Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Blue Hawaii

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Rum, blue curaçao and pineapple — the tiki drink the color of a Hawaiian sea. Sweet, tropical and very blue.

Preparation~3 minEasyStrengthMediumabout 14% ABVMethodShaken9 guided stepsIngredients4Hurricane glass (or tall glass)

Tropical

In the glassWhite rum · Blue curaçao · Pineapple juice · Fresh lemon juice

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Make it with guidanceOne clear action at a time, with timers built in.

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear hurricane glass with a tall curved bowl, flared rim and short stem. — Serving glassHurricane glass

Set up before you pour

Use a hurricane glass.

The tall curved bowl holds crushed ice and a generous tropical serve while leaving room for garnish.

Standard size: 440 ml15 oz
Ice & serve: Pack it generously with crushed ice.
If you don’t own one: Use a highball or any tall glass with enough capacity.

Tools to set out

cocktail shaker
strainer (or a small sieve)
jigger or measuring spoon

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Scale to your hurricane glass (or tall glass)We’ll remember this glass size.

White rum30 ml
Blue curaçao22 ml
Pineapple juice60 ml
Fresh lemon juice15 ml

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From bottle to glass

Method

01
Measure into the shaker
Pour 30 ml white rum into your shaker
- White rum
02
Measure into the shaker
Add 22 ml blue curaçao
- Blue curaçao
03
Measure into the shaker
Add 60 ml pineapple juice
- Pineapple juice
04
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- Fresh lemon juice
05
Ice the shaker
Fill the shaker with ice
Why it mattersFill it right up — more ice chills faster with less watering down.
06
Seal and shake
Seal and shake hard
Why it mattersCold hands mean it’s working. Shake until the tin frosts over.
07
Ice the glass
Fill your glass with fresh crushed ice
08
Strain cleanly
Strain into your glass
Why it mattersPour through the strainer so the spent shaker ice stays behind.
09
Finish the drink
Finish it — add a pineapple wedge and a cocktail cherry

Know your drink

About the Blue Hawaii

A Daiquiri, minty rum highball and dark rum rocks drink at a sunset terrace bar.

Honolulu, 1957

Harry Yee is the name attached to this one. He was working the bar at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu in 1957 when a liqueur representative asked him to find a use for blue curaçao. Yee is also usually credited with the paper parasol and the vanda orchid, so the visual instinct was consistent.

Recipes split the base between rum and vodka almost as often as they use rum alone, and both work. Rum on its own keeps the drink in tiki territory, where the funk of the spirit meets pineapple. Adding vodka makes it cleaner and stronger without changing the flavor much, which is why so many hotel bars do it.

Common questions

Blue Hawaii FAQ

Is a Blue Hawaiian the same thing?

No, and the difference is coconut. A Blue Hawaiian adds cream of coconut, which turns the drink opaque, pale and closer to a Piña Colada. This one stays clear and translucent, and the pineapple and lemon carry it. Bars mix the two names up constantly, so ask before you order.

Is the blue curaçao only there for color?

It's orange liqueur with dye in it, and at 22 ml it carries real sugar as well as the color. Cheap bottles are mostly sugar and blue, so if the drink comes out syrupy, cut it to 15 ml and add a bar spoon of white curaçao to put the orange back.

No hurricane glass. What else works?

Any tall glass that holds around 350 ml. What matters far more is the crushed ice, which keeps the drink cold and slowly dilutes it into something drinkable. A pint glass or a large tumbler is fine. A short rocks glass is not, because it fills with ice and leaves no room.

The last half of mine was watery. Why?

You probably shook with crushed ice and then poured the lot into the glass, which dilutes twice. Shake with cubes, strain into a glass packed with fresh crushed ice, and let the ice do the rest slowly. Pack it tighter than feels reasonable, since air gaps melt fastest.

What ingredients are in a Blue Hawaii?

A classic Blue Hawaii calls for 30 ml (1 oz) White rum, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Blue curaçao, 60 ml (2 oz) Pineapple juice, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Fresh lemon juice. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Blue Hawaii?

A standard Blue Hawaii is roughly 14% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.

Is a Blue Hawaii shaken or stirred?

A Blue Hawaii is shaken — the rule of thumb is to shake anything with citrus juice. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.

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