Ingredients
- 45 ml white rum
- 30 ml blue curacao Bols or Marie Brizard
- 90 ml pineapple juice fresh if possible
- 30 ml cream of coconut Coco Lopez
- 1 wedge pineapple garnish
- 1 piece maraschino cherry garnish
Instructions
- Combine rum, blue curacao, pineapple juice and cream of coconut in a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 10-12 seconds.
- Pour over crushed ice in a hurricane glass.
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry on the rim.
- Add a paper umbrella if you have one. The drink demands it.
Notes
Where it came from
Harry Yee, head bartender at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki, created the Blue Hawaii in 1957 at the request of a Bols representative who wanted bartenders to use more blue curacao. Yee combined the new blue liqueur with rum, pineapple and a sour mix. The drink became an instant hit with tourists.
The Blue Hawaiian (note: same name with an extra “an”) swaps the sour mix for cream of coconut, making it a creamier, richer cousin of the Blue Hawaii. Both drinks live happily on tiki menus today. The Elvis movie Blue Hawaii (1961) cemented the drink in pop culture.
Why blue curacao
Blue curacao is a bitter-orange-flavoured liqueur (made from the dried peels of laraha oranges from Curacao) coloured electric blue with food dye. The flavour is the same as orange curacao or triple sec, just dyed for visual drama. In a Blue Hawaiian, the curacao adds bitter-orange depth and the colour that gives the drink its identity.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The blue curacao
- Use
- Bols Blue or Marie Brizard Blue Curacao (mid-shelf)
- Try
- Senior Curacao of Curacao Blue, made on the actual island
- Skip
- Cheap “blue liqueur”, which is often just dyed sugar syrup
The cream of coconut
- Use
- Coco Lopez or Real cream of coconut (sweetened, thick)
- Skip
- Coconut milk, way too thin
- Why
- Cream of coconut is what gives the drink its body. Coconut milk turns it watery.
The rum
- Use
- Quality white rum: Bacardi Superior, Plantation 3 Stars, Mount Gay Eclipse
- Try
- A blend of white and gold for more depth
- Why
- White rum stays out of the way and lets the pineapple, coconut and curacao take the lead.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Triple sec or orange curacao, but you lose the colour (the whole visual point). For colour without flavour change, add a drop of blue food colouring to triple sec.
Coconut cream (unsweetened, thick) plus a teaspoon of sugar syrup. Avoid coconut milk.
Bottled is fine. Avoid the sweetened “pineapple drink” stuff.
Light gold rum works. Spiced rum changes the drink completely.
Blend with a cup of crushed ice until slushy. The Halekulani style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Blue Hawaiian?
White rum, blue curacao, pineapple juice and cream of coconut. Standard build is 45ml rum, 30ml blue curacao, 90ml pineapple and 30ml cream of coconut, shaken and served over crushed ice in a hurricane glass.
What is the difference between Blue Hawaii and Blue Hawaiian?
Blue Hawaii (Harry Yee’s 1957 original) uses sour mix. Blue Hawaiian uses cream of coconut, making it creamier and richer. Same blue colour, slightly different flavour profile.
Who invented the Blue Hawaiian?
Harry Yee at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki created the Blue Hawaii in 1957. The Blue Hawaiian variation (with cream of coconut) emerged shortly after at the Halekulani Hotel.
What is blue curacao?
An orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of laraha oranges grown on the island of Curacao. The blue colour comes from food dye, not the fruit. The flavour is identical to orange curacao or triple sec.
Should I blend a Blue Hawaiian or shake it?
Either works. The original Blue Hawaii is shaken and poured over crushed ice. The frozen blended version is a Halekulani-style variation and is popular on cruises and at beach bars. Shaken tastes brighter; blended is slushier.
How strong is a Blue Hawaiian?
About 12-15 percent ABV in the glass. The juices and cream of coconut dilute the rum significantly. It tastes weaker than it is.
Is the Blue Hawaiian related to the Pina Colada?
Yes. The Blue Hawaiian is essentially a Pina Colada with blue curacao added. Same rum, pineapple and coconut base, plus the bitter-orange and colour from the curacao.
What food goes with a Blue Hawaiian?
Tropical food: grilled fish, jerk chicken, mango salsa, coconut prawns. Also a great match for Hawaiian pizza or anything with pineapple.
