Exotic Cocktail club of New Orleans
The Exotic Cocktail Club of New Orleans: How a Club of One Became a Full-Blown Tiki Tribe
The Exotic Cocktail Club of New Orleans wasn't launched with a strategic plan, a mission statement, or even a second member.
In fact, around 2015, it wasn't really a club at all.
It was just me.
Back then, it was known as the Mid-City Exotic Cocktail Club, primarily because it was located in scenic Mid-City New Orleans and because "club" sounded much more impressive than what was actually happening, which was mostly one guy making tiki drinks in his backyard bar and occasionally talking about them to anyone willing to listen.
For years, my good friend Brian repeatedly suggested that perhaps membership should be expanded beyond its current roster of one. He would point out that most successful clubs have at least two members and that having conversations with yourself was generally viewed as a warning sign.
I remained unconvinced.
Expanding membership sounded suspiciously like work. There would be coordination, planning, and worst of all... people expecting me to be organized.
Then came that little inconvenience known as COVID.
Suddenly everyone had something they hadn't possessed in years: free time. Lots of it.
With nowhere to go and plenty of cocktails left to explore, I made a bold organizational decision. Membership would officially double.
Brian was admitted into the club.
The Board of Directors unanimously approved the move.
Of course, the Board consisted of the same two people.
Around that same time, my good friend Trevor was navigating lockdown life from Toronto, Canada. Like many of us, he was looking for something fun and uplifting to distract him from the daily routine of pandemic life. What started as a few virtual cocktail conversations quickly evolved into something much bigger.
Every Tuesday night, for twenty-five consecutive weeks, we went live on Instagram.
The concept was simple. I would "teach" Trevor how to make tiki cocktails. The quotation marks around "teach" are intentional because these sessions often involved equal amounts of education, improvisation, troubleshooting, rum consumption, and laughter.
What we accidentally discovered was that people were hungry for connection, storytelling, and a little tropical escapism.
Week after week, people tuned in to learn about classic exotic cocktails, forgotten ingredients, tiki history, rum traditions, and the art of building drinks that could transport you to faraway islands without ever leaving your home.
Those twenty-five weeks became the catalyst.
What had started as a club of one suddenly began attracting a community.
The vision expanded beyond simply enjoying exotic cocktails. It became a gathering place for people who appreciated the rich culture surrounding tiki and tropical escapism. Not just the drinks, but the music, the history, the design, the craftsmanship, the travel, the storytelling, and the sense of adventure that comes with discovering a hidden tiki bar tucked away in an unexpected corner of the world.
Today, the Exotic Cocktail Club of New Orleans (ECCNO) is an eclectic collection of some of the most fascinating people you'll ever meet. The membership includes cocktail professionals, authors, distillers, rum collectors, exotica music experts, bartenders, historians,, and enthusiastic amateurs who simply enjoy a well-crafted drink and a good story.
Each month, members gather to share presentations, taste rare rums, sample classic and modern exotic cocktails, exchange travel stories, and celebrate the culture that has brought us together. On any given night, a presentation might explore the history of a lost Caribbean cocktail, the legacy of Don the Beachcomber, the evolution of rum production, or the soundtrack of the exotica movement.
But the club is about much more than monthly meetings.
Every year we host a traditional Luau, complete with the ceremonial roasting of a pig and enough tropical décor to make even the most dedicated tiki enthusiast smile. Members embark on tiki pilgrimages across the country in search of legendary bars, hidden gems, and obscure rum destinations. Holiday gatherings receive the tiki treatment, turning ordinary celebrations into tropical adventures. Along the way, lifelong friendships have formed over countless mai tais, zombies, navy grogs, and stories shared across a bamboo bar.
The funny thing is that none of this was part of the original plan.
There was no grand strategy.
No five-year vision.
No membership goals.
Just a simple love of exotic cocktails and a desire to share that passion with others.
What began as a club of one has become a thriving community built around friendship, discovery, education, and the belief that life is a little more enjoyable when accompanied by a great cocktail and a touch of tropical escapism.
In a world that often takes itself far too seriously, the ECCNO exists as a reminder that gathering with friends, learning something new, and raising a glass together is still one of life's greatest pleasures.
And honestly?
Every town should have its own version of the Exotic Cocktail Club of New Orleans.