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How to Make a Blue Hawaii Cocktail Recipe

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Last Updated on March 22, 2024 by Leah Hall

Because every tropical drink deserves a paper umbrella, this one is perfect! Make this tropical and easy Blue Hawaii cocktail recipe to enjoy a tropical getaway even in winter!

 

The Blue Hawaii was invented in 1957 by Harry Yee, head bartender of the Hilton Hawaiian Village (it was the Kaiser Hawaiian Village) in Waikiki, Hawaii. A sales rep of Bols, a Dutch distiller, asked him to make a drink that used their blue Curaçao liqueur. Yee made a version somewhat different from the most popular version today, but made with the signature blue green color, cocktail umbrella and pineapple wedge. (We opted out of the pineapple wedge for this photo shoot!) Try some other tropical cocktails like the Blue Lagoon, Winter Mai Tai, or Blue Curacao Cocktail!

 

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Blue green Blue Hawaii cocktail in balloon glass with crushed ice, paper umbrella, cherry and orchids

Some tales are told that Yee was holding up each Blue Hawaii served to ensure the drink’s color matched the Pacific ocean in front of him.

 

Make sure to check out our tour of the KoHana Distillery when we were in Hawaii!

Blue green Blue Hawaii cocktail in balloon glass with crushed ice, paper umbrella, cherry and orchids

Blue Hawaii Cocktail

The name of the cocktail “Blue Hawaii” is indirectly related to the 1961 Elvis Presley film of the same name, and apparently comes from the film’s title song, written by Leo Robin for the 1937 Bing Crosby film Waikiki Wedding.

 

Yee, with many other tropical drinks he invented, and with tiki bars like Trader Vic’s, popularized the faux Hawaiian tiki culture. This came at a time when Hawaii was thought of by most Americans as playground for the rich, before it was a state. Tourism was abounding, but mostly in Waikiki.

Blue green Blue Hawaii cocktail in balloon glass with crushed ice, paper umbrella, cherry and orchids

Blue Hawaii Cocktail Recipe

The Blue Hawaii is shaken with ice and strained into a tall glass, but it can be prepared frozen. Yee is said to have changed orders per the guest’s preference. Both taste great, and the frozen version may be extra refreshing on a hot day!

Blue green Blue Hawaii cocktail in balloon glass with crushed ice, paper umbrella, cherry and orchids

The Blue Hawaii cocktail recipe calls for sweet and sour mix, and you can choose one of the bottled products available the store. But, you can make your own, and the cocktail will be fresher tasting. All it takes is sugar, water and lime juice.

How to Make the Blue Hawaii

This gorgeous drink is served a lot at tropical-themed bars. This blue drink is one of Hawaii’s most famous drinks, along with the Mai Tai. The fun thing about it is the color. A classic Blue Hawaii drink isn’t hard to make. You need just 5 simple ingredients.
Sour mix being poured into shake from jigger for Blue Hawaii
 
Just combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with some ice cubes. Shake and then strain into a glass with crushed ice.
 
Pineapple juice being poured into jigger for Blue Hawaii cocktail
Garnish as you would like, with tropical drinks sometimes more garnishes make them even more fun, along with the lovely blue color! So bust out those cocktail umbrellas!
Blue green Blue Hawaii cocktail being poured from shaker in glass with crushed ice

What is the Difference Between the Blue Hawaiian and the Blue Hawaii?

After the Elvis movie debuted, there was a plethora of tropical cocktails, including the Blue Hawaiian cocktail recipe. The Blue Hawaiian is the Blue Hawaii with cream of coconut, or just a blue Pina Colada, for lack of better term. It has coconut milk or creme de coconut, which makes it a lighter color green than the Blue Hawaii.
 
Blue green Blue Hawaii cocktail in balloon glass with crushed ice, paper umbrella, cherry and orchids

What Ingredients are in this Tropical Cocktail?

  • Vodka – any brand will do, vodka is vodka. This is in the cocktail to bring up the proof of the drink, it doesn’t add any flavor.
  • Light Rum – We love just a lightly aged rum, or even flavored rum like pineapple. This means either white rum or lightly aged. Use any brand that you like, some suggestions could be Diplomatico, Bacardi, or Foursquare white.
  • Blue Curacao – This gives the drink the signature blue color.  But, it has an orange flavor. Read all about this brilliant blue liqueur on our post What Is Blue Curacao?
  • Pineapple Juice – obviously fresh pineapple juice is harder to come by and does take some work, so canned pineapple juice works great. This helps give the green color when mixed with the blue curacao. Try another green cocktail with our Fantastic Beasts Cocktail.
  • Sweet and Sour Mix – You can get a premade mix of this from the grocery store, or make a homemade Sweet and Sour mix like this from A Nerd Cooks.

Blue green Blue Hawaii cocktail in balloon glass with crushed ice, paper umbrella, cherry and orchids

Tips and Tricks

  • Garnish – we used a tropical flower as garnish, along with a maraschino cherry and a paper umbrella. The original recipe called for a pineapple wedge. But an orange slice or brandied cherry would work too.
  • Glassware – tiki and tropical glasses like hurricane glasses or others are the way to go for this recipe. Because it’s served over crushed ice you want something that will show off the color or be a tropical touch. We have some great tropical and tiki glasses on our vintage site for you!
  • Rum – if you want to switch up the flavors a bit, but keep it tropical, you can use flavored rum. But this can make the drink sweeter. Some rums could be coconut rum or pineapple rum, or even orange rum.
  • For a Crowd – Because this cocktail is easy and inexpensive to make, it can be served as a blue Hawaiian punch. To make you need a bottle of light rum, bottle of vodka, 1/2 – 3/4 bottle of blue curacao, about 32 ounces pineapple juice (large can), large bottle of premade sour mix or lime juice, and a bag of ice, together in a punch bowl. The Blue Hawaii is seasonal, often considered a summer or warm weather drink in the aloha state.

 

Cheers!

 

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Like this recipe? Try these below, too!

Coffee, Coffee Bean, Coffee Liqueur, Banana Liqueur, pineapple juice, coconut cream, mezcal, cocktail, Tiki Cocktail, Tropical Flavors, tiki mugCargo Cult

 

Orange cocktail in rocks glass with crushed ice, mint sprigAncient Mariner

 

Try Some More Tropical Cocktails

Blue green Blue Hawaii cocktail in balloon glass with crushed ice, paper umbrella, cherry and orchids
Yield: 1

Blue Hawaii

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

This fun blue tropical cocktail is a must make! A tasty combo of flavors with light rum, vodka, blue curacao, pineapple juice and sour mix in this Blue Hawaii Cocktail Recipe.

Ingredients

  • .75 ounce vodka
  • .75 ounce Light Rum
  • .50 ounce Blue Curacao
  • 3 ounces pineapple juice
  • 1 ounce sour mix
  • Pineapple wedge, cherry and umbrella if desired

Instructions

  1. Combine vodka, rum, blue curacao, juice and sour mix in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a tall glass filled with crushed or pebble ice.
  2. Garnish with pineapple, cherry and paper umbrella if desired. If in a tall glass a straw is also recommended.
  3. Cheers!

Notes

Homemade Sour Mix is easy to make with just sugar, water, lemon and lime juices.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup lime juice

Heat over medium heat like a simple syrup, until sugar is dissolved, but don't boil. Store in the fridge.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 252Total Fat: .1gSodium: 57mgCarbohydrates: 36.4gFiber: .2gSugar: 33gProtein: .3g

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