Many of you know that, in addition to writing books like Minimalist Tiki, I also co-own a small publishing company, Wonk Press. The books we publish connect people who live and breathe a subject with the enthusiasts who want to dive deeper. Our latest book is Coconuts & Carnage: Fifty Fiery Originals from the Emerald City, by Justin Wojslaw.
I’ve known Justin for over a decade. In the twilight years of my software career, I frequently left work as the clock struck 5 PM to walk to the Diller Room before the happy hour crowd arrived. When I arrived, Justin always had a new spin on a tiki recipe for me to try. No menu, just “What am I having, Justin?” What arrived was almost always crowned with tiki fire – a Justin hallmark.
On a slow Sunday, Justin and I met up at the Diller Room so I could properly photograph him in action without a crowd waiting for him to take their orders. The result was this article: At the Bar with Seattle’s Tiki Warrior Justin Wojslaw.
When I started work on Minimalist Tiki soon thereafter, I sought out recipes from tiki-centric bartenders doing serious work behind the bar without being widely known outside their own cities. Justin was among the first three people who came to mind. His six recipes in Minimalist Tiki are among the fan favorites.
Mrs. Wonk and I have learned a lot about our Wonk Press audience over the past seven years. While they appreciate our high-end hardcover books, we also hear from readers who just want the recipes — no frills. With the Rum Never Sets, we’d already tried a smaller, softcover format, so when Justin proposed Coconuts & Carnage, it was a great fit for the first title in a new line of Wonk Press books.
One of the things I like most about the 50 recipes in Justin’s book is that they’re thoughtful modern spins on classic foundations, but don’t depend on exotic or hard-to-make ingredients. This makes them accessible to home tiki-tenders. The Pharoh’s Curse is one example:
Minimalist Tiki Update
Speaking of Wonk Press books, here’s another bit of news. Since 2019, Minimalist Tiki has been the little engine that could. It proved we could build a business publishing the kinds of books we wanted to read ourselves. Several times we’ve thought, “This will be the last print run for Minimalist Tiki,” but demand for it keeps plugging along. Unfortunately, print costs keep going up!
With an eye towards keeping costs reasonable and making our books more affordable outside the US, our latest printing of Minimalist Tiki is softcover. Never fear, the content is identical to earlier printings. Doing this lets us print fewer copies at once and in multiple countries. By printing some copies in the UK, it’s much less costly to ship to UK and EU customers than before.
Wonk Press customers in EU countries and the UK can already buy the new softcover version, and US customers will see it on the Wonk Press site very soon.
You can help support my work by purchasing Wonk Press books sold at Wonk Press.
