A Cocktail of the Old School, History & ‘Subcultural Appropriation’

The Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas known for the sounds of heavy riffs, is tagging in high-proof rums this month, offering a unique fusion of tropical escapism and punk rock ethos. On Wednesday, June 19th, the museum will host an exclusive Tiki Cocktail Workshop, providing a spirited, hands-on experience that dives deep into the history of one of cocktail culture’s most theatrical and misunderstood genres.

The event serves as the perfect pairing to the museum’s current art exhibit, “Subcultural Appropriation,” a fascinating exploration of the shared, rebellious roots of Punk Rock and Tiki Culture, both of which exploded out of Southern California in the 1980s as a vibrant middle finger to the era’s mainstream values.

The workshop, kicking off at 6:30 PM on June 19th, invites guests to learn the secrets behind classic tiki cocktails from an expert mixologist. Attendees will not only receive general admission to the museum but will also be treated to a flight of four sample-sized tiki drinks, one full-sized cocktail, and a branded tumbler to take home. It’s a chance to go beyond the brightly colored umbrellas and discover the complex history behind these potent concoctions.

That history begins not in Polynesia, but in Hollywood. In 1933, a charismatic young entrepreneur named Ernest Gantt, who had traveled the South Pacific, opened a small bar called “Don’s Beachcomber.” He decorated it with artifacts from his travels, creating an immersive, transportive environment that offered an escape from post-Prohibition America. Gantt, who later legally changed his name to Donn Beach, became the founding father of tiki culture. He invented a new category of “Rhum Rhapsodies,” meticulously crafting exotic cocktails like the Zombie and the Tahitian Rum Punch with a secret blend of rums and spices that he famously coded to keep his recipes safe from competitors.

This spirit of creating an alternate reality—a feral, rum-soaked paradise in defiance of the mundane—is the surprising thread that connects tiki to punk. The “Subcultural Appropriation” exhibit brilliantly captures this shared ethos. Where punk rockers in the 80s channeled their rage against Reaganomics and capitalism into raw, cathartic energy, tiki offered its own form of liberation through tropical fantasy. Both movements celebrated a more authentic, less puritanical existence.

The exhibit features an incredible lineup of ten artists who bridge these two worlds, including the iconic lowbrow artist Shag, whose stylish, vibrant works are synonymous with tiki revival; master tiki carver Bamboo Ben; and renowned artists like Doug Horne, Ken Ruzic, Candy, Dave Warshaw, Matt Reese, Thomas Fernandez, Dirk Vermin, and BigToe. Their work synthesizes punk’s DIY spirit with tiki’s exoticism, creating a visual dialogue that is both rebellious and enchanting. The show, which runs through the end of June, offers a chance to own a piece of this unique cultural collision, with show art and new tiki-themed merchandise available for purchase.

While the neon glow of Las Vegas might seem worlds away from a Pacific Northwest basement show, this convergence of punk and tiki at The Punk Rock Museum offers a compelling reason for a summer pilgrimage. It’s an invitation to understand that rebellion comes in many forms—sometimes it’s a three-chord thrash, and sometimes it’s a perfectly balanced, rum-heavy cocktail.

Spots for the Tiki Cocktail Workshop on June 19th are limited. Tickets can be reserved through The Punk Rock Museum’s official website.