Transport yourself somewhere sunny and relaxing with this blue Hawaiian cocktail. Pineapple and coconut flavors come together in this refreshing and gorgeous drink.
I love tropical cocktails like Pina Coladas and pineapple margaritas. the No summer plans? No problem! This Blue Hawaiian Recipe will transport you straight to a place of pale white sand and softly crashing waves. It tastes like the tropics with delicious pineapple and coconut flavors. The blue color is also gorgeous! Doesn’t it look just like the blue waters of the ocean? So gorgeous!
Best of all there are only 3 ingredients(plus ice!), and no prep work involved! Easy breezy! Just how I like it. It can be prepared in under 5 minutes. This makes it perfect for relaxing after work or for enjoying a casual weekend dinner with friends.
Imagine their faces when you bring out this stunning drink. It is up to you to tell them our secret recipe. I firmly believe recipes are meant to be shared, but I won’t judge you one bit for wanting to keep this bad boy all to yourself!
This recipe only makes one drink, but it can easily be doubled, tripled, or made into a whole pitcher. You could also dump everything into a punch bowl for a beautiful party punch. May I suggest adding some Swedish Fish add to the ocean theme?
SO amazing on hot days after mowing, gardening, or just BBQing with friends.
Typically this drink is served on the rocks. That is just a fancy way of saying with ice cubes.
I also like to garnish mine with a bit of fruit. It looks cute and reminds me of tropical vacations.
History
The blue Hawaiian was invented in the 1950s at the Hilton in Waikiki by Harry Yee to help sell more blue curacao.
Why I Love This Drink
- Easy: With only a few ingredients and no fancy equipment this drink is easy to make. It will be ready faster than a cabana boy could bring it over!
- Gorgeous: The blue color makes it perfect for sipping poolside.
- Adjustable: Make one drink or a whole pitcher. A good rule of thumb is to multiply your ounces by the number of people you’re having!
- Tropical: Pineapple + coconut=vacation in a glass. There is also a refreshing hint of citrus from the blue curacao.
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
- Coconut Rum: Coconut rum is a great choice as it gives us both alcohol and flavor. My favorite brand to use in this recipe is Bacardi. Any white rum you like can be used as well. Not a rum fan? Use vodka instead.
- Pineapple Juice: Fresh or bottled will both work fine.
- Blue Curacao: Blue Curacao (pronounced Cure-AH-Sow) is what gives the drink its beautiful blue color. It is made with Laraha orange peels, and has a light orange flavor. I like the brand Drillaud. It is similar in flavor to Triple Sec. Use leftovers in blue lagoons or blue margaritas.
How To Make a Blue Hawaiian
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker or mason jar.
- Pour into a glass filled with ice.
- Garnish with pineapple and cherries if desired.
Fun Variations
Frozen: Instead, of adding ice at the end, combine all ingredients in a blender with ice. This leads to a thicker slushie-like concoction. Add more ice for a slushier cocktail, and less ice for a thinner drink.
Swimming Pool: Add cream of coconut.
Punch: Serve a crowd by using ½ bottle each of rum and blue curacao with around 2 cups of pineapple juice.
Non-Alcoholic: Use blue Gatorade, pineapple juice, and coconut extract. My Ocean Water is also a nonalcoholic blue drink to try.
Tips and Tricks
- Garnish: Garnish with pineapple, maraschino cherries, and a cocktail umbrella.
- Glass: This cocktail is typically served in a hurricane glass. However, whatever you have on hand is perfect. For a tropical vibe: use a hollowed-out coconut, pineapple, or even a Tiki mug. Or if you want a more casual vibe, even a red solo cup would be fine!
- Pineapple Ice: Avoid a watered-down drink by making pineapple juice ice cubes.
- Strength: This cocktail has around 2 shots of liquor making it equal to 2 standard drinks. Always enjoy responsibly.
- Shake Shake Shake: You can use a cocktail shaker, a mason jar, or even a travel mug. Whatever you have is fine as long as everything gets mixed together. We are not fancy here!
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Blue Hawaiian
Ingredients
- 1 Ounce Coconut Rum
- 1 Ounce Blue Curacao
- 2 Ounces Pineapple Juice
- 1 Cup Crushed Ice
- Fresh Pineapple and Maraschino Cherries If Desired For Garnish
Instructions
- Combine the first 4 ingredients in a cocktail shaker or mason jar.
- Pour ice and drink mixture into glass.
- Garnish with pineapple and maraschino cherries if desired.
Notes
- Coconut Rum: My favorite brand to use in this recipe is Bacardi. Any white rum you like can be used as well. Not a fan? Use vodka instead.
- Pineapple Juice: Fresh or bottled will both work fine.
- Blue Curacao: I like the brand Drillaud.
- Garnish: Garnish with pineapple, maraschino cherries, and a cocktail umbrella.
- Pineapple Ice: Avoid a watered-down drink by making pineapple juice ice cubes.
- Strength: This cocktail has around 2 shots of liquor making it equal to 2 standard drinks. Always enjoy responsibly.
- Shake Shake Shake: You can use a cocktail shaker, a mason jar, or even a travel mug. Whatever you have is fine as long as everything gets mixed together. We are not fancy here!
This cocktail is a must try before summer is out! It is simple to put together. The only part I changed, was I strained the cocktail from the shaker, pouring it over fresh ice in the glass. Perfect cocktail to sip on during a hot day in August. Thank you for this lovely recipe!
Yay, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing your tip.
This is such a perfect summer cocktail! We loved it!
The PERFECT summer cocktail!
This is such a pretty and delicious drink!
My husband is going to love this drink for tomorrow night! So excited to make this! Looks amazing and so delicious.
With this drink I feel like I am in vacation right now! The best!
This blue Hawaiian cocktail looks fabulous!.
The first time i had this was more than 15 years ago on Macinac Island. I LOVED it! Next time I had it the bartender accidentally made me a Blue Motorcycle instead. Not the same. Not at all! This is so much better! Love having the actual recipe for this. It’s so YUMMY!