Photo: Oakland North
You’ll recall the burning down of rowdy, inflatable-frog-topped tiki bar Tiki Tom’s, on the estuary in Oakland last month. Well, now Oakland North has done an in-depth piece on the role Oakland played in the dawn of tiki, beginning with Hinky Dink’s, the saloon at 6500 San Pablo Avenue where Vic Bergeron “put the finishing touches” on what became tiki culture in 1934. It’s also where he invented the Mai Tai, which was named the official drink of the city of Oakland in 2009. There’s even a t-shirt: “Oakland, home of the Mai Tai, not just the drive-by.”
After the fire, Oakland’s love of tiki burns on [Oakland North]
