5 Blue Hawaiian Drink Recipes to Level Up Your Date Night
We often recommend for couples to try having a color-theme date night. But it can be difficult to find foods and drinks that match the chosen color. That’s when this blue Hawaiian drink comes in! Danny tells you more about it in this post.
Having been to Big island, Kauai and Oahu, we can tell you that Hawaii is super romantic. So making Hawaiian drinks together for your date night sounds like a good way to both bring Hawaii to you and romanticize your evening together. Plus, itโs hard to beat the iconic blue-colored Hawaiian drink!
This legendary cocktail is almost synonymous with the Aloha State, offering a taste of the tropics since the 1950s. Letโs dive into its history and recipes from five Hawaii bars so you can bring tropical vibes to your date and spend a good time together.
But First, What Is the Blue Hawaiian Drink?
A Blue Hawaii is a tropical cocktail that contains white rum, pineapple juice (fresh is best), sweet and sour mix (a syrup typically made using lemon juice, lime juice, sugar, and water), and a bitter-orange-flavored liqueur called curacao that gives the drink its bright ocean-colored hue. This famous blue Hawaiian drink can also contain vodka but is optional.
A Blue Hawaii is often served on the rocks. You can also request a frozen one blended with a cup of crushed ice. As for the garnish, youโll usually find a wedge of pineapple on the edge of the glass, accompanied by a maraschino cherry, one of their Hawaiian flowers, and the all-important tiny cocktail umbrella.
Having said all that, we could have answered the question of what the drink is in a single word: delicious.
The Blue Hawaii cocktail has the sweetness of the pineapple, balanced beautifully by the tartness of the sour mix, with bitter-orange undertones courtesy of the curacao.
Itโs quite a strong cocktail, especially when you include vodka. Yet it isnโt overpowering, thanks to intense tropical flavors. So you may not taste the power of all the alcohol.
Like Hawaiian food, this drink is another symbol of how Hawaii’s physical location is not just a geographical meeting point between Asia Pacific and The Americas, but so are its modern-day culinary offerings. For visitors seeking a quintessential tropical experience – at least as itโs sold on postcards and TV screens – this blue Hawaiian drink symbolizes everything theyโre looking for.
The History of the Blue Hawaiian Drink
The Blue Hawaii drink is a staple on Hawaiian bar menus these days. But rewind 70 years, and it didnโt exist. Back then, tourism had just started to take hold. World War II wasnโt that long ago, and Americans started flocking there to experience what the servicemen returning from the South Pacific had been gushing about. During this time, Harry Yee, a local of Chinese descent, was a bartender at The Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.
The tourists pouring into town wanted a taste of tropical Hawaii and often asked for a local cocktail. Yee had nothing to offer; the best he could do was mix a Mai Tai. As fate would have it, though, a salesman for the Dutch liquor company Bols came to ask if he could create a drink using the liqueur they were promoting at the time: Blue Curacao. The rest, as they say, is history.
Yee named his creation the โBlue Hawaii,โ and the concoction became an instant hit. Contrary to popular belief, Yee didnโt take the name from the eponymous Elvis Presley movie. Instead, he borrowed it from a Bing Crosby film called Waikiki Wedding, where the song โBlue Hawaiiโ plays. Imagine getting married during sunset on Oahu while sipping on your blue drink, sounds about right to us!
Yeeโs notoriety as a mixologist only continued from there. He invented 15 more cocktails, including the Hawaiian Eye and Naughty Hula.
We canโt forget his historic garnishes for this Blue Hawaiian drink. A vanda orchid replaced a stalk of sugarcane in each drink because it didnโt leave a sticky residue on the empty glasses. And you know those tiny paper parasols you see decorating drinks everywhere nowadays? According to tiki drink historian Jeff Berry, Yee is the first to put these China-manufactured mini-umbrellas in a cocktail.
The Blue Hawaii vs. The Blue Hawaiian Cocktail
People commonly refer to Blue Hawaii cocktails as โBlue Hawaiians.โ And you canโt blame them. After all, theyโre both blue Hawaiian drinks that derive their hue from blue curacao! Yet theyโre not the same.
The difference? The Blue Hawaii contains sour mix, while the Blue Hawaiian uses Crรจme de Coconut.
A simple way to tell the difference on a bar menu is by looking for any coconut-based recipe ingredients. If you spot one (including coconut rum), youโre drinking a Blue Hawaiian. It will still be delicious, it just wonโt be the original cocktail created by Harry Yee.
5 Blue Hawaiian Recipes From Bars in Hawaii
Here are five Blue Hawaiian recipes whether you want to bar hop on your next vacation to the Hawaiian Islands or are looking for different versions to make at home.
1. Harry Yeeโs 1957 Original Blue Hawaii Recipe
If you want to step back in time to see how an original Blue Hawaii would have tasted if the legend himself had made it for you, then this is the recipe. According to Yee, if it doesnโt contain vodka, itโs incorrect.
Take a 12-ounce glass and fill it with ice, pour in 3oz of fresh pineapple juice, then add (in this order):
- 1oz of sweet and sour mix
- 1/2oz of Blue Curacao (preferably Bols)
- 3/4oz of vodka
- 3/4oz of Puerto Rican light rum
Once added to the glass, stir the ingredients together gently to mix. To finish, garnish your blue Hawaiian drink with a slice of pineapple and an orchid. Serve your Blue Hawaii in a tall glass with a piece of pineapple and a cherry, frozen or on the rocks.
โThe Blue Hawaii is our second most popular cocktail on property, slightly behind the Mai Tai. Its popularity is driven by its dual association with Elvis and the Hilton Hawaiian Village,โ said Nick Kabetso, Director of Food and Beverage Hilton Hawaiian Village. โItโs a bright blue drink that is fruit-forward, refreshing, and easy to drink, so you typically always come back for a second.โ
2. Royal Lahaina Resortโs Pineapple Blue Hawaiian
The Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows is an iconic and historic place on the same stretch of beach where Hawaiian royalty vacationed. This locally owned, independent resort boasts a traditional Hawaiian ambiance and offers five-star service โ all with a room rate thatโs far more affordable than other hotels.
If youโre fortunate enough to find yourself there and fancy a blue Hawaiian drink, ask the bartender to make their Blue Hawaiian. Itโs not on the menu, but theyโll make one upon request from the following recipe:
Take a glass/cocktail shaker and add the following:
- 3oz white rum
- 2oz Blue Curacao liqueur
- 2oz coconut cream
- 4oz pineapple juice
- 1 cup of ice
Mix well and serve in a freshly cut Maui Gold Pineapple. For the garnish, add a parasol and maraschino cherry.
3. Kaโanapali Beach Hotelโs Modern Take on a Blue Hawaii
Since Harry Yee debuted his blue Hawaiian drink all those years ago, several adaptations have been made from the original recipe. One of the best comes from Mauiโs beloved Kaโanapali Beach Hotel, which recently unveiled a $75 million property-wide renovation and brand-new oceanfront restaurant called Huihui.
Themed around the ancient tradition of Hawaiian wayfaring, Huihui takes guests on an exploration of modern Hawaiian cuisine and has been recognized as one of Hawaii’s top five new restaurants. Their brand-new cocktail menu is available as of June 2023. Sneak peeks include an Old Fashioned with Mฤmaki Tea, a Mojito with lilikoi syrup, and a delicious take on the Blue Hawaiian.
They call it โThe Navigator,โ made of Fid Street Gin (from the Hฤliโimaile Distillery), Blue Curacao, Aliโi Kula Lavender reduction spray, Maui Bees Honey, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and tonic water.
4. Sheraton Mauiโs Take on a Blue Hawaii
Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa offers two cocktails inspired by Harry Yeeโs original recipe. The first is a traditional Blue Hawaii on their current pool bar menu, consisting of rum, pineapple juice, and Blue Curacao.
However, in celebration of their 60th anniversary starting June 2023, theyโve also created a โSurfโs Upโ cocktail, which deliciously deviates from traditional ingredients. This one boasts colors reminiscent of the blue hues blanketing the shores of Kaโanapali Beach, which front the resort. It combines Casamigos Blanco Tequila, Blue Curacao, Peach Schnapps, fresh pineapple, and lime, which get muddled and strained into a glass.
5. The LineUpโs Wai Tai
Canโt decide between a Blue Hawaii or a Mai Tai? Head down to Oahu’s Ewa Beach and grab a table at The Lookout Food & Drink, which is the bar, restaurant, and social center of The LineUp at Wai Kai.
They offer a โWai Taiโ containing ingredients and flavors from both classic tropical cocktails. Blue Curacao liqueur tops off a mix of orgeat syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice, 1.5oz of Kuleana Rum Works Huihui, and 1/4oz of Kuleana Rum Works Nanea.
Serve a Blue Hawaiian Drink at Home With a Side of Aloha
Celebrities and tourists have drunk and celebrated this beautiful alcoholic beverage for almost seven decades.
Yee served notable guests at the resort and beyond during his storied career. Celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, Joan Crawford, and others experienced Yeeโs skillful bartending and hospitality. Yet his success behind the bar was matched with humility and a display of the aloha spirit to all he came into contact with.
โHarry Yeeโs impact on Hilton Hawaiian Village and cocktail culture at large cannot be overstated,โ said Debi Bishop, managing director of Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. โThough his accomplishments are many, Harry was always humble, often refusing to place himself in the limelight.โ
โHe brought joy to many who visited Hawaiiโs shores through his craft, and he will be deeply missed by our team at the hotel,โ Bishop remarked upon his death in 2022 at 104 years old.
So as you toast with one at home with your date, remember one of Harry Yeeโs wise mantras: โEverything in moderation.โ
This article originally appeared on Pink When.
โ SAVE THIS POST โ
Did you like this post?ย If you liked this post, donโt hesitate to share it!
Want to save this post? You can pin the following images on pinterest to save this post.
Danny Newman (Guest Author)
Danny Newman is a writer, content creator, and digital nomad from the UK. In 2018, Danny hit the road looking to have adventures, learn more about himself, find new meaning in his life, and somehow earn a living in the process. He founded Whatโs Danny Doing, his travel and lifestyle blog, at the start of that journey. Itโs since grown into a popular online resource for tens of thousands of people with similar aspirations. A nationally-syndicated writer, Dannyโs work features on dozens of online publications, including MSN, Wealth of Geeks, and local news sites across the US.