Frozen Blue Hawaiian Cocktail

Looking amazing in its gorgeous shade of blue, this frozen Blue Hawaiian cocktail is a refreshing rum-based drink that is absolutely perfect for summer sipping. It is made of a blend of rum, cream of coconut, coconut water or pineapple juice, lime, and curaçao, which adds a hint of sweet tropical orange.

this recipe

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• Ingredients
• Substitutions
• History
• Blue Hawaiian vs. Blue Hawaii
• Instructions
• Equipment
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

This tiki cocktail is beautiful and it's easily adjustable to double or triple this recipe. You can blend a few up at a time, making it perfect for serving at summer parties or while relaxing with friends poolside. You will feel like you are on a tropical island surrounded by white sand with clear blue water lazily lapping on the shore.

The Royal Hawaiian is another wonderful cocktail that came from Hawaii. Or, maybe you'd like to take your taste buds to the Caribbean next? Try the Caribbean rum punch for another deliciously tropical cocktail that features orange and pineapple flavours. Or, a kiwi kirsch crush for an unexpectedly amazing blend of fresh kiwi and cherry.

Ingredients

• Cream of coconut - Sometimes labeled 'creme de coconut,' it is a sweetened and syrupy coconut cream that is most commonly used to sweeten tropical drinks, such as the piña colada. This is not the same thing as coconut cream and they are not interchangeable.
• Coconut water - Or, pineapple juice (see substitutions note below).
• White rum - White rum is used so as not to add any brownish colour to the drink.
• Malibu coconut rum - For an extra burst of delicious coconut flavour.
• Blue curaçao - This is the ingredient that gives the cocktail its signature blue colour. It is a liqueur that smells of sweet orange and tastes of bitter and tangy orange, that is artificially coloured to add a tropical look to cocktails. It is made from extracts of dried orange peels. Traditionally the bitter-fleshed laraha (also known as Curaçao oranges) from Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island, were used in the production. However, now they are often combined with other types of oranges.
• Freshly squeezed lime juice - Adds fresh citrus and cuts some of the sweetness in the drink for more balance.
• Ice - For blending into a frozen cocktail.
• Garnish: Maraschino cherry and/or a pineapple wedges or tropical flowers.

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

• Pineapple - You can make this cocktail with pineapple juice instead of coconut water. The pineapple flavour really is a delicious addition, however, the drink won't be the same pretty blue colour because blue (curaçao) combined with yellow (pineapple juice) makes green. Ensure that you are using 100% pineapple juice and not a juice blend.
• Triple Sec - You could substitute blue curaçao with a triple sec, such as Cointreau. But you will lose the beautiful blue colour.
• Vodka - You could substitute the rum with vodka and the coconut rum with coconut vodka if you don't like rum.

This drink can be blended, shaken with ice, or stirred and served on the rocks (crushed ice is a good option). If blending for a frozen cocktail, like I did, use more ice for a thicker, slushier drink and less ice for a thinner drink.

blue curaçao

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cream of coconut

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maraschino cherries

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History

The history of this cocktail is often confused with that of its predecessor, the Blue Hawaii.

The Blue Hawaii was created by Harry K. Yee in 1957 at Henry Kaiser's Hawaiian Village Hotel, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii, which would later become the Hilton. It was commissioned by Bols, a Dutch distiller, in an endeavour to increase sales of their blue curaçao product. The drink was named after the hit song from 'Waikiki Wedding,' Bing Cosby's 1937 film.

The Blue Hawaiian, which is a riff off of the Blue Hawaii, is thought to have most likely been created by Don Beach ('Don the beachcomber') in Los Angeles, USA. Previously a drifter from Louisiana, he eventually washed up in Hollywood where he became involved in the movie industry and transformed the drinking scene. His fondness for rum and passion for Polynesian culture led him to create the Tiki bar and Tiki cocktails as we know them. He eventually settled in Hawaii after WWII.

Blue Hawaiian vs. Blue Hawaii

The Blue Hawaii cocktail is made up of rum and sometime vodka, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, and sweet and sour mix. If you use sweet and sour mix, you are making a Blue Hawaii.

The Blue Hawaiian cocktail is made up of rum, coconut rum, blue curaçao, cream of coconut, and coconut water or pineapple juice. If you use anything coconut, you are making a Blue Hawaiian.

Instructions

Measure all of the ingredients into your blender.

Blend then pour into a chilled glass.

Garnish with a maraschino cherry and enjoy.

Equipment

To make this recipe you will need the following:

• Blender
• Japanese jigger

The Japanese jigger and many other useful bartending tools can be found in this cocktail bar set.

cocktail bar set

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blender

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What kind of glass should you use?

You can serve a Blue Hawaiian in any kind of glassware. Often hurricane glasses or stemless wine glasses are used. Or, you could get extra tropical and serve it in a hollowed out coconut shell.

hurricane glass

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FAQ

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📖 Recipe