Uncle Martiki’s been mixin’ special drinks since he first sipped a Mai Tai on Waikiki Beach. Self-taught in Hawaiian tropical blends, he expanded to speakeasy classics and modern faves. Always tinkering with ingredients, he crafts new cocktails for sunset sessions with friends. (and who isn’t a friend of Uncle Martiki) His passion? Sharing cocktails, saloon, and tiki bar tips, along with food pairings. Join him for Pau Hana, time for unwinding Hawaiian-style – #luckywelivehawaii. Invite him over to try your latest concoction! 🍹🌺
Blue Hawaii
The original Blue Hawaii is made with the following ingredients:
- Rum, 0.75 ounces
- Vodka, 0.75 ounces
- Blue Curacao, 0.5 ounces
- Pineapple juice, 3 ounces
- Sweet-and-sour mix, 1 ounce
- Slice of pineapple, as a garnish
We walk by the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort in Waikiki fairly frequently. While it’s best known for its famous Rainbow Tower and the beautiful lagoon behind the hotel, what gets Uncle Martiki salivating is that the resort is where Harry Yee worked as a bartender for 30 years. Harry, who passed on late last year at age 102, is famous for the many tropical drinks he created.
Harry came up with the Blue Hawaii in 1957, and an Elvis Presley movie with the same name happened to come out a few years later. Elvis’s movie helped make the Blue Hawaii more popular, and the cocktail became a staple at many of new “tiki” bars that were starting to become popular back then.
What can be a little confusing, even for Uncle Martiki, is that the Blue Hawaii cocktail and the Blue Hawaiian cocktail are not the same. Yes, they both get their color from Blue Curacao liqueur, but don’t taste same. (By the way, the island of Curacao, which gave its name to liqueur, in the Caribbean is well worth a visit; we were on a cruise that stopped there earlier this year and loved it.)
Uncle Martiki replaces the vodka with more rum, and he uses less pineapple juice to reduce the sweetness. Of course, the right recipe for any cocktail is the one the person drinking it likes best.
The Blue Hawaii is normally served in a large glass over ice cubes, but it’s also not uncommon to turn it into a frozen drink by putting the liquid ingredients and the ice in the blender for a few seconds. Enjoy, make yours and send me pics!