This Blue Hawaiian cocktail recipe tastes like vacation in a glass. Notes of pineapple, coconut and citrus from the Blue Curacao liqueur make it the perfect tropical cocktail for summer parties!
Blue Hawaiian vs Blue Hawaii Cocktail
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the Blue Hawaiian and the Blue Hawaii cocktail. They are not the same!
The Blue Hawaii cocktail is a classic tropical drink made famous by bartender Harry Yee in Honolulu in the late 1950’s. The blue Hawaii drink ingredients features vodka, light rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice and freshly made sweet-and-sour.
Blue Hawaiian
The Blue Hawaiian is definitely an adaptation of the Blue Hawaii and gives off more Pina Colada vibes with its use of rum and coconut instead of vodka and sweet-and-sour.
What is Blue Curaçao Liqueur?
Curaçao is a sweet, digestive Caribbean liqueur made from infusing bitter oranges and other fruits with an alcoholic base made from wine or grain spirit-sugar. While Curaçao can be enjoyed straight-up, it’ mostly used to flavor cocktails like this Blue Hawaiian and the Mai Tai.
Blue Curaçao was first produced as a flavoring agent made from the Citrus Aurantium Curassuviensis, a bitter orange first discovered in Curaçao, the Dutch West India Island.
Curaçao is best described as an orange flavored liqueur dyed blue. The coloring does not influence the flavor, so even though you’re drinking blue, you’re tasting orange. The color gives cocktails their very bold, blue looks.
Are Triple Sec and Curaçao the Same?
While they are both orange liqueurs, they are made from very different alcoholic bases.
As mentioned earlier, Curaçao is mostly pot-distilled with brandy, cognac, or sugar cane spirit – it is sweeter and has a darker coloring. Triple sec is column-distilled with a neutral grain spirit as its base and has a drier quality and a clear appearance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use a Sweetened Pineapple Juice?
If you’re not using fresh pineapple juice, you still need a juice that has no added sugar. The cream of coconut is quite sweet, so sweetened pineapple juice would make the cocktail too sugary.
This Cocktail is Too Strong, What Can I Do?
You can either dilute the final mixture with more pineapple juice or start with a smaller amount of alcohol.
How Can I Make This Cocktail Slushy?
If you prefer a slushy consistency you can add your cocktail ingredients to a blender with ice and blend to your desired consistency. Make sure you’re using good quality ice or your cocktail will have an off taste.
Where Do I Find Cream of Coconut?
Cream of coconut is a special mix for cocktails that is sweetened. It can be purchased online, at the liquor store in the mixers section and at the grocery store in the wine and spirits section. Coco Lopez is a regularly stocked brand.
Can I Use Canned Coconut Milk?
Using canned coconut milk will not produce the same results for this cocktail. Regular coconut milk will provide the expected coconut flavor, but because it’s not as thick or rich as cream of coconut milk, it will cut the expected cocktail’s creamy sweetness. It’s not necessarily a bad strategy if one Blue Hawaiian is going to turn into four.
Other Cocktail Recipes To Serve at a Party
- Spicy Watermelon Margarita
- Red Wine Slushie
- Agave Margarita
- Lemon Drop Martini
- The Best Mojito
- The Best Cherry-Orange Sangria
- Watermelon Daiquiri
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Blue Hawaiian Cocktail Recipe
Blue Hawaiian Cocktail
Ingredients
Blue Hawaiian:
- ice
- 2 oz white rum, such as Bacardi
- 0.75 oz Blue Curacao liqueur
- 0.75 oz cream of coconut
- 1.5 oz fresh pineapple juice (should not be sweetened)
- 0.5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Garnish: pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, cocktail umbrella
Instructions
Blue Hawaiian:
- Fill half a cocktail shaker with ice.ice
- Add rum, Blue Curacao, cream of coconut, pineapple juice and lemon juice to the shaker.2 oz white rum, such as Bacardi, 0.75 oz Blue Curacao liqueur, 0.75 oz cream of coconut, 1.5 oz fresh pineapple juice (should not be sweetened), 0.5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Shake until well-chilled.
- Fill a tall glass ¾ full with crushed ice and strain and pour the cocktail over the ice.
- Garnish your Blue Hawaiian with a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry and a cocktail umbrella if you have it.Garnish: pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, cocktail umbrella
Notes
Nutrition
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Doris Layhe says
This is my new favorite cocktail! So pretty too!
Cathy says
Glad you love it!
wilhelmina says
I love it when a drink is a s pretty as it is refreshing! This one is fabulous!
Cathy says
Thank you, it is good!
Tina says
This drink made our night. Dreaming of Hawaii while sipping.
Cathy says
Love Hawaii!
Reece Bothel says
Served these for drinks on the patio last night. Hello delicious cocktail Felt like we were on vacation. So good.
Cathy says
Yep every sip is a vacation for sure.
Morey says
Such a delicious way to make us feel we were in Hawaii!
Cathy says
Sure is.
Gina says
This blue Hawaiian is most definitely vacation in a glass. We loved it.
Cathy says
I agree with this statement one hundred percent!
Sal says
We made these blue hawaiian cocktails for Hanukkah because they are blue!
Cathy says
Great idea.
Mali says
We are in Hawaii for the winter and are making this blue hawaiian cocktail every day. So good.
Keri says
Made this blue hawaiian to enjoy for a party and we loved it!!
Farley says
We really loved this Blue Hawaiian cocktail. It was so delish I had two!
Cason says
We were pretending it was summer and made these. Whoa, who knew a Blue Hawaiian was so fabulous!
Lena H says
This blue hawaiian drink makes me happy and tastes so good. Thanks for the recipe.
kelsey says
We loved this blue hawaiian so much, it was absolutely fabulous for our fun party night.
Celina says
Loved this blue hawaiian recipe. I have to admit we made a second round.
Jess says
Loved this blue hawaiian it was so delicious and refreshing and can’t wait to make again.
Jean says
These were so good! Loved how it tasted like vacation.
Georgia says
A blue hawaiian drink that I actually love. Perfectly balanced.
Deb says
So refreshing and a fun cocktail.
Karina says
Totally love your version of the Blue Hawaiian and the little history lesson about the drink.
Kerida says
This blue hawaiian made my night, was so delicious.
Phil says
OMG we loved this so much.
Phelps says
Made these for easter and were a big hit..going to be our summer drink!
Gigi says
I want this every friday night all summer long. It was so good.