Born Feb. 22, 1907, Donn Beach, born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, would be 117 if alive today. A Texas native, Gantt traveled the Caribbean and South Pacific.
The Golden Tiki, Las Vegas’ world-famous premier tiki bar, has announced the return of the annual celebration for Don The Beachcomber’s birthday. Don The Beachcomber Day will feature a platoon of Las Vegas’ best bartenders paying tribute with two classic cocktails for $8 each (limit 2 per guest):
- Donn’s Original 1956 Zombie: Created by Donn Beach in the 1930s, the Zombie is tiki’s most infamous cocktail – a layered blend of rums, citrus, spice and a high-proof float so strong, it once came with a two-drink limit. TGK is featuring Don’s bold 1956 version served with its signature garnish of cherries and fresh mint.
- Donn’s Original Q.B. Cooler: Created by Donn Beach and named for the WWII “Quiet Birds” air platoon, the Q.B. Cooler is a vibrant mix of rums, citrus, honey, ginger and spice flash-blended and topped with soda for a bright, layered finish. Legend says it was the drink Trader Vic Bergeron tried to re-create when he introduced the Mai Tai in 1944.
Guests are encouraged to dress in classic Aloha shirts and tiki wear.
When: All day Sunday, Feb. 22, and Monday, Feb. 23
Where: The Golden Tiki, 3939 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas (Chinatown)
Admission: Free for anyone 21+. Reservations recommended. Free parking.
Why: Donn Beach’s birthday is like July 4th and Christmas rolled into one for tiki enthusiasts, and The Golden Tiki never misses a chance to celebrate the godfather of tiki.
Born Feb. 22, 1907, Donn Beach, born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, would be 117 if alive today. A Texas native, Gantt traveled the Caribbean and South Pacific, briefly working as a bootlegger before opening the original Don’s Beachcomber in Hollywood in 1933.
He is credited with creating cocktails including the Zombie, Tahitian Rum Punch, one version of the Mai Tai and the Navy Grog (Gantt was a Major in the Air Force), among many others. Eventually, he would create the Polynesian Villages and original International Marketplace in Waikiki; be instrumental in the careers of Martin Denny, Alfred Apaka and Arthur Lyman; and see a string of Don The Beachcomber bars and restaurants open across the U.S. (although he did not retain ownership).
He said his final aloha in 1989.
Main caption: Ernest Gantt (later Donn Beach) serving at the original Hollywood Don The Beachcomber’s.
