Blue Hawaii (drink)
Encyclopedia
The Blue Hawaii is a tropical cocktail
made of rum
, pineapple
juice, blue Curacao, sweet and sour mix, and sometimes vodka as well. It should not be confused with the similarly named Blue Hawaiian cocktail that contains creme of coconut instead of sweet and sour mix, and never includes vodka.
, legendary head bartender
of the Hilton Hawaiian Village
in Waikiki, Hawaii when a sales representative of Dutch
distiller Bols
asked him to design a drink that featured their blue color of Curaçao liqueur
. After experimenting with several variations he settled on a version somewhat different than the most popular version today, but with the signature blue color, pineapple wedge, and cocktail umbrella
.
The name "Blue Hawaii" is related only indirectly to the 1961 Elvis Presley
film of the same name
, and apparently derives instead from the film's title song, a hit composed by Leo Robin
for the 1937 Bing Crosby
film Waikiki Wedding
. It was Yee who named the drink which, along with the films and songs, many other tropical drinks he invented, and tiki bar
s such as Trader Vic
, did much to popularize a faux Hawaiian tiki culture
, both in Hawaii itself and on the Mainland. The era was immediately pre-statehood, a time when Hawaii was thought of by most Americans as playground for the rich. Tourism and development was already significant, but all centered around Waikiki
and at only a small fraction of today's levels. About 100,000 visitors per year were visiting Hawaii, compared to seven million today.
. As with most tropical drinks, there are many variations in preparation, presentation, and ingredients. Hence, it is often blended with ice, margarita
-like, to be served as a frozen cocktail. Many variations of glassware are used, the more whimsical the better: tiki mugs, cocktail glass
es, parfait glasses, or carved out coconuts or pineapples.
The base liquor is usually light rum
but vodka
may be partially or completely substituted as a matter of taste. Similarly, a flavored rum or vodka such as Malibu Rum
may eliminate the need for crème of coconut, or the coconut flavor may be omitted entirely (coconut milk, a very different product, should not be used). Even the pineapple juice is sometimes left out in favor of sour mix
. The only constant, in fact, is the name and the blue Curaçao.
Because it is easy and inexpensive to make, it is often served as a punch
. At its simplest, it is a bottle or two of plain or coconut-flavored light rum
, a bottle of blue curacao, a can of pineapple juice, and a bag of ice, mixed together in a punchbowl
. The Blue Hawaii is seasonal, often considered a summer or warm weather drink. Occasionally, because it contains yellow pineapple juice, the Blue Hawaii will be a lovely shade of green.
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
made of rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
, pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
juice, blue Curacao, sweet and sour mix, and sometimes vodka as well. It should not be confused with the similarly named Blue Hawaiian cocktail that contains creme of coconut instead of sweet and sour mix, and never includes vodka.
History and Popularity
The Blue Hawaii was invented in 1957 by Harry YeeHarry Yee
Harry K. Yee is a bartender from Honolulu, Hawaii credited with helping spread tiki bars and tiki culture during the middle 20th century, both in Hawaii and to the United States Mainland.- Biography :...
, legendary head bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
of the Hilton Hawaiian Village
Hilton Hawaiian Village
The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa, formerly the Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel, has been a popular hotel in the Waikiki area of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States since 1957. It is the largest hotel of the Hilton chain, with 3,386 rooms and with 7 towers...
in Waikiki, Hawaii when a sales representative of Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
distiller Bols
Lucas Bols
Lucas Bols is a privately held Dutch company in the business of production, distribution, sales and marketing of alcoholic beverages. It is the oldest Dutch company still active and the oldest distillery brand in the world. Its brand portfolio consists of Bols, Galliano, Vaccari, Pisang Ambon,...
asked him to design a drink that featured their blue color of Curaçao liqueur
Curaçao liqueur
Curaçao is a liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Curaçao. A non-native plant similar to an orange, the laraha developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish explorers. The nutrient-poor soil and arid climate of Curaçao proved...
. After experimenting with several variations he settled on a version somewhat different than the most popular version today, but with the signature blue color, pineapple wedge, and cocktail umbrella
Cocktail umbrella
A cocktail umbrella is a small umbrella or parasol made from paper, paperboard, and a toothpick, used as a garnish or decoration in cocktails, desserts or other food and beverages....
.
The name "Blue Hawaii" is related only indirectly to the 1961 Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
film of the same name
Blue Hawaii
Blue Hawaii is a 1961 musical film set in the state of Hawaii and starring Elvis Presley. The screenplay by Hal Kanter was nominated by the Writers Guild of America in 1962 in the category of Best Written American Musical. The movie opened at no...
, and apparently derives instead from the film's title song, a hit composed by Leo Robin
Leo Robin
Leo Robin was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Oscar-winning song "Thanks for the Memory," sung by Bob Hope in the film The Big Broadcast of 1938.-Biography:Robin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and...
for the 1937 Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
film Waikiki Wedding
Waikiki Wedding
Waikiki Wedding is a 1937 musical film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Bing Crosby. Bing plays the part of Tony Marvin, a PR man charged with extolling the virtues of Hawaii. The female lead is Shirley Ross....
. It was Yee who named the drink which, along with the films and songs, many other tropical drinks he invented, and tiki bar
Tiki bar
A tiki bar is an exotic–themed drinking establishment that serves elaborate cocktails, especially rum-based mixed drinks such as the "mai tai" or "Zombie cocktail". Tiki bars are aesthetically defined by their Tiki culture décor which is based upon a romanticized conception of primitive tropical...
s such as Trader Vic
Trader Vic
Trader Vic's is a restaurant chain headquartered in San Francisco, California. Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. was the founder of a chain of Polynesian-themed restaurants that bore his nickname, "Trader Vic," and was one of two people who claimed to have invented the Mai Tai...
, did much to popularize a faux Hawaiian tiki culture
Tiki culture
Tiki kitsch culture is a 20th-century theme used in Polynesian-style restaurants and clubs originally in the United States and then, to a lesser degree, around the world...
, both in Hawaii itself and on the Mainland. The era was immediately pre-statehood, a time when Hawaii was thought of by most Americans as playground for the rich. Tourism and development was already significant, but all centered around Waikiki
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
and at only a small fraction of today's levels. About 100,000 visitors per year were visiting Hawaii, compared to seven million today.
Preparation and variations
A blue Hawaii is typically served on the rocksIce cube
Ice cubes are small, roughly cube-shaped pieces of ice, conventionally used to cool beverages. Ice cubes are often preferred over crushed ice because they melt more slowly; they are standard in mixed drinks that call for ice, in which case the drink is said to be "on the rocks."Ice cubes are...
. As with most tropical drinks, there are many variations in preparation, presentation, and ingredients. Hence, it is often blended with ice, margarita
Margarita
The margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila mixed with orange-flavoured liqueur and lime or lemon juice, often served with salt on the glass rim. It is the most common tequila-based cocktail in the United States...
-like, to be served as a frozen cocktail. Many variations of glassware are used, the more whimsical the better: tiki mugs, cocktail glass
Cocktail glass
A cocktail glass is a stemmed glass which has a cone-shaped bowl placed upon a stem above a flat base. It is mainly used to serve cocktails. Its form derives from the fact that all cocktails are traditionally served chilled and contain an aromatic element...
es, parfait glasses, or carved out coconuts or pineapples.
The base liquor is usually light rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
but vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
may be partially or completely substituted as a matter of taste. Similarly, a flavored rum or vodka such as Malibu Rum
Malibu Rum
Malibu Rum is a flavored rum made with natural coconut extract, possessing an alcohol content by volume of 21.0% . The brand is owned by Pernod Ricard and it is made in Canada.-History:...
may eliminate the need for crème of coconut, or the coconut flavor may be omitted entirely (coconut milk, a very different product, should not be used). Even the pineapple juice is sometimes left out in favor of sour mix
Sour mix
Sour mix is a mixer used in many cocktails. It is made from approximately equal parts lemon and/or lime juice and simple syrup and shaken vigorously with ice...
. The only constant, in fact, is the name and the blue Curaçao.
Because it is easy and inexpensive to make, it is often served as a punch
Punch (drink)
Punch is the term for a wide assortment of drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice. The drink was introduced from India to England in the early seventeenth century; from there its use spread to other countries...
. At its simplest, it is a bottle or two of plain or coconut-flavored light rum
Light rum
Light rum , is a dry, light-bodied rum, light in color and lightly sweet in flavor. It is produced from sugarcane juice and molasses, and normally has a short aging period....
, a bottle of blue curacao, a can of pineapple juice, and a bag of ice, mixed together in a punchbowl
Punch bowl
A punch bowl is a bowl, often large and wide, in which the drink punch is served.-Origins:The word punch is a loanword from Hindi. The original drink was named paantsch, which is Hindi for "five", and the drink was made from five different ingredients: spirit, sugar, lemon, water, and tea or spices...
. The Blue Hawaii is seasonal, often considered a summer or warm weather drink. Occasionally, because it contains yellow pineapple juice, the Blue Hawaii will be a lovely shade of green.