Your Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Tiki Party

Shake up those Mai Tais, light the torches—it's time to embrace the tiki spirit!

Want to create a tiki-inspired party atmosphere? Start by exploring tiki culture. A quick search for tiki on Pinterest will overwhelm you with a kaleidoscope of tiki aesthetics. As you scroll, you'll realize: the tiki world is diverse, offering everything from vintage mid-century classics to bold, neon-infused party styles.

The only thing left is to choose the path your inner tiki deity will follow.

Tiki Fact #1

The Mai Tai gets its name from the Tahitian word maita'i, meaning 'good'—and that’s exactly how you’ll feel after sipping a few of these delicious cocktails.

The Origins of Tiki Time

Tiki culture traces its roots back to the ancient Polynesians, who sipped rum cocktails from mugs carved in their own fierce image and snacked on pu-pu platters featuring crab rangoon, rumaki, and beef skewers.

Or at least, that’s the story you might get if your cultural studies were done at places like Don the Beachcomber or Trader Vic's. In the post-WWII years, as G.I.s returned from the Pacific and Hawaii became a state, these iconic restaurants helped spark tiki culture by serving up idealized versions of Polynesian life. Hollywood jumped on the bandwagon too, with films like South Pacific and Blue Hawaii. TV shows like Gilligan's Island brought tropical escape to the small screen, while Disney cemented tiki's place in mainstream culture with the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Over the years, tiki culture has shaped food, drink, and design—sometimes in surprising ways. At one point, having a tiki bar in your den was the epitome of suburban sophistication. Though its popularity may ebb and flow, the tiki spirit is still alive and well, as seen in quirky items like the Star Wars Geeki Tiki drink mugs.

Tiki Fact #2

Beyond the kitsch and cocktails, the concept of tiki has deep cultural roots. In Maori tradition, Tiki is the first man, the ancestor of all living things. More broadly, the word 'tiki' refers to carved wooden or stone sculptures of deities in Polynesian cultures, ranging from New Zealand to Hawaii.

Tiki-Themed Party Decorations

Whether you're going for a tiki dive bar vibe or something more Fantasy Island-inspired, you don't have to invest in expensive tiki bar gear to bring the tropical spirit to life. Here are a few ideas to help you channel the island energy:

• Bowls of shells
• Fishing nets on the walls
• Glass floats and floating candles
• Beaded curtains in doorways
• Pink flamingos in all iterations
• Tropical prints
• Bold greenery like palm fronds, ferns, and hosta leaves
• Bamboo everything
• Strings of lights
• Tiki torches (battery-powered or gas-flame)

For a throwback feel, you could embrace retro with vibrant prints, like this eye-catching and colorful tablescape:

Or perhaps you're drawn to this sleek, contemporary spin on tiki style:

How to Stock Your Perfect Tiki Bar

Filling your bar with every ingredient ever used in tiki cocktails could seriously break the bank. Unless you're planning to run a bar, it's best to start small by picking two or three classic tiki drinks and focusing on those key ingredients for your initial stock.

To kick things off, why not mix up a refreshing Sunset Rum Punch to get you in the mood for stocking your tiki paradise?

Ready to get started? Here are some essentials you’ll need for your tiki bar setup:

Rum. The cornerstone of tiki drinks. With so many types of rum out there, some recipes may call for a blend. Start by stocking the rums your selected cocktails require, and you can always expand your collection as your tiki drink repertoire grows.

Spirits. Some of your recipes may call for other liquors like gin, brandy, or scotch.

Liqueurs. Ingredients like citrusy curaçao or triple sec, along with a selection of bitters, could also be essential.

Syrups. To add sweetness and complexity, consider syrups like simple syrup, almond-flavored orgeat (pronounced "or-zsa"), hibiscus, grenadine, orange, pineapple, or cane syrup...and now you see why it’s best to start with a few basic tiki drinks, right?

Fruit Juices, Purees, and Fresh Fruits. Think orange, lime, pineapple, grapefruit, mango, guava, coconut, coconut milk, and coconut cream.

Fizzy Mixers. Stock up on ginger beer, club soda, and tonic water for that perfect bubbly finish.

Garnishes. Don't forget the finishing touches: maraschino cherries, mint leaves, tropical flowers, pineapple wedges, and more.

Here’s what you’ll need to give your cocktails that iconic tiki flair:

• Glassware in various sizes until you're ready to commit to ceramic tiki mugs
• Blender or cocktail shaker
• Tiny paper umbrellas
• Fancy swizzle sticks
• Straws
• Cocktail napkins in tropical prints
• Ice. Lots of ice

Tiki Fact #3

As tiki culture gained popularity, bartenders began crafting increasingly intricate drinks with names like Scorpion and Zombie, all while keeping their recipes closely guarded.

Tiki Bar Appetizers

Recipe featured: Coconut Shrimp I

Menus at the early tiki bars and restaurants often showcased Americanized versions of Chinese and Hawaiian fare, featuring dishes like shrimp, chicken wings, and egg rolls. While you can certainly serve a variety of appetizers in this style, tiki culture encourages you to get creative with your food:

• Embellish platters with greenery, flowers, and fruit.
• Use hollowed out pineapple halves to hold dips.
• Carve a watermelon shark for fruit salad.
• Get more food and drink ideas for your tiki party.

Tiki Fact #4

Tiki culture has its own distinctive musical genre, known as Exotica. It's a smooth blend of tropical jazz with a dash of 60s surf and space-age vibes. Or at least, that's one way to describe it. Fortunately, Tiki Room has curated a list of great tracks you can play at your party.

On the Topic of Parties...

• Get smart tips for planning parties.
• See how to calculate how much food you should make for your party.
• Find recipes from Hawaii that are so ono they broke da mouth.