Tiki Central Canada

Hi folks,Sorry we have been not online for some time...it has been items such as schedules, work, private lives and other items that has set us back. We will work harder to bring you the shows and thanks for sticking with us.This episode, we will be talking about the Pago Pago cocktail and its origins. There was a time where in North America there was several tiki bars named Pago Pago and a few still stand today. The main item we discuss on the origin of this drink t=is two little islands in the Pacific ocean that are surrounded by the international date line. This imaginary line has gone through so many changes as to which areas it covers. So one of the islands West Samoa and the American Somoa islands are on opposite sides of this line. The capital city of American Somoa is Pago Pago. The line is by the way not a true straight line as you will see on any map. By the way depending who you reference the line it changes depend if its Google maps or other sources. For the cocktail, we will give you not one or t

Hi guys,Sorry for the delay we had a recording session that was a bad recording and so we had to re-schedule this show to get a good recording. So this past year we lost a famous and pioneer in the tiki world, Harry Yee at the age of 104 years old. Wow, that in itself is an amazing accomplishment. Do you want to grow that old? I'm aiming for 100!!Anyways, on this show we will cover two of Harry's cocktails: Tapa Punch (1959) and Chimp in Orbit (1961), Tapa Punch was the first cocktail to have a parasol incorporated in a drink. The Chimp in Orbit was named after a chimpanzee also known as Ham the Chimp and Ham the Astrochimp, was the first Great Ape launched into space. Both of these drinks will include some Puerto Rician rum and Jamaican.We also get into Harry's life story and where and how he started his journey to the tiki world and some of the accomplishments he made along the way that we know and cherish today.  Here is a sample of some of these facts such as he flew in World War II for the Chinese air fo

Hi folks and Happy New Year,This is our 5th year doing the show and wow we have gone through a lot in that time!! I was hoping we would have cracked 100th last year but it's coming!! Ok, enough about that, this show is part two of Mark's adventures to Hawaii....We will do two cocktails on this show for you from there. We need to do some Mai Tai cocktails of course and so we are giving you two versions of Trader Vic's Mai Tai. Now wait a minute Craig, I thought there is one original and all the other are spin offs of that but how can the same man make different versions of his drink? Well, I will tell you, the reason is the rums that he purchased to make the original Mai Tai cocktail were specific rums from specific parts of the Caribbean and through time those rums depleted. So, he had to start all over with new rums and maybe change some of the mixes to compliment those new rums. Also, tourism is a factor in creation of tropical drinks as they want something more main stream and ingredients that they would k

Hi folks,I hope everyone had great holidays this year and some time off of course. Isn't the best thing of the year to end it with family and friends and time to reflect on the year we have had....This episode we will give you two Christmassy recipes for you o try out during this time. I said Christmassy as I don't normal make cocktails that are holiday related. I know you are saying "Craig you are such a Scrooge" but for me I like making cocktails that are not so targeted to a specific holiday but something you can enjoy anytime of the year.So we have the Island Holiday cocktail which is a layered drink and does contain a special liqueur called Midori (or Crème de Menthe dark). Now, we do give you some tips to layering a drink but don't worry if you can't do it as my grandpa would say:" It's all going down the same hole" and so don't sweat it but give a try. Our second cocktail is "Rudolph's Night Off" which I found on Pinterest which I am sorry I don't understand how to use and I guess I'm old school on the

HI guys,So, I know we are cutting it close for the year end to jam a few more shows in for you. This special episode (this is part one of 2) is about Mark's adventures to Hawaii. He finally went back to the oasis he knew so many years ago and re-visited a few places and checked out some new ones as well. He tried out 30 Mai Tai just for research. I know the things he will do for our listeners, what a trooper!!This episode we will talk about two cocktails he experienced there on his journeys: Sand and Sea Cocktail from Rumfire bar and High Maka Mai Tai which I saw in some of the pictures of menus he sent back to me as I enjoyed our cold (burr) weather here. We figured we give you two drinks and one of course has to be a version of Mai Tai which seems to be the Hawaiian trade mark of drinks. We will go further into that in part 2.On Mark's adventures segment, we will be discussing the bar called "La Mariana Sailing Club" which started back in the 50's! Yes, that long it has been around and thank god we see tiki

Hi guys,Long time no show...I know, I know!!!This is one of my favorite shows yearly as we talk about September 19th: "Talk Like A Pirate Day"Rob and Erica Brunner always join us for this show and you maybe be asking why if you ever listen to this show yearly??Well, first off Rob is a Lieutenant Commander of the Canadian Royal Navy (ok that qualifies him for sure), and he is also part of a pirate society association of Canada that does pirate re-enactments and show across the country (ok, now he is very qualified)!!! So I know this show is usually longer than our normal show but when I start talking about pirates then just like Rob and Erica do; I can go on for hours!!! So, we do have a pirate themed drink for you this show called the "the French Pirate" cocktail. We used this drink for several reasons: 1) Cointreau and brandy are related to the French community and of course to piracy on ships,       2) tiki ingredient of Falernum is being used so that is a plus      3) Pusser's rum which was the British nav

Hi guys,Yes, this is been a crazy year and getting shows out has been a challenge at times...I'll work on that but I do have a surprise for you on this episode as Cameron (original co-host) is back for this one and my guinea pigs as well as Mark on some new variations of the summer classic: Mojito.So with the origin, we go through a few of the theories to this drink as some of the classic cocktails wasn't documented well back then as to who create them. We dug deep and came up with a few for you to ponder over: Sir Francis Drake (explorer, pioneer, adventure and yes a pirate) has his men go ashore in Cuba to gather items to create a drink to cure Scurvy and other illnesses; OR Cuban tribes men create the remedy to cure illness and passed it onto new pioneers that came ashore: OR Ernest Hemingway helped a bartender create the cocktail while on his usual stops at the bar. You decide which you think is the right answer....So recipes we do a basic Mojito and don't forget to SMACK your mint for your garnish LOL. W

Hey guys,So we are continuing on our talks with Paola and Justin on their great adventure to Hawaii..Sorry the intro is the same as part one as we only recorded one intro and then decided to split the show into two. But it is worth hearing again. Mark is not a tiki expert according to him just someone who drinks a lot LOL (running joke). And Paola will finally say who our special guests is...Justin!!!On this episode, we will be talking about Justin's favorite drink he had which is the Big Island Iced Tea (a spin off of a traditional Ice Tea cocktail which we will be covering soon). He explains to use the significance of the name to the drink and the islands. Justin also talks about the many Mai Tai's he tried and which one was his favorite. After hearing the ingredients, my mouth watered but sadly we can make it here in North America due to a ingredient special grown in Hawaii only.We get into the Hilton Resort they stayed at and some of the pluses and minus of the resort. I think either way its oasis and wil

Hi guys,I bet you are wondering, where did they go ? Did the show stopped? Where is my drink recipes because I need a drink stat? Well, Lots has happened since our last show and I feel I need to explain (if you want to skip this go to SHOW NOTES BELOW). So around Christmas last year, I got separated and moved to a new apartment. I also had to move the entire liquor cabinet (360 bottles) and the studio to a new location. I then had to move again in May to a new townhouse where I have finally set up shop. Also, the bar scene has been quit a ride with shutdowns and re-openings/staffing/patio season prep and so on...Overall, we are back and I apologize sincerely to our listeners for this massive delay. But we are back and will be bring your new shows more frequently than last year. That said let's go onto the show!!!SHOW Notes:This episode and the next we will be talking to my co-host Paola and her husband and love of her life Justin on their adventures to Hawaii that they took in May. The cocktail to this show i

Hey Folks, Sorry for the delay! I have moved and the studio needed to be reset up again as well as my liquor cabinet as well LOL!This episode we don’t have Paola unfortunately as she is travelling to Hawaii and do some “research” for us and it’s her first time there and so I’m sure she is checking every single tiki bar she can. Mark gave her a list so look forward to seeing what she experienced but that is another show….This episode we are doing a spin off a Pain Killer cocktail. You can go back and check out that episode, but this cocktail is called the Pain Killada (yes, a Pina Colada and Pain Killer combined). It came from a YouTube channel that I follow, and we have mentioned before on the show called “Distinguished Spirits”. This channel is packed full of tiki drinks and tons of history and knowledge on the drinks. Well produced and entertaining as well. I go through some history of the Pain Killer which you must use Navy Pusser’s rum that is trademarked to the drink or its not a Pain Killer. We go throu

Hey guys,We finally got this show out after Lockdown and other obstacles that delayed out show. We are glad to have Paola back on the show after she had to go back to Brazil for family affairs. Today, we will give you two cocktails and also they both have one key ingredient in them. Bali Hai cocktail and Muerto Bali Hai (which is a spin off the original drink). Kahlua liqueur is used in both these drinks as it is National Kahlua Day February 27th. Now, I have a bad experience with this particular liqueur in my past. Do you remember that one spirit or liquor that you stay away from due to some dramatic event that happened with you at a young age. Kahlua is mine!! Listen tot he show to hear just what happened to me.So Bali Hai is a bar we covered previously on Mark's Adventures and has quit the background story. This bar was built originally for a movie crew filming  and needed their own watering hole after a long day of shooting the film. It then was taken apart and transported to Shelter Island, San Diego. Th

Hi guys,So this episode is different than our usual format as we discover all the information and research we do to make the show and get the details you crave to hear. Paola is away on family matters but Mark and I will take you on adventure of our tiki library we both have some of the books that we dig deep into on a weekly basis for our show. We talk about pioneers of tiki in North America to today's version of the tiki bible. We do start of with two recipes for you (what would the show be without drinks). The recipes we are covering are in the very books we are talking about today. I will cover the Jeff Beachbum Berry's The Caribbean cocktail and Mark will cover the Riptide cocktail from the "Minimalist Tiki" book written by Matt Pietrek and Carrie Smith. Both are very tiki as they need crushed ice and one of my favorite ingredients: ginger syrup (Yummy)!!!So here are the books that Mark will cover today:1) Jeff Beachbum Berry's "Sippin' Safari" book: this book is a great book for those who are starting i

Hi Folks,We are doing a special show on the South Pacific Punch and the movie as well. Why South Pacific? This movie back in the 50s and "Blue Hawaii" with Elvis Presley made a major influence on North America culture and international to tiki culture and Polynesian crazy!!!We talk about two cocktails for this show: South Pacific Punch and the Castaway!! Both the drinks are from the Jeff Beachbum Berry "Remixed" book. Jeff is also another influence that brought back tiki to us. These cocktails use a wide range of Caribbean islands and also classic ingredient Falernum. I still have to make mine but if you can get it in the liquor store, I recommend it as it's shelf life last longer. On "Mark's Adventures" segment: we talk about no bar!!???? Yes, we don't talk about a bar but a company that gave all those tiki bars décor we know. Oceania Arts has been around for over 50 years and by the same owners who finally hanging it up for retirement. Robert Van Oosting and LeRoy Schmaltz started carving  Palm Frond masks

Hi guys,  Welcome to 2022 and our season 5 for us now!!! We are so excited about this year as we have dedicated to giving you more shows and more amazing cocktails. We will also be including more interviews from bartenders and tiki experts.   This episode has tons of information and cool facts but an amazing colorful cocktail that you got try. We will be covering the Royal Hawaiian cocktail and details about the hotel as well in Hawaii.   First off, the cocktail is got a Canadian product which is amazing considering this is an international cocktail and so makes me proud to see we are on the international platform on a tiki level. It has a great combination of pineapple juice, orgeat (almond), lime juice and Empress gin (which is a purple colorful floral gin that is not so booze forward). This cocktail definitely tastes tropical and looks colorful as well. Break out your crushed ice bag as you will need it for this cocktail or in Paola's case go to your fridge and grab some crushed ice. Recipe came from Jeff

Hey Guys,Yes we squeezed in our last show of the year...Christmas!!! What a year and we want to thank all of loyal listeners who hanged in there with us through this rough year and we wasn't able to do as many shows as we wanted. But next year, right!!!Surprise for all your loyal listeners from way back...Cameron visits the studio and gives his input on the drinks today since Santa (me wink wink) dropped off a care package to his house. By the way, apparently Cameron likes to be in a onesie enjoying his morning tea outside in the morning LOL!!!Ok, so this is our Christmas show and we are going to talk about shooters. No not guns and ammo shooters but shots. Now, you maybe be asking, Craig is shooters tiki? well no there are not!! In fact, in my research and Mark's knowledge that most tiki bars don't have shooters on the menu. So why are we doing shooters? Well, this time of year and finally this year we was able to have company Christmas parties or friends get togethers...and one of the first things I get ask

Hi Guys,So this is a special episode as we get a special guest joining us to talk about cocktails, cruise ships, martinis and even Martini Airbnb. The shows is a bit lengthy but well worth it as we talk about cocktails and bartending..my two favorite things...well ok...maybe a beach as well...ok two out of three of my favorite things!!!So,  this is a different format to our show then our usual one. Yes, we still are going to talk about drinks of course. One of the cocktails that you might order on a cruise ship is a Miami Vice cocktail. Now, this cocktail is new to me and I'm sure I have had it but Jason goes through exactly what it takes to make one of these delicious tropical drinks that you would find on a cruise ship. It is basically a Pina Colada and a Strawberry Daquiri combined. I thought it would easy with those slushy machines you see at the resort but as Jason tells us that it's difficult drink to make with just blenders as you have to make both drinks and then combine them. But trust me, it is wort

Hi Guys,You ever wonder while listening to our show what its would sound like uncut and just how much editing does Craig do?? Well, due to finally recording live at Paola's house and some laptop experiences getting back to the right sound we ended up with a mono channel recording that I basically can't edit and is a  raw file. I also wasn't being a good sound engineer and was clipping here and there on this recording...now, don't panic as its still a great show and tons of fun we had making it...just my OCD tells me not the best sound quality that I put into the show! We also got back our sound engineer for post (lost due to COVID as he shut down his studio in USA) and so he was able to clean it up more!!!Ok, enough about that..as I say : Let's go onto the show!!!Today's episode is one of my favorite holidays of the year and yes, it is in the fall season which is my favorite season....Day of the Dead is a Mexican celebration that does coincide with Halloween but let's make it clear: it is NOT Mexico's Hallowe

Hey guys,We are back and yes it has been awhile!! Our apologize!!!On this episode we are going to be talking about Daniel Craig's last James Bond movie (No Time to Die) with no spoilers (since Mark hasn't seen it yet)!!!The cocktail we will talk about are the Casino Royale (which is not a James Bond drink be say but a Dale Degroff cocktail) and Vesper (which is from Casino Royale movie which was Daniel Craig's first James Bond movie he did). Both these cocktails are ritzy yes and not tiki (but I do alter one to make it into a tiki cocktail...more about that in the show). Now, who is Dale Degroff you may ask. Well, besides one of my favorite bartenders of all time and inspiration to me. He is also the bartender back in the 70s that took cocktails out of the club scene era it was in with artificial flavors and ingredients and brought it back to real ingredients and layers and excitement in our profession!!! If you think about it, bartenders lost some creditability during the disco era due to clubs and drugs (ye

Hey guys, Not our normal show as there are no drinks but I did put a Craig's Creation cocktail on our site just in case you was in a mood for a new cocktail. This is our annual trivia show where we see if our tiki panel (Paola and Mark) and you was listening to our show all year long and made some notes and this year is just as challenging as the past years.Topics like the Cosmopolitan cocktail, Grog, Mint Julep, Day of the Dead, Don the Beachcomber, Mariano Lucudine, Harry Yee, Cinco de Mayo and so much more...We will help you this year with a hint of what episode each question came from and the cocktail of that show. So, print off the trivia sheets and see if you have what it takes to be tiki god and year champion of trivia. (NOTE: answers are upside down at the bottom of that page). By the way, check out past year's tiki trivia shows as well and see if you know the answers to those ones as well...Triva page link: https://tikicentralcanada.ca/tiki-trivia/By the way, there is no prize for winning but make yo

Hey guys,This show is a little different then our usual show as we do our annual "Talk Like a Pirate" day show with our pirate expert and Canadian Navy Lieutenant Commander Rob Brunner and his wife Erica. Both are part of pirate society here in Canada and their crew called the "Cut and Run". Talk Like a Pirate day is September 19th every year internationally. This show is a bit longer than our usual show but pack full of information and fun facts about pirates!!!So Ahoy, Matey and Shiver me timbers!The cocktail we will be discussing today is called Bumbo (which yes is a rum from our rum tasting show we did that comes from Barbados). This cocktail is a spin off of the Royal Navy Grog which was rationed out each day on British navy ship back in the days!!We give you the history of how "talk Like A Pirate" day started.Bumbo rum! What is it and where does it come from? Listen to find out about this delicious rum!We go through an old school recipe (piracy era) and new school recipe of the Bumbo which has rum, wate