A decade ago, Mobile’s summer Tiki celebration began as an isolated island of gentle madness: One weekend, one venue, many elaborate cocktails. But as if fueled by volcanic activity, it has grown into a full-fledged archipelago, with a record 22 establishments taking part in Mobile Tiki Week 2023.

Prepare to immerse yourself in a world that has shown a certain enduring nostalgic appeal for 80 years now, though it was a nostalgic fantasy from the get-go rather than something rooted in a real time and place. Mobile Tiki Week opens Monday, Aug. 14, and runs through Saturday, Aug. 19.

As always, the ringleader is Roy Clark, aka “Trader Roy,” general manager and occasional bartender at The Haberdasher. His credentials include attending the invite-only Tiki by the Sea conference in Wildwood, N.J., and an alumni conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; helping make thousands of drinks alongside some of tiki’s biggest names as a member of the bar team at the Hukilau, the “World’s Most Authentic Tiki Party,” also in Fort Lauderdale; appearing on the online educational platform “Tuesday Tiki Talks;” and co-hosting a Tiki-centric podcast.

Though it benefits from multiple layers of nostalgia and vaguely Polynesian décor, Tiki doesn’t originate in a real place or a specific time. And it’s not hard to get dive in, even if you never leafed through Tiki-themed album covers in your parents’ or grandparents’ album collections. Just go to instagram.com/mobiletikiweek or facebook.com/MobileTikiWeek. Clark has already started posting “Tiki 101″ information, and throughout the week of Aug. 14-19, the pages will be a source of daily information on food and drink specials at participating venues.

The concept seems to go back to the 1930s, when venues such as Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber washed away the aftertaste of Prohibition with Mai Tais and Zombies. Clark reckons that bartenders in that era, and in the big Tiki boom of the ‘50s and ‘60s, were practicing the art of craft cocktails before the concept of craft cocktails was a thing.

His take on latter-day Tiki fandom is that it’s an offshoot of the modern cocktail movement. In the 2000s, bartenders strove to elevate customer appreciation of fine cocktails. “That was the era of the vests and the speakeasies and whatnot,” Clark said. “And I think that was all part of trying to hammer home the point that this is a real thing we’re doing, this is not a flash in the pan or anything like that.”

If you really want to dig in deep, Clark suggested starting with “any of the books by Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry,’” whose works include titles such as “Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log” and “Beachbum Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean.”

“He’s kind of the Indiana Jones of Tiki cocktails,” he said. “He’s done exhaustive research, he’s the reason we know about a lot of drinks or how to make them.”

But it’s not like you have to do any homework before you show up. Put some something colorful and see what’s on offer at the participating venues:

Alabama Music Box Presents “Taki Week,” 12 S. Conception St.; www.alabamamusicbox.com

Alchemy Tavern, 7 S. Joachim St.; www.facebook.com/AlchemyTavern

Braided River Brewing Co., 420 St. Louis St.; www.braidedriverbrewing.com

Chuck’s Fish, 551 Dauphin St.; www.chucksfish.com

Debris Poboys and Drinks, 276 Dauphin St.; www.facebook.com/debrispoboymobile

El Papi, 615 Dauphin St.; www.el-papi.com

Five Bar, 609 Dauphin St.; www.five-bar.com

Front Yard Tacos, 306 St. Anthony St.; www.frontyardtacos.com

Grace On Dauphin, 555 Dauphin St.; www.graceondauphin.com

The Haberdasher / Trader Roy’s Tiki Room, 113 Dauphin St.; www.instagram.com/thehabmobile

Ice Box, 755 Monroe St.; www.theiceboxbar.com

Knucklebones Elixirs, 202 Government St.; www.knuckleboneselixirs.com

The Merry Widow, 51 S. Conception St.; www.themerrywidow.net

Nova Espresso, 306 St. Anthony St.; www.novaespresso.coffee

O’Daly’s Irish Pub, 564 Dauphin St.; www.odalysirishpub.com

The Outsider, 522 Dauphin St.; www.instagram.com/outsiderlounge

Oyster City Brewing Co., 600 Government St.; www.oystercity.beer

Post Crafted Cocktails & Wine Bar, 571 Dauphin St., www.postdrinks.com

Roosters Latin American Food, 211 Dauphin St.; www.roostersdowntown.com

The Sidecar Lounge, 201-B Dauphin St.; www.facebook.com/SidecarLounge

Slurp Society, 69 St. Michael St.; www.slurpsociety.co

Squid Ink Eclectic Eats and Drinks, 102 Dauphin St.; www.squidinkeats.com