A Blue Hawaii is usually served garnished with cocktail umbrellas and fresh fruit.
A Blue Hawaii is a cocktail that features, at a minimum, rum and blue Curaçao, with pineapple juice along with a sweet and sour mix as common additions. The drink can also be made with vodka and other juices, depending on personal taste, and is traditionally served with ice and a slice of pineapple. Blue Hawaii is not to be confused with Blue Hawaiian, a closely related cocktail that includes coconut cream, creating a much richer drink with a very distinct flavor.
Blue Hawaii was invented in Hawaii in the 1950s.
Supposedly, Blue Hawaii was invented in 1957 in a bar in Waikiki, on the island of Honolulu. According to legend, the bartender was invited to propose a cocktail with blue Curaçao, in the hope of increasing sales of the distinctive liquor. On the surface, Blue Hawaii was a success, quickly spreading across the islands and then onto the mainland, where many people were hungry for Hawaiian-themed drinks, food, and accessories.
As a general rule, Blue Hawaii is considered a warm weather cocktail. When mixed well, it has a distinct and somewhat refreshing flavor, and Blue Curaçao makes the drink something of an unknown, especially when served with other tropical fruits or a miniature umbrella. To add to the tropical feel, some bartenders serve their Blue Hawaii in innovative cups or mix it up to produce a frozen drink.
Blue Curaçao gives Blue Hawaii a very distinctive and unmistakable color, making it an easy drink to identify. Most bars that offer tropical cocktails have Blue Hawaii on their drink menu, or can make it, and it’s a popular alcoholic punch option for tropical-themed parties, as it’s easy to mix in large batches.
For variations on the basic theme, other colored Curaçao can be used, and the basic liquor can always be changed to suit personal taste. Some people like to use flavored rum in their Blue Hawaii cocktails, although you should be careful when doing so, as Curaçao has a very distinctive flavor that can go well with some spirits. Hobbyist bartenders also find that the quality of their Blue Hawaii is often greatly improved by hand-mixing the sweet and sour mix, using simple syrup and citrus juice, which should be available at any well-stocked bar.