Before you cook

This page is for mixing the drink, not collecting alternate names.

Blue Hawaii gets confusing when every tropical blue drink gets lumped together. CurtisJ's take is to use this page for the actual build: rum, vodka, blue curacao, pineapple, and the balance that keeps the glass tasting like an island bar drink instead of a novelty syrup bomb.

If another version is carrying the same intent, it does not need to compete with this one. This page is the canonical recipe version.

That electric blue color. You've seen it in every cheesy beach movie, every tiki bar, every resort pool bar in the world.

But the Blue Hawaii has a real history, and it starts exactly where you'd hope – in Waikiki.

The Origin Story

1957. The Hilton Hawaiian Village. A bartender named Harry Yee.

Bols, the Dutch liqueur company, asked Yee to create a cocktail showcasing their new Blue Curaçao. Harry mixed it with rum, pineapple juice, and sweet and sour mix, served it in a tall glass with an orchid garnish.

The Blue Hawaii was born.

Blue Hawaii Cocktail

The original turquoise cocktail invented in Waikiki in 1957. Light rum, Blue Curaçao, and pineapple juice create the perfect tropical vacation in a glass.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Servings: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1 oz light rum (white rum)
  • 1 oz vodka
  • ½ oz Blue Curaçao
  • 3 oz pineapple juice
  • 1 oz fresh sweet and sour mix
  • Ice
  • Pineapple wedge and cherry, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Combine ingredients: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add rum, vodka, Blue Curaçao, pineapple juice, and sweet and sour mix.
  2. Shake well for 15-20 seconds until very cold.
  3. Strain into a hurricane glass or tall glass filled with fresh ice.
  4. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry.

Serve immediately – the color is most vibrant when fresh.

Notes

  • Blue Hawaiian variation: Add 1 oz cream of coconut and reduce pineapple juice to 2 oz for a creamier version.
  • Fresh sour mix: Equal parts lemon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup.