Donn Blog
A deep dive into the history of Donn Beach, Don the Beachcomber restaurants, and all things related to that story. Never-before-seen items from Donn’s personal archives.
Summer Events
Event plans are limited due to my wife's ongoing health battles, but I am working on some things. I plan to have a Donn ot Tiki film screening and book event here in Knoxville, and we are working on one for Chattanooga as well. Hope to add more events soon to my week...
Mug Update: April 22
Sorry for the delay. It was expected the mugs would be ready and picked up at Tiki-A-Go-Go. The mugs are running a bit late. Issues at Eekum Bookum, including having to move to a new production facility, have slowed things a bit. I think they will be finished by the...
Happy Birthday Donn!
https://youtube.com/shorts/l8vfBa7f7kw?feature=share
Upcoming Appearances 2026
Join me at Nor'easter Island February 5th weekend as I get into the history of Don the Beachcomber in LA in the 1930s and the mob, and then the next day I'll cover Donn's life in the 1940s. Donn Beach’s Wars at Home and Abroad: For Donn, the 1940s was a time of...
Don the Beachcomber Secret Ingredients Revealed After a Century
https://youtube.com/shorts/AIEts0sehMc?feature=share Donn's secret ingredients #2, #4, and #7 (also #8!) have been a secret for nearly a century. When he created the Zombie in 1934 (with the help of Cora "Sunny" Sund) he used #4. It was Bob Van Dorpe, first general...
Don the Beachcomber Secret Cocktail Mixers Coming
https://youtube.com/shorts/AIEts0sehMc?feature=share Swanky, in cooperation with BG Reynolds, is producing Don the Beachcomber's secret cocktail mixers. Coming in fall/winter of 2025, the secret ingredients for the Zombie, Nui Nui and others will be available to the...
Happy Birthday Don the Beachcomber – Godfather of Tiki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYGFF2TrAU4&list=PLHyQ4MoyfQhmBalr1Ubq6Tyq7Zn4GYXhj&index=15 The man, the myth, the legend's story continues in 2024 with Swanky's biography, The Donn of Tiki film, and the new Don the Beachcomber restaurants, and much more!
1946 Party of Stars at Don the Beachcomber’s home in Encino
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruSUiX6AmiU&list=PLHyQ4MoyfQhmBalr1Ubq6Tyq7Zn4GYXhj&index=14 Alma Ross, Barbara Britton, Juna Haver, Bob Stack, photographer Paul Hesse, band leader Dave Rose and his girlfriend Betty Bartholomew, and a bit of Frank Morgan, the...
The Gardiners and the Skeltons at Donn’s Full Moon party 1946
The Gardiners and the Skeltons at Donn's Full Moon party 1946 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkpzIRAQ3so&list=PLHyQ4MoyfQhmBalr1Ubq6Tyq7Zn4GYXhj&index=12
Mai-Kai Ladies and Mai-Kai DtB Drinks
The Mai-Kai cocktails are really tweaked Don the Beachcomber cocktails, and some Mariano Licudine originals.
Donn Cooking For Guests Encino 1946
Donn, behind the bar, cooking for guests circa 1946 at his Encino home.
Writer Leonard Lyons on Don the Beachcomber Waikiki 1950
Don the Beachcomber Waikiki 1954 “like a pig-killing festival in Tahiti” – Leonard Lyons
FOLLOW US