Blue Hawaiian recipe
A vibrant azure icon of mid-century tiki culture, balancing bright citrus, lush pineapple, and crisp island spirits.
Method: Blended or shaken and strained over crushed ice ·
Glass: Hurricane glass ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Beginner ·
Family: Tiki & Tropical
Ingredients
- 1 oz Light rum
- 1 oz Blue curaçao
- 2 oz Pineapple juice
- 1 oz Cream of coconut (or simple syrup)
How to make a Blue Hawaiian
- Combine the light rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut in a blender with one cup of crushed ice.
- Blend at high speed for 5 to 10 seconds until frosty and smooth.
- Pour the contents directly into a chilled hurricane glass.
- Top with additional fresh crushed ice to fill the glass if needed.
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry.
Garnish
Pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry
Pro tip
For a lighter, clearer presentation without blending, shake all ingredients vigorously with ice and strain over fresh crushed ice in a tall glass.
History of the Blue Hawaiian
Invented in 1957 by legendary bartender Harry Yee at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki, the recipe's exact lineage is sometimes conflated with his earlier vodka-and-rum Blue Hawaii. While historians debate whether the coconut cream version emerged immediately or shortly after at the resort, it firmly established itself as a mid-century tropical staple.
Flavour profile
Fruity, Tropical, Sweet
Variations
- Blue Hawaii — Substitute vodka and fresh lemon juice for the cream of coconut, following Harry Yee's original shaken formulation.
- Navy Grog Blue — Combine overproof rum, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and blue curaçao for a punchier, high-octane tiki variation.
- Frozen Chi Chi Blue — Replace light rum with vodka and blend with cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and a half-ounce of blue curaçao for color.
Practise making the Blue Hawaiian in the free Virtual Bar game.