Blue Hawaiian Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/1/23
Tested by
Tom Macy
Photo of Tom Macy
Tested by Tom Macy
Tom wears many cocktail hats. He is a professional bartender, bar owner, recipe creator, and drink writer, though he prefers the title "obsessive cocktail nerd."
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The blue Hawaiian cocktail is a fantastic and fun tropical drink. It's filled with rum, pineapple, and coconut—and, best of all, it's blue. Blue cocktails are always hard to resist because the color lures you in for a taste of the sweet tropical flavor. This recipe, which is also nicknamed the "swimming pool cocktail," is one of the best, and it's tempting to drink more than one.

What Goes Into a Blue Hawaiian—and How It Gets Its Lovely Color

In essence, a blue Hawaiian is a colorful version of the popular piña colada. It simply splits up the coconut and pineapple flavors to allow room for blue curaçao. The orange-flavored liqueur is responsible for the drink's mesmerizing aquamarine color. It contains between 15 and 40 percent alcohol.

In addition to blue curaçao, a Blue Hawaiian contains thick, sweet cream of coconut (sometimes labeled crème de coconut), which should not be confused with coconut cream or coconut milk, neither of which are typically sweetened.

It also contains light rum (aka white rum) and pineapple juice, plus a Maraschino cherry and pineapple wedge for garnish.

Stirred, Shaken, or Blended—It's Your Call

You have three options when it comes to mixing this tropical summer cocktail: Stir it, shake it, or blend it. Whichever way you choose, it's effortless to make.

Blue Hawaiian vs. Blue Hawaii

It is easy to confuse the blue Hawaiian with the blue Hawaii cocktail. While both are blue due to the curaçao liqueur, the blue Hawaii uses sour mix instead of cream of coconut. As a rule of thumb, if you see a coconut ingredient (including coconut rum) suggested in a recipe, you are making a blue Hawaiian cocktail.

Bartender Harry Yee created the blue Hawaii at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in 1957. He was asked to develop a curaçao drink by a sales representative for Bols, a Dutch distiller known for liqueurs as well as genever. The festive drink soon made its way to other tropical-themed bars, including the famous Trader Vic's. It's highly likely that the blue Hawaiian was an adaptation of the original drink.

If you want to make a blue Hawaii, it's incredibly simple: Split the Hawaiian's rum with an equal part of vodka (3/4 ounce each), then pour 1/2 ounce blue curaçao, 3 ounces pineapple juice, and 1 ounce sour mix. Shake and strain over fresh ice, using a pineapple-cherry garnish.

Why Is My Blue Hawaiian Green?

The hue of your cocktail will depend on the ratio of the ingredients and how colorful your blue curaçao is. When properly mixed, you should have a nice aquamarine blue color. If your curaçao isn't making the mixture blue enough, add a drop or two of blue food coloring to achieve the signature color.

Blue Hawaiian cocktails with pineapple wedge and maraschino cherries in collins glasses

The Spruce Eats

"The blue Hawaiian lives up to its name big time. It's blue and tastes like one imagines Hawaii would taste if it were a drink. As with many tropical drinks, it can veer into the overly sweet territory. Mitigate that with citrus juice, use up to 1/2 ounce to find the balance right for you." —Tom Macy

Blue Hawaiian Cocktail Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces rum

  • 3/4 ounce blue curaçao liqueur

  • 2 ounces pineapple juice

  • 3/4 ounce ​cream of coconut

  • Maraschino cherry, for garnish

  • Pineapple wedge, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for blue Hawaiian cocktail recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats

  2. In a mixing glass filled with ice cubes, pour the rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut. Stir well for at least 30 seconds. (Alternately, shake the drink over ice or whip it up in a blender.)

    Blue Hawaiian ingredients combined in mixing glass with ice cubes

    The Spruce Eats

  3. Strain into a collins glass filled with fresh ice cubes.

    Blue Hawaiian strained through a cocktail strainer into a collins glass

    The Spruce Eats

  4. Garnish with a cherry and pineapple wedge. Serve and enjoy.

    Blue Hawaiian cocktails with pineapple wedge and maraschino cherries

     The Spruce Eats

Recipe Variations

  • Shake this cocktail for a frothier drink—Just be sure to shake the cocktail until the outside of your cocktail shaker gets frosty and almost too cold to handle.
  • Blend it up for a frozen version Blue Hawaiian—Pour the ingredients into a blender with 1 cup of cracked ice and blend until smooth. It's enough for one tall drink or two shorter drinks if you'd like to share it with a friend.
  • For a slightly lighter drink—Switch from cream of coconut to coconut milk or coconut cream.
  • Tame the sweetness—If this cocktail is too sweet for you, add 1/2 ounce of lemon juice to help balance that out.

How Strong Is a Blue Hawaiian?

Assuming that you pour an 80-proof rum, the blue Hawaiian is not too boozy. It mixes up to about 15 percent ABV (30 proof), so it's like having a glass of strong wine. If you toss it in the blender with ice, it's an even softer drink, right around 6 percent ABV (12 proof).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
713 Calories
32g Fat
72g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 713
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 41%
Saturated Fat 28g 138%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 251mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 72g 26%
Dietary Fiber 10g 36%
Total Sugars 54g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 68mg 338%
Calcium 47mg 4%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 520mg 11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)