Cocktail umbrella facts for kids
A cocktail umbrella is a tiny umbrella made from paper and a toothpick. You often see them in fun, tropical drinks and desserts. They are a cool decoration that makes your drink look extra special!
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What are Cocktail Umbrellas?
These little umbrellas are made from paper, which can have many different patterns. They have small cardboard "ribs" that let them open and close, just like a real umbrella. A tiny plastic ring on the toothpick helps keep the umbrella open. Underneath the umbrella's base, there's often a small sleeve of folded recycled paper. This paper can show where the umbrella was made, like China, India, or Japan.
Most drinks with cocktail umbrellas are called tropical drinks. But not all of them are "tiki" drinks. To be a true tiki drink, it needs to have rum and exotic fruit juices. For example, a piña colada is a tiki drink. But a Hawaiian margarita is only tropical because it uses tequila, not rum.
Where Did They Come From?
No one is completely sure when the cocktail umbrella first appeared. One idea is that Donn Beach started using them in 1932. He owned a famous restaurant and bar called Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood, California. Don loved collecting things from places like the South Pacific. He even sold some of his items, including these small umbrellas, to another bar owner named Victor Bergeron, who ran Trader Vic's.
Another story says that a Hawaiian bartender named Harry Yee was the first to use a paper umbrella in a drink in 1959. He worked at the Hilton Waikiki. Harry first used sugar cane sticks as decoration. But guests would put them in dirty ashtrays. So, in 1955, he switched to using beautiful Vanda orchids. In 1959, he started using the cocktail umbrella. Maybe the bar already had them for toothpicks or other decorations.
There's also a theory that Donn Beach met Harry Yee in Hawaii after World War II. They might have shared ideas for drinks and, somewhere along the way, started using cocktail umbrellas together. After that, both bartenders began putting these fun umbrellas in their tropical drinks.
The "Tiki Craze"
Cocktail umbrellas became very popular after World War II. During the tough times of the Great Depression, many people dreamed of the South Pacific. They imagined it as a place where life was easy and fun. This idea of "tiki culture" was a way for people to escape reality.
After the war, more families had extra money. Also, Hawaii became a U.S. state, and air travel became easier in the late 1950s. All these things made tiki culture explode in popularity! Tiki bars like Trader Vic's and Don the Beachcomber became famous. They created many new drinks, and a key part of these drinks was the cocktail umbrella. The umbrella became so linked to tiki drinks that people often called them "umbrella drinks."
Why Do We Use Them?
The real reason for cocktail umbrellas is a bit of a mystery. Some bartenders say they are just for looks. Others thought the umbrella might shade the ice and stop it from melting too fast, especially outdoors. But scientists say the outside temperature matters more than direct sunlight for ice melting. So, the umbrella doesn't really help with that.
Another idea was that the umbrella might stop alcohol from evaporating in the sun. But chemists say the umbrella has no effect on this either. In the past, some bars used them as a fun way to attract women. But this reason is not common anymore.
Today, the cocktail umbrella is an important part of many drinks. It's a "garnish" that helps complete the drink's look. Garnishes are decorations added to food or drinks. Cocktail umbrellas are different from garnishes like cherries or olives because they don't add flavor. Their only job is to make the drink look pretty and identify it as a tropical treat!
People have also found other uses for cocktail umbrellas. They can be used as toothpicks. Some people have used them as decorations for hats or even in their hair. They can also be used as place cards to show people where to sit at a party.
Where Can You Find Them?
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You often see cocktail umbrellas in drinks like the Blue Hawaii, Mai Tai, and Piña Colada.
While they are most common in drinks, people use cocktail umbrellas in many other creative ways! As decorations, people have made wreaths, table centerpieces, and even lanterns with them. Artists have also used them. For example, a Dutch art group called We Make Carpets created a unique "Umbrella Carpet 2" using 6,000 cocktail umbrellas! This amazing art piece was shown in a museum in Amsterdam in 2016.
You can spot cocktail umbrellas in most bars, restaurants, and at fun parties called luaus. They are most common in places that have an "island" or Hawaiian theme.
See also
In Spanish: Paraguas de cóctel para niños
