The Leeward Lounge has been moved!

I have some good news. The Leeward Lounge has been remodeled and moved to it's own website.

Please check it out at http://theleewardlounge.com/

Login and pull up a stool. I'll see you there!

-Finkdaddy

Ohana and Other Delights

Whew!! What a couple of crazy weeks that was! FOMCon and Ohana, back to back, were the two most amazing events I've ever been to. Good friends, old and new, great bands, terrific drinks, and of course, jack-assery, tom-foolery, and damn-fool-boobery, were all present in abundance. It took me most of this week to catch up on my sleep and rehydrate! My wife and I are already planning around next years trip. Pom Fie!!

So, the main reason for this post is to point out, to myself as well as you out there reading this, is that professionally, there is nothing I would rather do than create my art. There is no greater feeling that to have a person come up to me, wide-eyed and jaw open, when they see a new piece I've created. And when they love it enough to want to wear it, or put it on display in their homes for everyone to see, it fulfills me in a way that is hard to describe.

And so, dear reader, just know that I have lots of new and unique ideas in the works and The Leeward Lounge will, hopefully, take off in some new and exciting directions. It may take a bit of time, but as far as I'm concerned, it's the only way my life can go at this point.

What I am asking of you is simply to have your support. Not just to buy things from me (although that would be nice!), but to view this site and comment on what you see. I need you to sign on as a follower of the blog to increase my size in the cyber-world, and most of all I need you to tell people about me.

Put a tiki or two in your work cubicle. Dare to wear an aloha shirt on casual Friday. Learn to mix a real Trader Vic's Mai Tai. Invite friends over and listen to new and classic exotica artists like Martin Denny, Arthor Lyman, or WaiTiki. Visit your local tiki-friendly bars and restaurants as much as possible. In other words, light the torch of wonder inside you and use it to escape, even if only for a short while, to your own place of mystery and peace. Others will follow, so guide them and enjoy their company.

This will be a long ride to distant shores, so bring enough rum and limes and don't forget your uke!

Finkdaddy

Custom Tiki Chess Set

Aloha!

This has been a long time in the works, but the first one is finally finished! This is only a prototype so I could decide on colors, so the final run may differ slightly from what you see here.

It's tricky to see in the pics, but the hula girl Queen has painted red lips, and the fez wearing King has a subtly painted fez, a goatee, and flowers on his aloha shirt. The board that comes with the set is made from oak and has four slide resistant feet on the bottom.

If anyone is interested in purchacing one, please leave me a comment here or send me an email and I'll make sure you get one. I am asking $200 plus shipping for the whole set with the board.

Thanks for looking!

My Newest Seahorse

Good Morning everyone. I was at a wedding last night for my wife's cousin so I'm feeling a bit "off" this morning, if you catch my drift. ;)

  There is a lot of things I have to finish up today, like braiding chords and such. There is only a week until my next show, so I want to make sure I'm not scrambling to do these things at the last moment. After that's all finished I will see how much carving I can do between then and the day I leave.

 

Here is a Seahorse that I finished up a couple of nights ago. I'm not sure what type of wood it is, but it is very dense and heavy. I know this will sound funny, but while I was carving it, the wood smelled like chocolate and bacon!

 

Have a good Sunday everyone,

 

Fink

Roaring Dan's Rum

I was recently introduced to Rehorst Gin and Vodka, both of which are made here in Milwaukee at Rehorst Distilleries.

Last week they started selling Roaring Dan's Rum and I just bought my first bottle a few minutes ago. So, I thought I might do a tasting, right here, right now!

First of all, the bottle. I love the flip-style top on it. It sort of gives it some character, like some of those old beer bottles from the '50s. The simple lable with a nautical theme are very cool too.

Here is a picture and some text that I lifted from their website:

"Roaring Dan's Rum is distilled from fermented grade "A" sugar cane molasses. Before a second distillation, pure Wisconsin maple syrup is added. The rum is then aged in a combination of new charred American white oak barrels and used bourbon barrels. The hint of maple we add gives Roaring Dan's Rum a buttery sweetness on palette entry followed by a dry finish. Try it straight up or in your favorite mixer. Be sure to check our cocktail database for some great rum cocktails.

Who was Roaring Dan?

All rum's need a pirate. Our's is no exception. Our pirate is Roaring Dan Seavey. Unlike some of those other rum pirates Dan didn't wear feathers and knee britches. He didn't have a boat load of thugs to do his dirty work and he sure doesn't have an expensive marketing company plastering his face in every bar and liquor store in the free world. No Madison Avenue types have ever even heard of Dan, but you can be sure Dan was all pirate.

Dan didn't ply the Caribbean, his home was on the Great Lakes. Although the facts and fiction of Dan's life have become twisted over the years, we do know Dan was the only man ever arrested for piracy on the Great Lakes.

Dan owned a saloon and brothel in Milwaukee and left to join the Alaskan gold rush only to return to the Great Lakes broke.

In 1908 Dan stole a ship- the Nellie Johnson by getting the captain and crew drunk.

The Tuscarrora, a government Revenue Cutter based in Milwaukee was sent to pursue Dan and eventually captured him after firing a warning shot from their cannon.

After being taken to Chicago to face charges Dan was released and later charges were mysteriously dropped.

Classic Wisconsin has a great article on Dan Seavey.

Roaring Dan's Rum is flavored with 100% pure maple syrup from Anderson's Maple Syrup in Cumberland WI.

Roaring Dan's Maple Flavored Rum Contains 45% Alcohol By Volume (90 Proof)."



Quite an interesting story, no?



I poured about 2 ounces in a mai tiai glass and gave it a once over. It is light-amber in color and very clear. For a young rum it had suprisingly good legs on the glass. The nose is a bit strong at first, but lingers a long time with hints of vanilla and butterscotch (at least to my nose).

The initial taste is very pleasant, but get's very hot quickly. I suppose that might be what you'd expect from a young rum. The finish, however, is quite nice. The bottle says it is "Maple Flavored", but I was only able to percieve the slightest maple flavor, and that might have only been because I was expecting it. To me it tastes very buttery, which I love. Keep in mind, I'm no expert by any stretch.
 
I'll be making some Mai Tais tonight, so I'll post some recipes and reviews again very soon.
 
A toast to Captain Seavey! Arrrrrrrrgh!!

Big Lizzie

Here is another piece that will be at Ohana this month. It's a lizard framed inside bamboo and hibiscus flowers. I should explain that it is entirely out of one piece of Abezia wood. While it looks as if the "bamboo" is tied together at the corners, it is all one continuous carving.

Mahalo!

Mysterious Surfer Girl

Aloooooha!

This is the latest installment of my Hula-Girl series. This mysterious lady loves to catch waves on her zebra wood surfboard. I wonder if she looses the hula skirt before going in the water?

She will be making an appearance at Ohana later this month. Don't miss it!