Cocktail umbrella to the fact that the Hawaiian margarita contains tequila instead of rum. Nobody is quite certain exactly when the cocktail umbrella came into use. One possible source is Donn Beach, owner of the Hollywood, California-based restaurant and bar chain Don the Beachcomber. According to cocktail historian Dale DeGroff, Beach started the trend in 1932 after spending much of his time collecting things from around the world, most notably from the South Pacific. Beach sold his merchandise, including the cocktail umbrellas, to Victor Bergeron, owner of the Emeryville, California-based bar chain Trader Vic’s. According to Bergeron’s son Joe, Trader Vic’s used
Cocktail onion Cocktail onion A cocktail onion is usually a pearl onion pickled in a brine with small amounts of turmeric and paprika. Pearl onions are naturally sweet, which makes them an excellent pairing with many cocktails. Other sweet onions such as the crystal wax, also known as the white Bermuda, are also sometimes used. In many cases, white varieties of these sweet onions are used, since many consumers expect cocktail onions to be white. However, yellow or red sweet onions may be used as well. In northern California cuisine some haute bars may use sliced red onion pickled in vinegar. Some