Welcome to Wayward Spirits

Our Purpose

Wayward Spirits is your personal guide to all things tiki and tropical!  

During the Golden Age of Tiki (1930s-1970s), tropical-themed cocktail bars and restaurants could be found in abundance in cities across the US.  However, this Hollywood-born craze came to an abrupt halt in the 1980s after being declared déclassé, and lay dormant until its recent resurgence in popular culture.

With a tiki revival currently in full swing, Wayward Spirits is here to help you rediscover the sights, senses, and tastes from this nostalgic era, and provide our personal recommendations and expertise on the best exotic cocktail recipes, bars, restaurants, and travel destinations.

Here are the types of articles you will find on this blog:

• Cocktail Recipes – Including ingredients, brand recommendations, and steps for crafting some of the very best tiki cocktails (both traditional and new age).  We also provide our own Wayward Spirits twist and suggestions for customizing the cocktail
• Tiki Bar/ Restaurant Reviews – In-depth reviews and photos from some of the best modern tiki bars (predominantly on the west coast)
• Travel Guides – Occasional op-ed guides to the best tropical travel destinations, providing suggestions on when to go, where to stay, and what to do while visiting
• Product Suggestions – Advice for building your own tiki bar at home, including glassware, barware, rums, ingredients, garnishes, music, décor, and more

Our Rating System

Our rating system is a simple 5-star scale (similar to Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc.) 
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5 stars represents something we “LOVE”, and 1 star represents something we “LOATHE ENTIRELY”.  We assign half point scores as well (i.e. 4.5 stars), especially for tougher decisions.

About the Author, John Enoch

​My name is John Enoch, and I’m a professional relaxer, escapist traveler and self-discovered tiki cocktail and bar fanatic.  From an early age, I was drawn to the allure of tropical destinations - especially Polynesia, Cook Islands, Tonga, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Central and South America.  

​In my free time, I enjoy traveling to these exotic locations, frequenting well-themed tiki bars, or perfecting cocktails using rums, ingredients, and flavors from around the world.  When I’m is not working on perfecting a cocktail recipe, I work as a Strategy Director at Hall & Partners, a boutique market research consultancy in Los Angeles, CA. 

As a consultant, I have the pleasure of traveling the globe, meeting people from various backgrounds and cultures, and helping brands develop better products and more meaningful relationships with consumers.  Over the past 8 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with companies from a variety of industries, including dining and alcohol, hospitality, entertainment, technology, and gaming.  

My work in foreign countries has furthered my appreciation for the unknown (and unfamiliar), which is central to my love of tiki and exotic cocktails, bars, and travel.

​Hope you enjoy the Wayward Spirits Blog!  Visit the About Me page to get in contact with me, or leave a comment below.

John Enoch, Founder of Wayward Spirits