Post #377667 by DJ Terence Gunn on Fri, May 2, 2008 1:40 PM

A human-sized sun parasol is to keep out the rays of the sun, implying heat and...well, sun. A cold exotic cocktail implies a tropical locale, that typically has heat and sun. The Japanese markings on and the bright colours of the cocktail parasol reveal the Japanese influence within recent Polynesian culture, plus it makes the parasol look far more decorative. A toothpick is traditionally used for garnishing a cocktail, but it is rather dull and impractical for garnishing anything but a martini, manhattan, etc. And where cocktail garnishes that are served in shallower glassware (i.e., the traditional cocktail glass) can still maintain a proper decorative and sophisticated appearance by being dropped in without a toothpick or stuck on a toothpick and inserted at an angle, where they will still be easily removed even before the cocktail is completely drunk -- the exotic cocktails are typically of larger proportions and served in larger vessels with large chunks of fruit, making the weight of the garnish a factor; after all, one doesn't want the garnish to disappear and float to the bottom of the drink, as it will lose its decorative appeal, as well as will be difficult to remove without inverting the vessel altogether. Positioned properly the parasol helps keep the garnish where it should be -- at the top of the drinking vessel.

Put all these factors together and the cocktail parasol makes perfect sense to me.