Yacht Rock goes perfectly with cocktails

Nothing sets the mood better than music – and Yacht Rock is still a star

The anthem Come Sail Away by Styx is the perfect anthem for a dark, cold winter night. Dreams of a beach, a boat and escape help some people survive the winter. Well, Yacht Rock goes perfectly with cocktails in summer and evening. Yacht rock is a unique musical style and aesthetic often associated with soft rock, one of the most commercially successful genres of the mid-1970s to mid-1980s. Millennials and Boomers have enjoyed the sounds while drinking.

Typical of artists such as Christopher Cross, Rupert Holmes and Pablo Cruise, Yacht Rock highlights the casual approach to love, life and a relaxed life. Even if you're not PC, the stuff is irresistible on days when you're craving escape. It smells of sunshine and laziness.

Yacht Rock is nuanced and usually one of the key themes. You find the love of your life, have an unforgettable one-night stand or do something maritime. Jimmy Buffet and the Beach doesn't typically focus on this genre.

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“Yacht rock is the new hipster music. We have a Yacht Rock playlist at one of our restaurants, Huckleberry Square, and we constantly get comments from all generations about how great the music is. When the music changes from the usual punk and metal to yacht rock at another of our venues, the infamous pigeon restaurant The 5 Point Cafe, people think it's great, like something they've never heard before. It's relaxed, nostalgic and fun goes great with cocktails. What more could you want?” shares David Meinert, owner of several successful bars and restaurants in Seattle.

“The Pina Colada Song” is arguably the most perfect embodiment of yacht rock and ticks all three boxes above. Holmes sings about making love in the dunes, trying to cheat on his wife, and ultimately rediscovering that his “old lady” is actually the love he's been looking for all along. This is the holy trinity of yacht rock themes wrapped up in a breezy tale of casual adultery.

To get you in the mood, here is a recipe for the ideal yacht rock drinks

Simple Pina Coloda

Ingredients

• 1 pounds (approx 3 cups) frozen pineapple chunks
• 3 ounces (1/3 cup) white rum
• 2/3 cup Coconut milk
• Optional garnishes: fresh pineapple slices, maraschino cherries, sweet paper umbrellas

Create

• Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, feel free to add additional rum or coconut milk to lighten the mixture.
• Serve immediately, garnished with desired side dishes.