Rum

Hawaiian Eye

Name: Hawaiian Eye
Yield: 1 servings

Glass: Hurricane

Harry Yee's 1959 Shell Bar creation, named for the TV series and built on grapefruit and guava.

rum tiki tropical hawaiian mid-century shaken grapefruit

Ingredients

fresh grapefruit juice (3 oz)
guava juice (1.5 oz)
simple syrup (1 dash)
Angostura bitters (1 dash)
light Puerto Rican rum (0.25 oz)
dark Jamaican rum (0.75 oz)
aged Demerara rum (0.75 oz)
orchid (1)
pineapple wedge (1)

Attribution is disputed between two competing origin stories: Harry Yee at the Shell Bar in 1959, using grapefruit and guava juices (the version rendered here);¹ and Tony Ramos at the China Trader in Toluca Lake in 1963, using rums, falernum, and lime, the Ramos version is the one most commonly published (e.g. Difford's).² Harry Yee's daughter Marilyn affirms his 1959 priority.³ The three rums are differentiated rather than left as generic "light / dark Jamaican / dark," because the drink leans on the contrast: a small splash of light Puerto Rican for cleanliness, dark Jamaican for funk, and aged Demerara for depth.

Brand recommendations. Best: Don Q Cristal for the light Puerto Rican, Smith & Cross or Hamilton Pot Still Black for the dark Jamaican, El Dorado 12 or Hamilton Guyana 86 for the aged Demerara, Goya or Ceres guava nectar. Economical: Bacardi Superior for the Puerto Rican, Coruba or Appleton Signature for the Jamaican, El Dorado 8 for the Demerara, Jumex guava nectar.

Instructions

Add fresh grapefruit juice, guava juice, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, light Puerto Rican rum, dark Jamaican rum, and aged Demerara rum to a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake hard.
Strain into an ice-filled hurricane glass.
Garnish with an orchid and a pineapple wedge.

Sources

"Harry Yee, King of Tropical Cocktails." Ultimate Mai Tai. https://ultimatemaitai.com/about/history/harry-yee-king-of-tropical-cocktails/ (accessed 2026-05-03), confirms Harry K. Yee was head barman at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (Henry Kaiser's Hawaiian Village) for 30 years from 1952; credits Yee with the Hawaiian Eye, the Blue Hawaii (1957), and other Hawaiian Village house drinks. ABC's Hawaiian Eye TV series ran from October 1959 to April 1963, fixing the 1959 timeline. ↩
Berry, Sippin' Safari (2017 ed.), Hawaiian-bartenders chapters, frames the competing Tony Ramos / China Trader 1963 attribution that circulates in modern bar manuals (including Difford's). ↩
"Hawaiian Eye." Difford's Guide entry and Yee-family communications referenced at Ultimate Mai Tai, Marilyn Yee's affirmation of her father's 1959 priority is the load-bearing detail behind this file's Yee attribution. ↩