Boat drinks
Boat drinks, also known as umbrella drinks, tiki drinks or "girly" drinks, are a class of mixed drink GeneRally containing rum and one or more fruit juices. They are usually garnished with Maraschino cherries or other fruit. They are often further ornamented with cocktail umbrellas. The quintessential boat drink is the mai tai.
Composition
Boat drinks usually have a higher fraction of alcoholic ingredients than a highball, but less than a cocktail such as a martini or a manhattan. Typically, they contain at least one "hard" liquor (usually rum) one or more sweeter liquors (such as triple sec) with the balance made of fruit juices. Often there are additional flavorings such as Angostura bitters. Garnishes are often lavish.
A list of boat drinks
This list is far from complete. The menu at Trader Vic's includes 20-plus entries as "Dr Funk of Tahiti" and the "Honi Honi". Other Tiki bars have similarly long lists. Many of the more elaborate recipes are proprietary.
- Mai Tai
- Pina Colada
- Singapore Sling
- Zombie cocktail
- Margarita
- Caipirinha
- Gin pahit
- Blue Hawaii
- Mojito
- Planter's Punch
History
Beverages similar to boat drinks are described by travelers to the Caribbean at least as early as 1920. Ralph STOCK, while sailing around the world, alludes to drinks called swizzles during his stop in Barbados.
Boat drinks rose to prominence in the late 1940s and were popular until the 1960s in parallel with the rise and fall of Tiki culture. US servicemen returning from service in the South Pacific during World War II brought with them a taste for drinks made with exotic fruit juices. In addition, the often indifferent quality of the liquor available at this time could be hidden.
Boat drinks have enjoyed a revival in recent times, again in parallel with a renewed interest in Tiki culture. Boat drinks frequently appear in movies from the 1950s until the present, either to evoke an escapist/tropical atmosphere, or to mock such an atmosphere.
Etymology
The name "Boat drinks" comes from the song by Jimmy Buffett from the album Volcano.
See also
- Cocktails
- Mixed drinks
References
- Sven A. Kirsten: The Book of Tiki. Taschen 2003, ISBN 3-8228-2433-X. 1
- Ralph Stock, in National Geographic, Jan 1921