He invented the Blue Hawaii cocktail, and is attributed with being the first bartender to use paper parasols and vanda orchids in tiki drinks.
[2] Along with Ernest Gantt ("Donn Beach") and Victor Jules Bergeron ("Trader Vic"), Yee did much to popularize a faux version of the tropics consisting of rum drinks, hula girls, and tourism.
Yee's time at the bar spanned statehood and the rise of Hawaii as a major international travel and retirement destination.
When the ashes and cane stuck together it made a real mess, so I put orchids in the drink to make the ashtrays easier to clean.
[5] His death was reported the following day on social media by bar manager and cocktail book author Cheryl Charming.