This flashback is originally from May, 2009.  

It was just a matter of time till Sunshine entangled his love for Star Trek into the Zen Tiki Lounge.  Just back from seeing the new Star Trek movie, Sunshine has lots to say while Pumpkin is off on her usual tangents.  This entire episode was recorded from the bridge of the NCC1701. Fire up that food replicator, we are synthesizing cocktails as fast as we can drink them.  It's choose your own cocktail this week, much like the old series of books...choose wisely.  Another hot topic this week is very sweet.  Simple syrup isn't the only bar sweetner out there, try honey orange syrup, organic orgeat or maybe fresh made lime syrup.  All perfect for a Spring/Summer cocktail.  Make one, make them all.  Your guests will know you mean business with your booze.  We also give you a few more reasons to hate Oprah and Marth Stewart, perfect.

An apology for all the unnecessary sound effects, but Pumpkin learned how to use the sound buttons.

Listening to this episode all these years later makes it clear how far we have come. References to our myspace fans and the newness of twitter sounds nuts nowadays.

Also out of date is our Las Vegas recommendations. Several of our top picks are long gone. Farwell to the Mirage volcano and Parasol Down to name a few.

What a fun episode do we have for you. While at Tiki Calienete, Neighbor Nicole met some new friends and they conspired to give her a makeover in the Zen Tiki Lounge. Hena Moon and The Isis of Tiki journeyed to ZTL to help Nicole add some color to her usual all black attire. But first…ZTL Mai Tais and some lovely snacks. The Isis of Tiki who is a personal chef brought amazing and tender beef skewers with sambal sauce and some vegan fried rice. Sunshine cooked his favorite appetizer, Hawaiian Bruschetta.

Below is the transformation. Nicole started in her usual spandex black house attire. Over the next 90 minutes, The Isis of Tiki and Hena Moon lent their fabulous wardrobes to give Nicole more than a few new looks. Which is your favorite?

Some shots in the lounge while recording this episode. Several cocktails later…well, you can listen to find out.

If you downloaded this episode on 6/1/25, the wrong sound file was attached. Please download again beginning 6/2/25. Sue us! ;)

On this episode of ZTL podcast you will hear Kalani say “Im just one colonoscopy away from being free of these pesky Dr’s visits”. Plus! We are sipping on a ZTL Mai Tai and catching up on the last few weeks of shenanigans. Plenty of listener mail, our own podcast listening recommendations, geriatric intercourse and so much more.

Below our some of the pics from our recent visit to Hula Hula in Torrance, CA. Starshine had been telling us we need to try Hula Hula and we are glad we did. Listen to our review of this fun South Bay tiki bar. Great drinks, atmosphere and that wonderful dim lighting we all want to be surrounded by.

Click for wristbands, and don’t dilly dally, the event is almost sold out as of 3/1/25

Listen to Science Friday

Shag with a Twist opened in Las Vegas back in 2008 and has had limited engagements around the US since then.

Get the music on itunes

Each year all of the ZTL hosts gather in the lounge for the annual holiday spectacular. Sunshine, Pumpkin, Starshine and Kalani are all here for some festive mirth and shenanigans. Sunshine mixes up the Coquito and a few of our favorite ZTL cocktails. We enjoy vegan snacks in honor of Pumpkin, Starshine reveals a dark secret and Kalani shares her chocolate balls.

Follow the links below to try some of our favorite winter cocktails. Start by making Sushines’s Very Spicy rum and them move on down the list.

Click the links and mix up any or all of these holiday libations:

Coquito

Better Buttered Rum

Island Fruit Cake

Dirty Christmas Punch

Sunshines Very Spicy Rum

There is not softer tiki t-shirt out there. We love tiki bar t-shirt club. The perfect gift

On a recent voyage around the Caribbean, Sunshine, The Husband and a few friends put a few minutes aside to record a podcast at sea. Sunshine is joined by Emmy award winning news personality (he really is a personality) Jordan Hogan. Some of our best shows come from little prep and lots of tangents. This episode may be one of those. We discuss: cruising (the ship kind you perv), cocktails, social anxiety at parties, certainly no politics ;), meeting people onboard, how to win an Emmy and much more.

9north drinks and rum

Circa Caliente

Full details and pictures will be added shortly

Let’s start with the cocktail. On this episode we are drinking ABBAstract, a concoction we developed using 9north Rum. We highly recommend you mix this up at home. 9north is become more available, especially in the SoCal area. You can order from Chips Liquor, and their shipping prices are pretty decent.

Mentioned on this episode are two places the ladies like to get their retro clothing. Kalani and Nicole recommend Unique Vintage and Retro Ruthie. If you need that perfect dress for the weekend, try Unique Vintage. For customers aloha shirts and skirts…Retro Ruthie.

Also on this episode, a new tune from Mr. Moai and the Tikiheads, featuring both Mark Riddle and Kane Manakoora of The Manakooras to bring you, "Tahitian Twilight."

As of this posting, there are just a few dozen wristbands left for Circa Caliente. This is the biggest, smallest tiki event in Palm Springs and the place to be this October.

Click the image and get your tiki bar t-shirt club…we love them and we wear them!

Pumpkin is in the lounge with Sunshine and it’s Summer. That means blendy drinks! Our version of Missionaries Downfall stays pretty close to the classic, but switches out honey with agave syrup to make it vegan, and adds a bit more rum to punch it up a bit. Pumpkin sucked down two of these quickly in the first half of the show. This drink alone is reason enough to plant some mint in the Spring and Summer. You will gladly use it all.

Sunshine and Pumpkin discuss candle tips part 2, why mojitos aren’t so great, the demise of The Mirage Las Vegas, Rhumbar says good bye, Aloha to the volcano, and other shenanigans.

We don’t just promote them, we wear them. so soft and tikitastic

On this episode we are drinking The Diane. Click on this AI generated image to get the recipe and the story. It’s a perfect summer libation with actual “nutrition”.

Here in the lounge we talk about our favorite event on half of our podcasts. Well, its sold out as usual, BUT, you may still be able to attend. Are you a female between 37 and 50 years of age? Can you be at the event? Would like a wristband with one small harmless catch? Listen to this episode to find out how. We promise, no stranger danger. It’ll be fun and you get to be on the podcast.

If you are attending Tiki Caliente 15, you won’t want to miss our annual room party. This year for the first time we will be the kick off party on Thursday night. Tiki Chance On Me smashes ABBA and Tiki together in ways we aren’t even sure how to explain. As always the drinks and music will be just what you need to start a wonderful TC weekend.

Tiki Mirage, the moving tiki bar in the back of a truck. Starshine and the Surfing Samurai booked seats in Tiki Mirage and give a review of the bar in a truck. The decor, aroma and drinks were all highly recommended by both of them. Listen for their full review and more details.

We hope to have some new rum friends here at ZTL. Sunshine is speaking with the team at 9 North Rum and hope to be sharing them with you at Tiki Caliente this May. Take a look at their info and follow the instagram page for all the details. 9 North offers an aged silver, dark spiced and an aged. We just got some bottles of the silver and spiced. The Blanca is a lovely sweet and auricle aroma with some nice fruit flavors and lightly sweet feel. The Especiado or spiced is not your usual holiday spiced rum. (I said that, not like mine at all) This spiced option is very smooth, a little overproof and a complex blend of not your mothers spiced rum. Its unique, floral and citrusy, maybe some chocolate…there’s a lot going on there. Listen to episode 476 for some tasting notes and a first ZTL cocktail made with 9 north rum.

Soft! Tiki! Cleans up Mai Tai spills! You need tiki bar T-shirt club shirts. A new one each month. We wear them and swear by them. Click the image!