Bootlegger Tiki in Palm Springs Debuts New Cocktail Menu Worthy of Your Instagram

T he 1950s orange Tiki torches sticking out of the roof, the dolphin-shaped door handles, the glowing-red blowfish lamps, the thatched walls (fireproofed), the squiggly colorful straws, the mugs shaped like a cobra … all are delightfully kitschy. Beyond the Tiki trappings, the cocktails and the vibe at Bootlegger Tiki are sophisticated while still playful. “Sometimes people think Tiki cocktails are a really sugary piña colada on the beach,” says Geo Louis, the bar’s new owner. “It’s a lot more complex and interesting. We take our cocktail program seriously.” Bootlegger Tiki, in downtown Palm Springs’ Uptown Design District, has been around since 1953, first as a desert outlet of the original Don the Beachcomber bar in Hollywood. Donn Beach (born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt), who built the original bar in 1934 and turned it into a franchise, was as complex as the cocktails and South Seas–inspired culture he popularized in the U.S. Beach was also a bootlegger during Prohibition, world traveler, host to Hollywood celebrities, and businessman. Bootlegger Tiki still serves drinks developed by Beach like the Zombie, a mix of rum, citrus, and spices.
Read More