the true purpose of the cocktail umbrella is unknown. some bartenders say that the cocktail umbrella is only decorative. other bartenders have argued that the umbrella provides shade that slows the melting of ice when the drink is served outdoors. however, the temperature outside matters more than direct sunlight when it comes to the melting of ice. the shade from the cocktail umbrella would do nothing to slow this down. another hypothesis about the cocktail umbrella’s purpose is that its absence can lead to faster evaporation of alcohol due to direct sunlight when the drink is served outdoors. chemists reject this idea and explain that the presence of a cocktail umbrella has no effect on this. in the past, cocktail umbrellas have served as a gimmick to draw women into bars that were mostly frequented by men. however, this purpose has faded in current times.