Our 2026 presenters

   Craig 'Colonel Tiki' Hermann was born into Tiki: Growing up in the 70's
in Southern California, he spent his toddler days playing in his
backyard jungle of ponds, waterfalls, overgrown vegetation, bamboo
fences, colored lights, and tikis. In the late 90's, Craig moved to San
Francisco and investigated local bars while taking part in the swing
dance revival with his wife. A chance trip to the Tonga Room and joining
up with other geeks on a Yahoo! discussion group (which would later
become Tiki Central) re-kindled that which was lost in the faded dreams
of the 70’s.

"The Colonel," nick-named for his (at the time peculiar) choice of
facial hair and bombastic playful buffoonery, has been involved in both
the Craft Cocktail and Polynesian Pop communities for a quarter century. He has given seminars and led talks at various cocktail and Tiki events, he was a founding member of the Cocktails & Spirits Online Writers Group (CSOWG), and his cocktails have appeared in cocktail books, magazines, and have been featured at multiple Tiki bars and events.

Craig & his wife Heather 'Tikimama' Gregg, created, & organized the
Portland, Oregon event “Tiki Kon.” With a group of creative friends,
they developed a weekend event from the 2nd annual "NorthWest Tiki Crawl & Original Home bar tour."  Over the next ten years, Tiki Kon would grow and change in fashion with the PNW 'Ohana involved. In 2013, As the last original founder, Craig handed the reins over to the next generation. In the final decade of the event, Craig continued to support and contribute to Tiki Kon and was able to concentrate on his particular focus: Cocktails, decor, and overarching theming.

Craig continues to consult and teach as "Colonel Tiki" when and wherever he can. Craig seeks to evangelize whole ingredients, deliberate
technique, ethnobotanical appreciation, and the academic geekery
associated with flavor theory, mixology, technology, and showmanship.
Craig is leading four fun and fulfilling seminars this year at
Beachcomber Bash in a curiously comprehensive jaunt through the jungle of Tiki Drinks. You can find The Colonel at www.coloneltiki.com and his culinary club "The Society of Syrups" at www.societyofsyrups.com 

 Though now based in Los Angeles, Shelley Bowers spent many years bartending in Portland, most notably at The Alibi, where she discovered her passion for tiki, and at Hale Pele, where she developed a deeper expertise in rum and tropical cocktails. A 2026 recipient of the Appleton Joy Spence Fellowship and the 2025 West Coast winner of the El Dorado Rum Heritage Competition, Shelley is also known for successfully decoding Donn Beach’s elusive Gardenia Mix—the rich, buttery ingredient at the heart of the classic Pearl Diver. 

Hailing from the Beaver State, Rich is one of the many folks who found there is a natural overlap between Tiki and Halloween.  Rich’s previous home haunt ‘City of the “Dam”med’, was featured regionally and nationally on ABC, NBC and the front page of the Wall Street Journal. The main show was fully automated with custom built animatronics, lights, lasers, fog, pirate canons etc. all synchronized to music and video. The last version of the main show was a 12.5 minute Disney tribute featuring the Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates, Princess and the Frog and of course Haunted Mansion. At the West Coast Haunters Convention a few years ago "Birds Are Scary” was the phrase of the show. The neighboring vendors however still had that song stuck in their head a month later after hearing it every 15 minutes for 3 days straight. 

Rich’s website is tekitiki.com

 As far back as Jason can remember, he has been a collector of unusual things, a crafter, a plant nerd, and likes  having too many irons in the fire. His desire to constantly be doing something, helping others, and learning new things was what ultimately led him down the Tiki rabbit hole.  

His friends Pat and Vikki introduced him to Tiki by taking him to Thatch, now Hale Pele, in Portland, OR around 2009. His fascination with the decor, drinks, and history have only grown from there.  

In 2011 when he purchased his home he began to transform his den into Councilman's Cove. The name was born from being a member of the Canby, OR City Council. The anchor piece of his collection was a Witco bar he purchased from Keith and lovingly restored. The layers of his collection and knowledge of Tiki have only grown from there. So two has his friends in the Tiki community.  

Some of the other irons Jason keeps in the fire are, his career in the ornamental horticulture industry, giving back to his community as a member of City Council and a long list of other community organizations, sewing, woodworking, and many creative activities, medieval reenactment and research, gardening, and a love for all things Christmas.  

The presentation and classes Jason will be leading fold many of his passions and years of knowledge into what he hopes will be a fun and educational experience. 

A life-long avid traveler, Jen’s excitement for themed immersive experiences started with her first trip to Disney World at age 2. Casa Bonita, Busch Gardens, and more trips to Disney World and Disneyland growing up fully forged this love. Jen was properly introduced to tiki in 1996 visiting the Alibi for the first time when moving to Portland. Through world travels for work and pleasure, the local tiki bars were always on the itinerary. Her visit list to Commercial Tiki Bars currently stands at 149, with lots of pressure to make the 150th a memorable event! 

Crafting, collecting, and event production have been part of Jen’s repertoire since childhood as well. Putting on fairs and productions for the local neighborhood was the start. As an adult, Jen has been a fused glass artist for 30 years and obsessive about creating welcoming and immersive spaces in her home and at events for just as long. She led the immersive decor for Tiki Kon in its last two years, and now for Beachcomber Bash. In 2024, a move to Vancouver, Washington enabled her 30 years of tiki, tropical, and nautical collecting to culminate in the creation of the Driftwood Lagoon in her 1962 ranch’s basement that she hopes you’ll visit when you’re in the area! 

Jen will bring her instructional design business background and her crafty creativeness, along with co-presenter Wendy Gregory, to help you create tapa-style patterns on practical items, teaching you the ability to decorate your own immersive spaces using processes learned in the class.

 Born and raised in Oregon, my tiki journey started young—with Baskin-Robbins Daiquiri Ice (my gateway to loving rum!) and endless spins of my Disneyland Tiki Room record. 

As a lifelong craft enthusiast, I’ve always loved creating things by hand, but it was those early flavors and sounds that came full circle when my husband and I fell in love with the world of tiki. Since then, we’ve visited over 60 tiki bars around the globe, built our own home tiki bar, and embraced tiki events as part of our adventures. 

 Jeffrey "Cap'n" Cook has traveled extensively across the USA seeking out historic and unusual themed bars and restaurants, neon signs, and tourist attractions. His work creating theater scenery has trained his eye towards the fleeting and unique. Musician, party host, and general bon vivant, Jeffrey loves exploring the forgotten back roads of America and sharing those stories with others. 

David Bader has been a life-long student of all things tiki. He began collecting Aloha shirts years long before he was able to travel to the islands. He has one of the most important collections of true vintage Aloha shirts from the golden age of island travel from 1940 to 1970. David's mother taught him the basics of sewing at an early age and he has never stopped in his pursuit of improving his skills at the craft. 

David enjoys thrifting for vintage textiles and began sewing shirts by the dozens when required to teach art remotely during the pandemic. He studies the shirts in his collection so that the examples he sews reflect authentic details such as cut, buttonhole placement and fabric choice. As all collectors know, from one collection, another go-along collection often develops. David also collects menus, woven hats, paintings and dolls from garage sales and travels to the islands. David enjoys exchanging ideas with others who share his love of treasures from his island paradise.

Tiki Doug purchased his first chunky lamp in 2007 and was instantly smitten by its intoxicating glow. Over the years, he has carefully expanded and refined his dazzling collection, even developing the “Swag

Suspension Support System,” a clever method for hanging multiple substantial lamps without overloading the ceiling.

Justin Wojslaw is a Seattle-based tiki bartender known for bold interpretations of mid-century tropical drinks. Rooted in tradition and driven by modern technique, his work blends spectacle, storytelling, and precision. With Justin behind the bar, great tiki is ritual, risk, and rum in equal measure.