The Blue Hawaii Cocktail is a tropical cocktail that needs to be at your next luau party. This cocktail recipe is a rum cocktail that's made with pineapple juice, blue curacao, and vodka. It's like ☀️ sunshine and a summer breeze served on crushed ice.
Bring all the beach vibes to you backyard with this refreshing summer drink. Next to the Mai Tai, this might be Hawai'i's most famous cocktail.
The Blue Hawaii Cocktail recipe was invented in 1957 by the legendary bartender at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki, Hawai'i, Harry Yee. Yee was asked to design a cocktail featuring blue Curacao, hopefully, to bolster the sales of this curious blue liquor.
The Blue Hawaii was an overnight hit and became one of the most legendary tropical drink recipes. It can be found in all self-respecting tiki bars. Now you can enjoy this tropical drink at your next summer cookout.
Blue Hawaii Cocktail Ingredients
Here's what you are going to need to make these fun tiki cocktails. Some times this cockail is made with Malibu rum has a natural coconut flavor.
- Rum. White rum is typically used in tropical cocktails. However, you can also use Malibu rum in a Blue Hawaii.
- Vodka. I like Ocean or Pau Vodka.
- Blue Curacao. Blue Curacoa is an orange-flavored liquor.
- Pineapple Juice. Fresh pressed or Dole.
- Lemon & Lime Juice. Fresh lemon and lime juice is my preferred method. In a pinch, you can substitute sour mix.
- Simple Syrup. Rich simple syrup (2:1) made with 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water.
- Crushed Ice. Loads of crushed ice.
- Hurricane Glasses. If you have them.
- Cocktail Shaker
- Cocktail Picks. 4-inches long
- Garnish. Fresh Pineapple and Luxardo Cherries
How to Make the Blue Hawaii
To make one cocktail, grab a chilled hurricane glass (I didn't have one) and lots of crushed ice.
Tropical cocktail are traditionally shaken with crushed ice and then served over crushed ice, including the ice from the shaker. In other words the cocktail is shaken and then dumped, not strained.
This method give tropical cocktails an icey cold mouth feel that is super refreshing on those hot summer nights.
- Fill a hurricane glass about ½ way full with crushed ice.
- Add crushed ice to the cocktail shaker and then add in the rum, vodka, blue curacao, pineapple juice, lemon and lime juice, and the simple syrup.
- Shake vigorously.
- Dump the entire contents of the shaker into the hurricane glass and then garnish with a pineapple wedge and a Luxardo maraschino cherry.
Recipe Variations
Coconut Rum Blue Hawaii. This version is more of a Blue Hawaii piña colada. In this version swap out the white rum for coconut rum.
The Blue Hawaiian Cocktail(often confused for the Blue Hawaii). This tropical drink uses the addition of cream of coconut Malibu rum. You can see this version often blended, margarita style.
Blue Hawaii Batch Cocktail. You can make this cocktail as a batch cocktail for your next luau party. See the measurements in the recipe card to make a full 35 ounces. I recommend serving it in beverage containers over ice.
What To Serve and your next luau party
If you are planning a summer luau party I've got you covered with all of my Hawaiian recipes.
More Cocktail Recipes
If you want to check more of my summer drink recipes, I highly recommend the Pineapple Martini and the Lemon Drop Martini that's made with Limoncello.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Blue Curacoa was originally colored using sweat pea flowers. Today blue dye is used to color this orange liqueur so that it maintains its bright blue color.
The Blue Hawaii cocktail tastes like a pineapple drink with a hint of citrus, from the orange liqueur. If you're using Malibu rum (or coconut rum) the drink has more of a piña colada flavor.
If your Blue Hawaii cocktail is green, it's usually due to the pineapple juice. Fresh squeezed pineapple juice is lighter in color and adds less yellow to this brightly colored cocktail.
Dole pineapple juice is a brighter yellow and when combined with the Blue Curacao, turns the drink a bright blueish green. Still delicious.
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Blue Hawaii Cocktail
Equipment
- hurricane glasses
- cocktail picks
- crushed ice
Ingredients
- ¾ fl ounces white rum
- ¾ fl ounces vodka
- ½ fl ounces blue curacao
- 3 fl ounces pineapple juice
- ⅓ fl ounces lemon juice
- ⅓ fl ounces lime juice
- ⅓ fl ounces simple syrup rich (2:1)
Garnishes
- pineapple wedges
- Luxardo maraschino cherries
Blue Hawaii (Batch Cocktail | 36 ounces | 6 cocktails
- 4.5 fl ounces white rum half cup + 1 tablespoon
- 4.5 fl ounces vodka half cup + 1 tablespoon
- 3 fl ounces blue curacao ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon
- 18 fl ounces pineapple juice 2 ¼ cups
- 2 fl ounces lemon juice ¼ cup
- 2 fl ounces lime juice ¼ cup
- 2 fl ounces simple syrup ¼ cup
Instructions
- Fill a hurricane glass about ½ way full with crushed ice.
- Mix Add crushed ice to the cocktail shake and then add in the rum, vodka, blue curacao, pineapple juice, lemon and lime juice, and the simple syrup. Shake vigorously.
- Dump the entire contents of the shaker into the hurricane glass.
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a Luxardo maraschino cherry.
Laura's Tips + Notes
- 1 shot = 1.5 fluid ounces
- 1 tablespoon = 0.5 ounces
- ½ cup = 4 fl ounces
I have to admit, a bright blue cocktail made me… nervous? The results though were delicious. A touch of sweetness but not too sweet.