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This tropical Blue Hawaiian cocktail is made with pineapple, coconut, rum, vodka, and Blue Curaçao (for that lovely blue color). It’s the perfect signature cocktail for your next summer soiree!
When I host parties, I like to choose a signature cocktail that fits the theme. That way, I don’t have to worry about stocking a full bar for people to mix endless cocktails (which can be expensive and wasteful).
So when we decided to create a Tropical Party spread on Culinary Hill, I knew we needed a signature cocktail. I immediately wanted to serve Blue Hawaiians because the taste is on point for the theme (fruity and tropical) and the beautiful blue hue reminds me of the Pacific Ocean.
Because too much rum can taste overpowering, we split the difference with some vodka. And while Blue Hawaiians are often made with cream of coconut, it tastes almost sickly-sweet here because pineapple juice is also very sweet. We opted for unsweetened canned coconut cream instead. Add a splash of Blue Curaçao for ocean views!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Rum: For even more flavor, substitute coconut rum such as Malibu brand.
- Blue Curaçao Liquor: bright blue orange-flavored liquor made from Laraha citrus from the Dutch Island of Curaçao.
- Coconut cream: While Blue Hawaiians are traditionally made with cream of coconut (syrupy and very sweet), we prefer canned coconut cream (thick and unsweetened).
Step-by-step instructions
- To a blender, add crushed ice, pineapple juice, white rum, blue Curaçao liquor, coconut cream, and vodka.
- Blend until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into a chilled highball glass.
- Garnish with pineapple and maraschino cherry.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 (8 ounce) Blue Hawaiian cocktail.
- Glassware: Serve in a Hurricane glass, Poco grande glass, or highball glass.
- Big batch: To make a batch of 4 cocktails, combine 4 cups crushed ice, 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) pineapple juice, 8 ounces (1 cup) white rum, 4 ounces (½ cup) blue Curaçao liquor, 4 ounces (½ cup) coconut cream, and 4 ounces (½ cup) vodka in a blender. Blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Blue Hawaii: In this lighter version, substitute sweet & sour mix for the coconut cream.
Recipe FAQs
These are two different cocktails. The Blue Hawaii is made with sweet and sour mix. The Blue Hawaiian (shown here) is made with coconut cream.
Yes, the frosty drink is made in a blender with ice.
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Blue Hawaiian
Ingredients
- 1 cup crushed ice
- 3 ounces pineapple juice
- 2 ounces white rum (see note 1)
- 1 ounce blue Curaçao liquor (see note 2)
- 1 ounce coconut cream (see note 3)
- 1 ounce vodka
- fresh pineapple for garnish
- maraschino cherry for garnish
Instructions
- To a blender, add crushed ice, pineapple juice, white rum, blue Curaçao liquor, coconut cream, and vodka.
- Blend until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into a chilled highball glass. Garnish with pineapple and maraschino cherry.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Rum: For even more flavor, substitute coconut rum such as Malibu brand.
- Blue Curaçao Liquor: bright blue orange-flavored liquor made from Laraha citrus from the Dutch Island of Curaçao.
- Coconut cream: While Blue Hawaiians are traditionally made with cream of coconut (syrupy and very sweet), we prefer canned coconut cream (thick and unsweetened).
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 (8 ounce) Blue Hawaiian cocktail.
- Glassware: Serve in a Hurricane glass, Poco grande glass, or highball glass.
- Big batch: To make a batch of 4 cocktails, combine 4 cups crushed ice, 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) pineapple juice, 8 ounces (1 cup) white rum, 4 ounces (½ cup) blue Curaçao liquor, 4 ounces (½ cup) coconut cream, and 4 ounces (½ cup) vodka in a blender. Blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.