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 drink was is so perfect for summer, I love the bright blue color could not get enough!!
I made these for a pool party over the weekend, and they were a HUGE hit! Thank you!
I think I need a ladies day at the pool with a big pitcher of this deliciousness!
Really good on this hot day!
Love this recipe!! Thxxx !! Cheers!
I made this yesterday, but once I added the pineapple juice it was cloudy and more greenish. What juice did you use that kept it so clear and blue?
That is really strange! Did you use fresh or canned? I used Dole Pineapple Juice (It comes in a 4 pack in the juice aisle). My Mom has also made this with the juice from the pineapple can (like Slices in 100% juice) and had it come out blue.
I have been making these for years. My absolute favorite drink all year round! Keep in mind, yellow and blue make green, so it’s the pineapple juice that changes the color. The lighter the yellow of pineapple juice, the better. I’ve mostly used Dole, but I’ve used another brand that was darker, way on the dark end of yellow and it made my drinks green (I can’t remember the brand but I’ve grabbed it from the liquor store when I didn’t want to go find Dole). It still tastes perfect so I don’t mind if I’m not having some sort of get together. But when I’m having a party I go for Dole for the pretty blue presentation. I also add a splash of Sprite…my splash is more like a tablespoon. It adds a little fiz and a tiny, very tiny bit of lemon/lime.
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks so much for your tips and the suggestion of adding Sprite. yummy!
So full of color – what fun and yum!
I wanna be transported someplace tropical!!!! love this!
Don’t we all!! 🙂
I love the color! It makes me crave warm weather and a beach!
You had me at rum … but the color of this drink really puts it over the top!! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning Lauren! 😀
This looks so refreshing! I love the pretty blue color!
I could use this right now! It’s almost 5pm in LA! Ha! 🙂
What a stunning shade of blue!
Thanks Ashley! Have you ever tried Blue Curacao? It looks so pretty!
Delicious! This is one of my favorite drinks! Can’t wait to be sitting on the deck with one in my hand!
Hope those days come sooner, rather than later!
My absolute favorite drink! LOVE IT!