tikiwahine
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3288
From: Ontario, Canada
| Posted: 2004-01-12 11:11 am Permalink
Get your very own set of Tribal Tiki backscratchers! 2 dozen on e-bay. No bids yet, just over an hour left to go.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2979217839&category=1467
Not my auction, but now that I think about featuring a "backscratcher" on my list of drinks served in my home bar, this seems kind of cool!
Just thought I'd give a heads up 
-Tikiwahine
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Tikiwahine
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3288
From: Ontario, Canada
| Posted: 2004-01-12 11:18 am Permalink
Did I say backscratcher? I meant Tropical Itch. Unless I change the name to something like..."Now featured at the Vancouver Islander...the Backyard Backscratcher!"
I wonder if I could use little plastic flyswatters...naw...that sounds kinda gross. I don't think it would go over too well.
-Tikiwhahine
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