What is POG juice?
POG is a passion fruit, orange, and guava juice blend that became one of Hawaii’s most familiar breakfast and party drinks.
Hawaiian drinks
Hawaiian Drinks Guide
Island drinks should taste like more than a garnish. Start with POG, fruit, coffee, and the cocktails people order in Hawaii when the balance is right.
CurtisJ rule
The glass still needs standards.
A Hawaii drink can be bright, cold, sweet, or boozy without turning flat. Fresh fruit, good proportions, enough acid, and less fuss usually win.
Best first read
POG – Hawaii’s Passion Orange Guava Juice (Make It Fresh)
Ask anyone from Hawaii what they drank growing up, and POG will come up within the first three answers. Passion fruit. Orange. Guava. P.O.G. That sweet, tangy, bright tropical flavor in the distinctive orange carton....
ReadGuide: Hawaiian Tropical Fruits for Drinks & Cocktails
A useful guide to Hawaiian tropical fruits for drinks tells you what each fruit does in the glass, not just how pretty it looks in a market photo.
ReadLilikoi Lemonade – Hawaiian Passion Fruit LemonadeLilikoi lemonade is liquid sunshine. That bright, tangy passion fruit combined with lemon creates something so refreshing, so perfectly balanced, that one sip transports...
POG and fruit
Use fruit for balance, not just color.
Passion fruit, orange, guava, lilikoi, coconut, and tropical fruit all behave differently in the glass.
Recipe
POG – Hawaii’s Passion Orange Guava Juice (Make It Fresh)
Ask anyone from Hawaii what they drank growing up, and POG will come up within the first three answers. Passion fruit. Orange. Guava. P.O.G. That sweet, tangy, bright tropical flavor in the distinctive orange carton....
ReadGuide: Hawaiian Tropical Fruits for Drinks & Cocktails
A useful guide to Hawaiian tropical fruits for drinks tells you what each fruit does in the glass, not just how pretty it looks in a market photo.
ReadLilikoi Lemonade – Hawaiian Passion Fruit Lemonade
Lilikoi lemonade is liquid sunshine. That bright, tangy passion fruit combined with lemon creates something so refreshing, so perfectly balanced, that one sip transports...
ReadGuava Nectar Punch – Hawaiian Party Drink
Guava punch is the drink that shows up at every luau, graduation party, and baby shower in Hawaii. It’s sweet, tropical, and stretches to serve a crowd—exactly what you n...
Cocktails
Keep the classic island drinks from going syrupy.
Mai tai, Blue Hawaii, lava flow, and Chi Chi all need enough structure to taste like drinks instead of dessert foam.
Read
Mango Mai Tai – A Tropical Twist on Hawaii’s Classic Cocktail
Hawaii’s classic cocktail meets the island’s most abundant fruit — fresh mango muddled into a proper Mai Tai with aged rum, orgeat, and lime. Make it shaken or frozen, bu...
RecipeBlue Hawaii Cocktail – The Original Island Drink Recipe
This Blue Hawaii recipe is the build-and-balance version, with the exact bottle lineup and proportions that keep the drink cold, bright, and recognizably Waikiki.
RecipeLava Flow – Hawaii’s Frozen Strawberry-Piña Colada
Picture a piña colada and a strawberry daiquiri had a baby. Now picture that baby looking like an erupting volcano. That's the Lava Flow. The red strawberry puree swirled through creamy white piña colada creates a dra...
RecipeChi Chi – Hawaii’s Vodka Piña Colada
If you've ever sat at a bar in Hawaii and heard someone order a Chi Chi, you might have wondered what exactly makes it different from a piña colada. Simple answer: vodka instead of rum. That one swap changes everythin...
No-rush drinks
Keep coffee, tea, syrup, and mocktails in rotation.
Not every island drink needs rum. Some of the best ones are afternoon pours, breakfast glasses, and shave-ice flavors.
Read
Iced Kona Coffee (Local Style) – Hawaii’s Afternoon Pick-Me-Up
Iced Kona coffee should stay bold enough to taste like coffee first, even when condensed milk, coconut, or ice start pulling in their own direction.
ReadHawaiian Coffee Culture – How to Brew Kona Coffee at Home
The first time I had real Kona coffee—I mean actually fresh, single-estate Kona brewed by a farmer who grew it himself—I understood why people make such a fuss about it....
ReadHawaiian Sun Tea – Simple Island Refreshment
There’s something about sun tea that makes you slow down. You set the jar outside in the morning, go about your day, and by afternoon you’ve got something beautiful waiti...
ReadCoconut Water Mocktail – Tropical Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Not every island drink needs rum in it. I learned that lesson at my cousin’s baby shower a few years back. Half the guests were pregnant, nursing, or underage, and the ot...
ReadHawaiian Shave Ice Syrup Guide – Make Your Own Tropical Flavors
The best shave ice syrups for home are bright, pourable, and strong enough to flavor fluffy ice without turning the cup into sticky sugar water.
Keep going
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Quick answers
Before you keep cooking.
What are popular Hawaiian drinks?
POG, mai tais, Blue Hawaii cocktails, lava flows, guava punch, lilikoi lemonade, Kona coffee, shave ice syrups, and coconut mocktails are all common island drink starting points.
What is the difference between a mai tai and a Blue Hawaii?
A mai tai is a rum, lime, orange curaçao, and orgeat cocktail that leans boozy and complex. A Blue Hawaii is lighter, sweeter, and blue from curaçao, built around pineapple and vodka or rum. Different drinks that get lumped together because both look tropical.
Is Kona coffee grown only in Hawaii?
True Kona coffee is grown only on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa on the Big Island. Beans labeled "Kona blend" only require ten percent Kona coffee, so read the bag if you want the real thing.
What is a lava flow drink?
A lava flow is a piña colada layered with strawberry purée so the red fruit swirls up the sides of the glass like lava. It is non-boozy friendly since the rum is optional, and it is one of the most requested bar drinks in Hawaii.
Can I make Hawaiian drinks without alcohol?
Yes. POG, lilikoi lemonade, guava nectar punch, coconut water mocktails, Hawaiian sun tea, and iced Kona coffee are all standard pours that never needed rum to work. Many classic cocktails also have straightforward mocktail versions.