Tiki mugs facts for kids
Tiki mugs are special ceramic cups used for drinking cocktails. They first became popular in fun, tropical-themed restaurants and bars called tiki bars. Even though they are called "tiki mugs," they come in many shapes and sizes, and most don't have handles like regular mugs. They often look like things from Polynesian culture, or have tropical, ocean, or old-fashioned designs. People often decorate the drinks served in them with fruit, tiny umbrellas, or swizzle sticks.
Most people only see these mugs in tiki bars. However, some people love to collect them because they are unique and interesting pieces of art.
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The Story of Tiki Mugs
The first "tiki mugs" in the USA were actually ceramic cups shaped like skulls or regular cups with designs of hula girls. Mugs that truly looked like tiki carvings, which many people think of as "real" tiki mugs, didn't arrive in the USA until the late 1950s.
Interestingly, the very first known tiki mug in the world came from New Zealand in 1949. It was part of a collection called Wharetana Ware, which was inspired by Māori culture. This collection included a tiki mug called "Ruru and Weku."
Donn Beach, who is often called the "father of Tiki," didn't actually serve his drinks in ceramic mugs at first. His early menus showed drinks in regular glasses or even in hollowed-out pineapples and green coconuts!
Later, in 1947, Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide showed 30 different containers for drinks. Most were still glass, but four were ceramic. These included a skull mug, a scorpion bowl, a kava bowl, and a tall Fog Cutter mug with island scenes. Over time, more ceramic mugs were used, and some even had the name of the tiki bar on them.
Mugs shaped like the famous statues from Easter Island (moai) became very common. This was partly because of the popular Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947 and the book Aku-Aku in 1957. No one is completely sure who made the very first true tiki-shaped mug.
While some tiki mugs tried to look exactly like real tiki carvings, many others just had a general "tiki" feel to them. Mugs with Asian themes also became popular, used for drinks like the Karate Punch. Some mugs even became famous because of the drinks they served, like the scorpion bowl.
In the 1960s, companies like Holland Mold Inc. started selling molds so people could make and decorate their own tiki mugs at home. For a while, these old mugs were easy to find in junk shops. But then, people started to get interested in tiki culture again, and these vintage mugs became very popular and valuable. Some old tiki mugs are now worth thousands of dollars!
Different Sizes of Mugs
While some tiki mugs are just for one person, much bigger ones are used for drinks meant to be shared. A scorpion bowl (also called a kava bowl or tarantula bowl) is a large ceramic bowl where several people can drink together using straws.
A fun variation is the flaming volcano bowl. This mug has a raised part in the middle that looks like a volcano crater. This crater is usually filled with a small amount of strong rum and carefully lit on fire, making the drink look very exciting!
Large shells or ceramic mugs shaped like shells are also sometimes used for shared drinks, like the Chin Tiki Special. The Mr. Bali Hai mug even comes with a lid that has two holes for multiple straws, perfect for sharing.
Who Made Them?
Even though some people still make tiki mugs at home, big companies have made many of them for restaurants and bars to use as souvenirs. The two biggest companies that made a lot of these mugs were Orchids of Hawaii and the Otagriri Mercantile Company (OMC). Other smaller companies included Daga and Westwood, and most of these mugs were made in Japan or Taiwan.
Sometimes, mugs had stickers or numbers to show who made them, but many were plain. Some designs were even copied from other companies. While some copied mugs weren't very good quality, others were just as nice as the originals.
In the 1990s and again from 2008 onwards, there was a "tiki revival." This led to new versions of old-style mugs and also new designs that used modern ceramic techniques. Custom tiki mugs also started to be used for advertising outside of traditional tiki bars. For example, there was a mug for the online show Tiki Bar TV, and even a whole set of Star Wars-themed tiki mugs!
Newer Tiki Mug Designs
While classic Polynesian and ocean themes are still popular, newer tiki mugs are becoming much more varied than the old designs from Orchids of Hawaii and OMC.
You can now find mugs shaped like real people or characters, such as Don Ho, Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, and even Magnum P.I..
Because tiki culture has links to drinks like the Zombie and old skull-shaped mugs, many "monster"-themed mugs have also become popular.
Similarly, tiki's connection to "Atomic" drinks and names like "Test Pilot" led to mugs shaped like rocket ships and old science fiction robots, with fun names like "Tron the Beachcomber."
As tiki culture became more popular, almost any unique ceramic mug started to be called a "tiki" mug. This sometimes caused a bit of disagreement among people who preferred the traditional designs.
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