Honolulu, United States · 1957

Blue Hawaii

Also known as Blue Hawaiian, Hawaiian Blue

A bright blue, rum-based tropical drink that tastes like sweet citrus and pineapple with a coconut finish.

coconutpineappleorangeblue-curacaotropicalsweetcreamyrumtikifruity

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with sharp pineapple and citrus, backed by a heavy wave of coconut sweetness. Mid-palate, the rum warmth pushes through the fruit, but the blue curaçao keeps things firmly in sugary orange territory. It finishes sweet and a bit syrupy, leaving a lingering coconut-vanilla note on your tongue.

Who will like it

This is for drinkers who like sweet, fruity, and tropical cocktails and don't mind a bright, candy-like drink.

When to drink

Break this out at a summer pool party or tiki night when you want something fun and frosty.

Ordering tip

Ask the bartender to go easy on the sweet sour mix or swap it for fresh lime juice if you want to cut through the sugar.

Ice: CrushedTemp: ColdCost: $8–$12Glass: HurricaneBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This drink is a sugar bomb in the best way, hitting you with bright pineapple and coconut upfront and a sticky-sweet orange note from the curaçao. The rum is mostly a ghost here, just providing a little warmth behind all that fruit and cream. It's thick, almost like a melted milkshake, with just enough citrus tang to keep it from tasting like pure syrup. You drink this for the fun color and the dessert-like texture, not for nuance.

Finish: The finish is short and sweet, leaving a coating of coconut and orange candy flavor on your tongue.

Primary tastes

sweetfruity

Secondary

sourcreamy

Aroma

pineapplecoconutorange

Sweetnessvery sweet
The combination of blue curaçao, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice makes this an intensely sweet drink.
Sournessmild acidity
The pineapple and sour mix add a little tartness, but it gets buried under the heavy sweetness.
Strengthlow alcohol
The large volume of juice and syrup heavily dilutes the rum, making the alcohol barely noticeable.
Refreshingmoderately refreshing
It's cold and fruity, but the thick cream of coconut makes it heavier and more sipping-oriented than a crisp highball.
Creaminessquite creamy
The cream of coconut gives the drink a thick, smooth, almost milkshake-like body.
Complexitystraightforward
This is a simple, direct hit of sweet fruit and coconut without layers or subtle transitions.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Hurricane · equal parts on Light Rum. A clean, unaged or lightly aged rum works best here

Before you start

Check your cream of coconut and give it a good stir before you start, because it separates in the bottle and you need the smooth stuff, not the watery liquid. Get your ice ready—you'll need a lot for shaking and filling the glass.

Ingredients

Light RumBase Spirit45ml
Blue CuraçaoLiqueurProvides the bright blue color and a sweet orange flavor30ml
Cream of CoconutSyrupUse cream of coconut like Coco López, not coconut water or coconut milk30ml
Pineapple JuiceJuice60ml
Sour MixoptionalJuiceTraditional in the original recipe, but fresh lime juice is a better substitute30ml
Pineapple WedgeGarnish1 piece
Maraschino CherryGarnish1 piece

Garnish: Pineapple wedge, Maraschino cherry

Tools

Cocktail Shaker · Shaking
To combine and chill the rum, juices, and cream of coconut with ice
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid
Jigger · Measuring
To measure the rum, blue curaçao, cream of coconut, and juices
At home: A measuring cup or shot glass
Hawthorne Strainer · Straining
To hold back the ice while pouring the drink into the glass
At home: A slotted spoon or fine mesh sieve
Bar Spoon · Mixing
To stir the cream of coconut if it has separated in the bottle
At home: A regular spoon
Blender · optional · Mixing
To blend the drink with ice for a frozen version
Hurricane Glass · optional · Serving
To serve the drink with plenty of room for ice and garnishes
At home: A large wine glass or pint glass

Steps

1
Measure 45ml light rum, 30ml blue curaçao, 30ml cream of coconut, 60ml pineapple juice, and 30ml sour mix if you're using it. Pour each one into the empty cocktail shaker as you go.
!Forgetting to stir the cream of coconut first, which leaves you with a watery, separated mess instead of a rich coconut base.
2
Fill the shaker about two-thirds full with ice. You want enough ice to chill the drink fast but leave room to shake it around. If you're making a frozen version, put all these ingredients into a blender with a cup of crushed ice instead.
!Underfilling the shaker with ice, which means the drink won't get cold enough and the ice will melt too fast.
3
Put the top on the shaker and shake it hard for about 10 to 12 seconds. The cream of coconut makes this drink thick, so shake longer than you would for a simple sour to make sure everything mixes completely. You'll know you're done when the outside of the shaker feels icy cold and frosty.
~12s
!Shaking too gently or too briefly, which leaves the cream of coconut floating in chunks instead of blending smoothly.
4
Take the lid off the shaker and fit a Hawthorne strainer over the top. Pour the drink through the strainer into a hurricane glass or large glass filled with fresh ice. The drink should look bright blue and opaque.
!Pouring too fast so the liquid splashes over the rim and makes a sticky mess.
5
Stick a pineapple wedge onto the rim of the glass and drop a maraschino cherry right in the drink or onto the pineapple. Serve it right away while it's still frosty.

Serve

Serve it in a hurricane glass or any large tiki glass packed with fresh ice. The drink is thick and sweet, so it's best enjoyed cold and fairly quickly before the ice melts and waters it down.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Sour Mix

Sour MixFresh Lime Juice
Match
Common availability
Sour Mix → Fresh Lime Juice: Adds a sharper, more authentic citrus bite that cuts through the sweetness better than bottled sour mix.

Swap options for Blue Curaçao

Blue CuraçaoCuraçao (Orange Curaçao)
Match
Specialty availability
Blue Curaçao → Curaçao (Orange Curaçao): Provides the same orange flavor but you lose the bright blue color, turning the drink a dull greenish-brown.

Swap options for Cream of Coconut

Cream of CoconutCoconut Milk
Match
Common availability
Cream of Coconut → Coconut Milk: Makes the drink thinner and less sweet, but you lose the rich, dessert-like texture and will need to add simple syrup.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon uses lemonade instead of coconut and pineapple, making it lighter and crisper.

Match

While both are sweet blue drinks, the Blue Lagoon is light and lemony, whereas the Blue Hawaii is heavy, creamy, and tastes like the tropics.

In common: Bright blue color, Sweet and citrus-forward, Cold and refreshing

Ingredients

Both share

Light Rum, Blue Curaçao

Only in Blue Hawaii

Cream of Coconut, Pineapple Juice, Sour Mix

Only in Blue Lagoon

Lemonade

The Blue Hawaii swaps out the lemonade for cream of coconut and pineapple juice, turning a crisp highball into a thick, tropical drink.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Sweet orange from the blue curaçao, Rum base, Bright blue appearance

How Blue Lagoon differs

Thicker and creamier, More tropical fruit flavor, Heavier mouthfeel

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Piña Colada

The Piña Colada lacks blue curaçao, keeping the drink white and focusing purely on the pineapple-coconut flavor without the orange note.

Match

They drink very similarly with that thick, creamy tropical texture, but the Blue Hawaii has a distinct sweet orange edge from the curaçao that the Piña Colada lacks.

In common: Cream of coconut body, Pineapple-rum flavor, Thick texture, Tropical style

Ingredients

Both share

Light Rum, Cream of Coconut, Pineapple Juice

Only in Blue Hawaii

Blue Curaçao, Sour Mix

The Blue Hawaii is essentially a Piña Colada with blue curaçao added, which tints it blue and introduces an extra layer of sweet orange flavor.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Rich coconut body, Sweet pineapple front, Smooth rum warmth

How Piña Colada differs

Added orange flavor, Slightly sweeter overall, Bright blue color

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Mai Tai

The Mai Tai uses almond-heavy orgeat and orange curaçao instead of blue curaçao and cream of coconut, making it nuttier and less creamy.

Match

The Mai Tai is a more balanced, nutty, and complex sip, while the Blue Hawaii goes all-in on creamy, sweet fruit flavors.

In common: Rum and pineapple base, Tiki cocktail, Served over ice

Ingredients

Both share

Light Rum, Pineapple Juice, Sour Mix

Only in Blue Hawaii

Blue Curaçao, Cream of Coconut

Only in Mai Tai

Dark Rum, Orange Curaçao, Orgeat Syrup

The Mai Tai brings orgeat and dark rum for a nutty, complex profile, while the Blue Hawaii leans on cream of coconut and blue curaçao for a sweeter, creamier result.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Tropical fruit notes, Rum backbone, Citrus tartness

How Mai Tai differs

Nutty almond flavor, Drier finish, Less creamy body

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

Harry Yee invented the Blue Hawaii in 1957 when a Bols representative asked him to create a drink using their new blue curaçao. He swapped vodka for rum and added the pineapple and coconut, turning a simple blue vodka drink into a tiki standard.

Creator: Harry Yee at the Hilton Hawaiian Village
Era: 1950s
Confidence

The original Harry Yee recipe uses sour mix, but modern variations frequently substitute fresh lime juice for better flavor. The drink is often confused with the Blue Hawaiian, which uses coconut cream instead of cream of coconut, though the two terms are frequently used interchangeably on menus.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Stir your cream of coconut well before pouring or it will clump.
Use fresh lime juice instead of sour mix for a sharper, better drink.
Shake harder and longer than you think to blend the thick coconut cream.
Freeze the glass beforehand to keep this sweet drink from watering down fast.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Don't use coconut milk by mistake, it will make the drink thin and watery.
Don't skip the shaking step, stirring won't mix the cream of coconut properly.