The Blue Hawaiian

by ,

                            T H E   B L U E   H A W A I I A N

                                        INTRODUCTION

The Blue Hawaiian is an enchanting rum cocktail which enjoys some repute not only as a summer cocktail, but also as a celebrated cocktail in the world of Tiki. Strikingly blue in color as its name suggests, the Blue Hawaiian is a cocktail that balances flavor and color perfectly, receiving both properties from one of its key ingredients, Blue Curaçao. And although the drink is a popular variation of the iconic Blue Hawaii cocktail and a kissing cousin to the Piña Colada, the Blue Hawaiian truly stands on its own, providing all those who enjoy the cocktail a liquid metaphor for summer paradise.

                               MATERIALS & METHODS

  • Rum – 1 oz. (30 mL)
  • Cream of coconut (Coco Lopez) - 1 oz. (30 mL)
  • Blue Curaçao – 1 oz. (30 mL)
  • Pineapple juice - 3 oz. (90 mL)
  • Crushed ice – ½ Cup

Directions:

Mix the light rum, cream of coconut, blue curacao, and fresh pineapple juice in a blender. Add crushed ice and blend for at least 15 seconds. Pour in a 10 oz. cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh pineapple and a tiki umbrella (maraschino cherry optional).

                                         DISCUSSION

Historical Origin

In 1957, Harry Yee, an avant-guard mixologist and bartender, created the Blue Hawaii cocktail at Honolulu’s Kaiser Hawaiian Village (Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Resort) (1). And while the drink shares its name with the Elvis Presley classic 1961 film, “Blue Hawaii”, the cocktail is actually named after the 1937 Bing Crosby song with the same name which was recorded for the 1937 Paramount Pictures film “Waikiki Wedding.” Immortalized once again in the movie starting Elvis years later, we have the Blue Hawaii and the Blue Hawaiian cocktails today thanks to Harry Yee’s passion for the music of Bing Crosby. The major difference between the Blue Hawaii and the Blue Hawaiian are the ingredients. The Blue Hawaii contains vodka, rum, Blue Curaçao and sweet and sour mix, while the Blue Hawaiian does not have vodka, and replaces sweet and sour mix with cream of coconut. While both are now Tiki cocktail staples, mystery enshrouds the Blue Hawaiian to this very day as to who spearheaded the cocktail’s creation. Was it Don the Beachcomber? Was it a bartender getting creative with a Piña Colada? Or was it the Lucas Bols Distillery, founded in 1575 in Amsterdam that argues to this day that they are the creator of Blue Curaçao and thus had a vested interest in creating more cocktails that used their liqueur. Regardless of historical origin, it is safe to say that that having two different delicious electric blue drinks is certainly better than one!

Flavor Profile

Rum

The use of a light rum (a low congener rum) is essential in the assembly of a Blue Hawaiian, as it allows the other ingredients in the cocktail to present their flavor. If a heavier rum were substituted for the light rum, the drink’s inherent properties would change, and it is likely that a stronger suite of esters would interfere with the characteristic sweet and creamy richness of the cream of coconut and the vibrant tropical flavor of the pineapple juice. It is also likely that the heavier rum, which is frequently darker in color, would negatively affect the bright blue color provided by Blue Curacao.

Additional Ingredients

Blue Curaçao

At its core, Blue Curaçao is a semi-bitter and sweet blue colored liqueur that is very similar to Triple Sec and Grand Marnier, other orange flavored liqueurs. Blue Curaçao is normally found at 15% ABV (30 proof), but it is also available as high as 40% ABV (80 proof). The flavor of Blue Curaçao originates from the oils extracted from the peels of the Laraha orange which is native to Curaçao o, a small Caribbean island near Aruba, and about 60 miles off the coast of Venezuela (2). While Curaçao is naturally a colorless liqueur, Blue Curaçao is crafted by adding the food colorant E133 Brilliant Blue to it.  E133 Brilliant Blue is one of the oldest FDA food color additives, is generally considered safe and non-toxic, and is also used in cosmetics, medications, and dietary supplements. 

Cream of Coconut

Like the Piña Colada, the Blue Hawaiian also contains a generous amount of cream of coconut. Cream of coconut is a blended cream from the hearts of coconuts with the perfect proportion of cane sugar. The result is a processed coconut milk that is thick and heavily sweetened. The addition of cream of coconut not only enhances the Blue Hawaiian’s flavor but also gives the cocktail additional texture once all the ingredients are blended together. Blended with ice, the cream coconut causes a frothing effect within the cocktail, in which the bubbles become trapped inside the drink.

Pineapple Juice

Pineapple juice comes from the tropical plant Ananas comosus. Pineapple juice is available with and without added sugar, can be concentrated, and is more commonly pre-pasteurized, and then followed by an aseptically fill step. The juice may be obtained, as a by-product, at any of the following steps: small fruit peeling and coring, eradicator, trimming, slicing and cutting, excess juice in crushed pineapple, and from the cores (3).

                                       NUTRITION

A 10-ounce Blue Hawaiian cocktail contains well over 300 calories and over 30 grams of sugar. Like the Piña Colada, it is not the healthiest choice of cocktails. However, the cocktail does contain a fair amount of pineapple juice. Three ounces of pineapple juice is nearly a half a cup of pineapple juice. The addition of a significant amount of pineapple juice to construct the Blue Hawaiian not only provides a tropical touch and flavor, but also adds a significant number of vitamins and minerals to the cocktail. These vitamins and minerals have been found to boost energy levels and aid in digestion.

                                NUTRITION FACTS

                                      (Amount Per 1 Fl oz in a 10 Fl oz Cocktail)

Calories:                     31.62

Total Fat:                     0.69 g

Cholesterol:                0 mg

Sodium:                      2.78 mg

Total Carbohydrates:  3.83 g

Dietary Fiber:              0.16 g

Sugar:                         3.22 g

                                   CONCLUSION

Regardless of music, famous musicians, or food colorant, sipping a Blue Hawaiian immediately takes you away on a tropical taste-cation to the island chain it is so aptly named after. The cocktail, like the Piña Colada, also has intense flavor and aromatic notes. And thanks to the presence of a light (low congener) rum in the cocktail, the ingredients can express themselves both in flavor and color thereby presenting the Blue Hawaiian as a true work of art in the medium of mixology.

                                   REFERENCES

Liquor.com (2019). The Blue Hawaii. Retrieved from: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/blue-hawaii/ 

Tolbert, L. (2018). The History of Blue Curacao Liqueur. Retrieved from: https://voyagevixens.com/2018/05/29/the-history-of-blue-curacao-liqueur/ 

Featherstone, S. (2016). Canning of juices, fruit drinks, and water. A Complete Course in Canning and Related Processes (14th Edition). Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition: Pages 135-168.