Volcano bowl

Background

Volcano bowls typically have a large capacity of 32 oz. or more, and are used to serve a communal beverage to a group of two or more friends who share the drink, often sipping simultaneously from the bowl through long, colorful straws. Volcano bowls are designed with a rising central hub feature formed and painted to resemble a crude volcano cone, giving the vessel a topological similarity to a Bundt pan.{{cite web|title=The Hottest Cocktail in Washington|author=Fritz Hahn |url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/goingoutgurus/2005/05/the_hottest_cocktail_in_washin.html |access-date=2008-05-19|work=washingtonpost.com}} The central cone, in turn, is topped by a pit or "crater" which is intended to be filled with overproof rum or other flammable high-alcohol liquor. This "crater" liquor is ignited just before service, creating a festive, mildly volcanic ambience with its central blue flame. Meanwhile, the drink surrounds the "volcano cone" in a ring-shaped moat, like a pool of lava or an ocean surrounding a volcanic island.

The exterior surfaces of volcano bowls are usually decorated with painted or glazed-on tropical-themed images, such as hula dancers, palm trees, and island landscapes.

References