Harry K. Yee: King of Tropical Cocktails - Tiki Drinks and Food

I ickytiki Tiki Centralite Orangevale, CA Joined: Feb 07, 2010 Posts: 58	I ickytiki Posted posted on Sat, Jan 25, 2014 11:51 AM Ahoy! A few days ago, I wrote to Beach Bum Berry and asked him a few questions about Harry Yee. This was Jeff’s response: “Yes, Rick Carroll's article does indeed print Harry's original Blue Hawaii. I'm afraid all I know about Mr. Yee is taken from Rick's article, so, alas, I can't really speak to your other questions about him.” So, it’s safe to say the recipe below is authentic. BLUE HAWAII In a 12 ounce glass, put ice, then add in this order: three ozs. fresh pineapple juice, one oz. sweet and sour half oz. of blue curacao (preferably Bols). 3/4 oz. vodka 3/4 oz. Puerto Rican rum Stir gently, garnish with pineapple slice and vanda orchid. Serve with aloha. I also kept searching on-line for more of Harry Yee’s drinks and recipes and found some more information on YouTube of all places. Apparently Yee began mixing drinks in 1952 and served as Hilton Hawaiian Village's head barman for 30 years. YouTube currently has three videos from the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort where he worked for so long, The videos demonstrate how to make a Blue Hawaii, Tropical Itch and The Hawaiian Eye Cocktail. The Blue Hawaii video’s recipe matches the above recipe and I’m assuming that the other two are correct as well to his original creations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pwEBG1pSLw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4xZJbW5uBY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ieLwXt4aCA TROPICAL ITCH 1 oz Bourbon 1 oz 151 Proof Rum ½ oz Orange Curacao 5 oz Passion Fruit Juice (Not Syrup) Shake the contents in a shaker along with ice. Strain into an ice filled hurricane glass. Then float: 1 oz Jamaican Dark Rum 1 dash Bitters Garnish with a bamboo back scratcher and a pineapple wedge. and THE HAWAIIAN EYE ¼ oz Light Rum ¾ oz Jamaican Dark Rum ¾ oz Dark Rum 3 oz Grapefruit Juice 1 ½ oz Guava Juice 1 dash Bitters 1 dash Simple Syrup Shake the contents in a shaker along with ice. Strain into an ice filled hurricane glass. Garnish with an orchid and pineapple wedge.

Ahoy!

A few days ago, I wrote to Beach Bum Berry and asked him a few questions about Harry Yee. This was Jeff’s response:

“Yes, Rick Carroll's article does indeed print Harry's original Blue Hawaii. I'm afraid all I know about Mr. Yee is taken from Rick's article, so, alas, I can't really speak to your other questions about him.”

So, it’s safe to say the recipe below is authentic.

BLUE HAWAII

In a 12 ounce glass, put ice, then add in this order:

three ozs. fresh pineapple juice,
one oz. sweet and sour
half oz. of blue curacao (preferably Bols).
3/4 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. Puerto Rican rum

Stir gently, garnish with pineapple slice and vanda orchid. Serve with aloha.

I also kept searching on-line for more of Harry Yee’s drinks and recipes and found some more information on YouTube of all places. Apparently Yee began mixing drinks in 1952 and served as Hilton Hawaiian Village's head barman for 30 years. YouTube currently has three videos from the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort where he worked for so long, The videos demonstrate how to make a Blue Hawaii, Tropical Itch and The Hawaiian Eye Cocktail. The Blue Hawaii video’s recipe matches the above recipe and I’m assuming that the other two are correct as well to his original creations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pwEBG1pSLw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4xZJbW5uBY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ieLwXt4aCA

TROPICAL ITCH

1 oz Bourbon
1 oz 151 Proof Rum
½ oz Orange Curacao
5 oz Passion Fruit Juice (Not Syrup)

Shake the contents in a shaker along with ice. Strain into an ice filled hurricane glass. Then float:

1 oz Jamaican Dark Rum
1 dash Bitters
Garnish with a bamboo back scratcher and a pineapple wedge.

and

THE HAWAIIAN EYE

¼ oz Light Rum
¾ oz Jamaican Dark Rum
¾ oz Dark Rum
3 oz Grapefruit Juice
1 ½ oz Guava Juice
1 dash Bitters
1 dash Simple Syrup

Shake the contents in a shaker along with ice. Strain into an ice filled hurricane glass. Garnish with an orchid and pineapple wedge.

Post #705706 by ickytiki on Sat, Jan 25, 2014 11:51 AM