EXPLORE
TASTE
REFLECT
CREATE
L E F T: The glamour of a
lychee martini captured in all
its movie star glory.
R I G H T : A sole patron waits
for his drink in a Puerto Rican
bar, the home of tequila.
B E L O W R I G H T : The
bright lights of Shanghai, the
perfect location to enjoy the
sophisticated coolness of an
early evening martini
PHOTOgraphy: ching (opposite) photos: jose azel/aurora photos (puerto rican bar); getty images (shanghai)
first man on earth. A demigod, he is supposed to symbolise protection, and it is his
likeness that is often depicted on a tiki cup. Different elements of his features are
used to represent various meanings: for example the nose represents sniffing out
danger before it arrives.
Outside of its container, the history of the mai tai is another cocktail legend that
is hotly contested. The king of the tiki collection, the mai tai set the trend for this
style of drink, very shortly followed by the zombie and the hurricane (the latter is a
well-known fixture in most New Orleans’ bars).
While the mai tai’s origins may lie in the romance of Polynesia, the drink itself
is said to have been created in the US: either in 1944, by Vic Bergeron of legendary
Trader Vic’s fame, or by the impressively named Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt,
the owner of a tiki bar in Los Angeles called Don the Beachcomber, a name that
he later chose to legally adopt. This South Pacific-inspired bar was said to have
counted Marlene Dietrich and Charlie Chaplin among its regulars.
U N D E R T H E B A N YA N T R E E
07/12
2015
G L A S S WA R E
Until the early 20th
century, there was only
one type of cocktail
glass, a forerunner to the
instantly recognisable
martini glass of today.
The newly designed
martini glass had a longer
stem and a wider rim, so
that once it was perfectly
chilled, the warmth of
the drinker's hands would
not heat it up. The wider
rim was for the benefit of
the gin, a botanical spirit
which is said to open up
in complexity (much like
wine) when exposed to
the right amount of air
Piña Colada Contrary to popular belief, the piña colada
is not a generic pre-mixed holiday drink, available at any
bar. Some say it was declared Puerto Rico’s national drink
in the 1970s and like all good inventions (particularly in
the cocktail world), many claim to be its creator.
The direct translation of piña colada from Spanish to
English is strained pineapple: so it’s mysterious that this
became recognised as a coconut cream-laden creation.
Many say it was down to the coconut cream manufacturer
Coco Lopez sponsoring a drinks competition in the
1950s, but despite exhaustive research there seem to be
no concrete facts to back up this theory. Others say it
was born at the Caribe’s Beachcomber bar in San Juan,
Puerto Rico in 1952, though which of the establishment's
bartenders was the true inventor is still a matter for
debate. What is undisputed is the fact that this is a
beverage so beloved, that it’s celebrated with its very own
day: 10 July, when the whole of Puerto Rico pays homage
to the piña colada, their national drink.
The intensely tropical blend of
rum, pineapple and coconut cream
just shouts holiday in a glass. And
when created by experts, it’s for what
holidays were made. Often garnished
with a sunshine-yellow wedge of
pineapple and maraschino cherry,
you can’t fail to be charmed by this
delicious king of kitsch.
Lychee Martini There’s no denying the
refined style of a martini, and while it’s
not the sort of drink you’ll sip by the
pool, it makes for the ideal pre-dinner
tipple in luxurious surroundings.
Like most of the cocktail greats,
there’s a continuing battle for
recognition from the true inventor
of the martini. Now associated with
suave special agent James Bond, the
clean taste of this classic drink appears
in numerous guises. While Bond
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