About the Author
Tim “Swanky” Glazner
Along with being the author of the book Mai-Kai: History & Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant and forthcoming Searching for Don the Beachcomber, Tim “Swanky” Glazner is co-founder and organizer of The Hukilau, the second largest and second oldest Tiki event in the world. He is associate producer of the documentary film about Donn’s life “The Donn of Tiki” to be released in early 2024. He created the first Tiki carving seminar “Coon Tiki” located in the Smoky Mountains. He is an expert in Tiki drinks and the creator of the Grogalizer, a popular Tiki cocktail website/app which helps people make recipes from various books. He has produced a line of Tiki mugs under license with the Mai-Kai, and he is the official historian of the Mai-Kai.
He is an avid fan of Midcentury culture and Tiki is a big part of that passion.
Upcoming events:
- October 18th, 2026 – Trader Vic’s Atlanta anniversary – Vending
- November 6-7th, 2026 – Tiki Fever – Sarasota, FL – Presenting, guest bartending, vending
- November 17th. 2026 – Max’s South Seas – Grand Rapid’s MI – Vending
- January 22-23rd, 2026 – Inuhele Winter Break – Vending
- TBA – Adrift – Denver, CO – Vending
- December 28th – Mai-Kai – Fort Laduerdale, FL – Speaking and vending – tentative
- April 2-4th, 2027 – Tiki-a-Go-Go – Orlando, FL – Speaking and vending
Past appearances:
- September 12th, 2026 – Infernohana – Indianapolis, IN – Speaking and vending
- July 19th, 2026 – The Donn of Tiki at Tales of the Cocktail – New Orleans, LA – Speaking, vending
- July 23rd, 2026 4-5:30 PM – Navy Strength – Seattle, WA – Book sales
- July 23rd, 2026 7:30-9 PM – Devil’s Reef – Tacoma, WA – Book sales
- July 24th, 2026 4-5:30 PM – Dark Harbor – Long Beach, WA – Book Event
- July 24th, 2026 7-8:30 PM – Dead Man’s Isle – Astoria, OR
- July 26th, 2026 – NW Tiki Marketplace – Vancouver, WA – Vending
- July 27th, 2026 5:30 PM – Rum Club – Portland, OR – Book event with a special Happy Hour.
- July 30th, 2026 6-7:30 PM – Hale Pele – Portland, OR – Book event
- July 31st, 2026 5-6:30 PM – The Monkey’s Paw – Springfield, OR – Book event
- August 6-9, 2026 – Tiki Oasis – San Diego, CA – Presenting, vending with Don the Beachcomber
- June 4-7th, 2026 – Hukilau‘s 25th Anniversary – Presentation and vending and Cannibal Mugs!
- February 5-8, 2026 – Nor’Easter Island – Sturbridge, MA – Presenting on Donn Beach in the 1930s and 40s.
- March 27-29, 2026 – Tiki-a-Go-Go, Orlando, FL- Presentation on Don the Beachcomber, Book premier, Book mug premier, Cocktail mixers premier
- June 5-6, 2025 – Hukilau – Fort Lauderdale, FL
- April 4-6, 2025 – Tiki-a-Go-Go, Orlando, FL- Presentation on Don the Beachcomber and the Mai-Kai
- Fall/Winter 2024 – Mai-Kai Reopening, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- January 24th 2025 – Inuhele Atlanta, GA – Presentation on Don the Beachcomber
- April 5th 2024 – Tiki-A-Go-Go, Orlando FL – Presentations on the Mai-Kai and Don the Beachcomber
- April 13th 2024 – Florida Film Festival, Orlando, FL – Premier of The Donn of Tiki with pop-up bar by Don the Beachcomber with Marie King.
- Swanky’s NPR interview about the Mai-Kai
- Swanky appears in and helped with this PBS documentary about Tiki
- Swanky in a TV show about Southern Tiki Bars
Swanky’s other websites:
The Free Tiki Drink App
If it’s Swank…
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