What’s in a name? That which we call a Mai Tai by any other name tastes just as sweet. Or should it? These are the questions Ryley and Ellie get into with this week’s guest, Kevin Crossman, Mai Tai connoisseur and author of In Search of the Ultimate Mai Tai. This week’s artist spotlight features Will Fugate from Tiki Classics and Katiki Mugs.

Kevin Crossman’s interest in tiki spans nearly three decades beginning in the 90s when the music that sets the mood for our tiki backdrop was making a revival of its own. As he bridged the gap between exotic sounds and tiki bars, he did as the tikiphiles do and ordered himself a Mai Tai. While those first Mai Tais were lackluster, Trader Vic’s (home of the original Mai Tai) opened his eyes to a world of possibilities. With the rise of the internet, Kevin found himself dabbling in website creation and blog writing. This interest in the early days of the internet melded well with his thirst for a well made Mai Tai. UltimateMaiTai.com was born and Crossman began blogging about the his travels and Mai Tai taste-testing. As the site grew, so did the breadth of his writing. He expanded beyond simply Mai Tai reviews to tiki bar reviews, history of the Mai Tai, and even prose about other famous tiki cocktails and related subjects. With so much knowledge and passion, it’s easy to see why he’s earned the moniker, Mr. Mai Tai. 

You can find him on Facebook by his name and on Instagram @KevinCrossman and @ultimatemaitai. His website ultimatemaitai.com has all of his Mai Tai related adventures and rankings. 

Will Fugate is an artist who admits he can’t even draw a stick figure. Despite his proclaimed lack of artistic abilities, Will has made a line of amazing tiki mugs, lamps, carvings and more. And these are no mere amateur artworks. Will’s passion for classic tiki imagery, decor, style, and culture can be seen in each of his creations. With the push of a friend, Will jumped feet first into the artistic world of tiki and did what any rational person would do— he bought a kiln. Most of his mugs are handmade by Will with all the attention to detail and passion one could expect from a master artist. In an effort to bring more ideas to fruition than his two hands could sculpt, he started the Katiki mug line which maintain the love of classic tiki design while allowing factory produced mugs to bring them to the masses at a price point that can’t be beat. In all he does— mugs and beyond, Will is a tiki lover and artist through and through, despite any doubts he originally had. 

You can find Will on Instagram @tiki_classics, @katikimugs, and @jaytaolavalounge. Check out his website tikiclassics.com to buy his tiki mugs, lamps, and other great creations. 

Thank you for joining us on The Tiki Talk Show. If you are interested in being interviewed or highlighted as our artist spotlight, send us an email at [email protected].

As always, you can find us on Instagram @konacove_hometikibar or our now show specific page @thetikitalkshow!

-Ryley and Ellie