These are the first 4 Tiki mugs made by Tiki Farm in San Clemente. The names of the mugs are, from left, Log, Dental, Stoney , Drinky. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Shelves at Tiki Farm in San Clemente display hundreds of the company’s Tiki mugs on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. Tiki Farm is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Shelves at Tiki Farm in San Clemente display hundreds of the company’s Tiki mugs on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. Tiki Farm is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Shelves at Tiki Farm in San Clemente display hundreds of the company’s Tiki mugs on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. Tiki Farm is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Shelves at Tiki Farm in San Clemente display hundreds of the company’s Tiki mugs on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. Tiki Farm is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Shelves at Tiki Farm in San Clemente display hundreds of the company’s Tiki mugs on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. Tiki Farm is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Holden Westland, founder and owner of Tiki Farm, is shown with the many styles of Tiki mugs in San Clemente on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. Tiki Farm is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Tiki mug named Log was one of the first mugs made by Tiki Farm in San Clemente. Tiki Farms is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Tiki mug named Dental was one of the first mugs made by Tiki Farm in San Clemente. Tiki Farms is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Tiki mug named Stoney was one of the first mugs made by Tiki Farm in San Clemente. Tiki Farms is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)



The Tiki mug named Drinky was one of the first mugs made by Tiki Farm in San Clemente. Tiki Farms is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tiki Farm’s Día de los Muertos themed Tiki mug named Amor Eterno was an open edition launch for Valentine’s Day and sold 2000 mugs in first 72-hours. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The back side of Tiki Farm’s Día de los Muertos themed Tiki mug named Amor Eterno was an open edition launch for Valentine’s Day and sold 2000 mugs in first 72-hours. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Holden Westland, founder and owner of Tiki Farm, is shown with the many styles of Tiki mugs in San Clemente on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. Tiki Farm is said to be the largest manufacturer of Tiki mugs in the world. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

SAN CLEMENTE – If you’re sipping on a navy grog or a fog cutter at your favorite tiki bar, chances are that frosty mug came from San Clemente.

Founded in 2000, Tiki Farm is said to be the world’s largest manufacturer of high-end tiki mugs, supplying original and custom designs for hundreds of bars, restaurants and gift shops each year.

From the brown-glazed rum barrels at Don the Beachcomber in Huntington Beach to the porthole punch bowls at San Francisco’s famous Tonga Room, Tiki Farm has supplied the mugs.

And in a growing niche market fueled by the craft-cocktail craze, business these days is booming, owner Holden Westland said.

Last year, Tiki Farm sold 150,000 mugs. This year, the business is estimating it will sell around 350,000.

“In the craft-cocktail world, we’ve really become a household name,” Westland said. “We’ve been lucky to become a pretty robust business in a very unique genre.”

The first-ever tiki mugs were likely made in the 1930s for the original Don the Beachcomber restaurant in Los Angeles, where customers could take home a Polynesian-theme souvenir after finishing their tropical cocktails.

The craze exploded after World War II with U.S servicemen returning from the Pacific theater bringing a new-found love for all things tropical.

In recent years, the fad has once again surged with new, popular bars popping up – such as False Idol in San Diego and Pacific Seas at Clifton’s in downtown Los Angeles.

Westland said younger generations are enjoying a taste of 1950s pop culture, going on “tiki crawls” at bars throughout Southern Californian.

“It’s getting really big,” he said. “Tiki is everywhere.”

Born and raised in Long Beach and a Wilson High graduate, Westland, 53, has long been a fan of tiki and mid-century modern for a childhood nostalgia and Southern California symbolism.

When he launched Tiki Farm 18 years ago, he had no idea that his love for mugs would grow into a thriving business.

“I didn’t even know people were into this like I was into it,” he said.

The business stemmed from a now-defunct .com venture with pal Charlie Rubel called eBachelorpad, which sold mid-century-style furniture and a few generic tiki mugs. The mugs were always popular but they were of poor quality, Westland said, so he decided to manufacture his own.

His first order was for 300 mugs for a signing party for “The Book of Tiki” by Sven Kirsten. The mugs sold out that night.

Westland decided to try his luck at the California Gift Show, in 2001, and walked away with an order for 30,000 mugs from gifts shops around the world.

But business hasn’t always been easy.

The company almost went under in 2005 after gift shop sales – which back then were 90 percent of Tiki Farm’s business – plummeted in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, he said.

Westland attended a National Restaurant Association show and bounced back with tons of news clients.

Today, some of Tiki Farm’s original designs are coveted by collectors and can sell for hundreds of dollars each. The company is known for collaborating with artists, including Orange County-based Shag, who created some of the first designs.

This week, bids on eBay were up to $300 for a brown and cream glazed Tong Hut anniversary mug by Shag for Tiki Farm.

In addition to whimsical designs for bars and restaurants, Tiki Farm has worked with big names including Hard Rock Cafe, Anheuser-Busch, Fender Instruments, Emeril Lagassi and the House of Blues.

A limited-edition purple mug, designed for Mattel’s Hot Wheels toys in 2004, sold out online in less than a minute.

Nestled in a nondescript office space near San Clemente High School, Tiki Farm’s colorful showroom displays more than 2,000 mugs, from the original four – Stoney, Drinky, Log and Dental – to the more elaborate current pieces.

The designs go beyond shrunken heads, nautical kitsch and tiki gods. Tiki Farm has designed everything from a George Lucas mug for Skywalker Ranch to a Donald Trump mug for a Washington, D.C. pop-up bar. The back of the Trump mug says, in Russian, “Make America Great Again.”

“We have a lot of fun with our designs,” Westland said.

Fans say they love Tiki Farm for its quality and affordable pieces. Mugs sell for around $20 on the website.

Collector Tim Haack, 54, of Carson said Tiki Farm has been on the forefront of the revival.

“They’ve revived mug-making as an industry again,” he said. “And they’ve given a lot of work to talented artists.”

And what is it about tiki that people enjoy?

For Westland, it’s summed up in one word – escapism.

“It’s a sign of the times,” he said. “Society has changed so much in the last 20 years with technology. … Tiki is a nice, nostalgic step back in time. It’s a way to unwind from where we are as a people.”

Tiki Farm

Where: 1120 Calle Cordillera, Suite 101, San Clemente

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday

Phone: 949-940-1006

Web: tikifarm.com