according to hawaiian-themed author rick carroll, hawaiian bartender harry k. yee of the hilton waikiki was the first to use a paper parasol in a beverage in 1959 during the tiki culture craze of the 1950s. yee stated that he initially would use a sugar cane stick as a garnish for his tropical cocktails, but upon seeing how guests would set the sticks in ashtrays and dirty them, switched to vanda orchids in 1955.