The arrival of Spring 2012 almost feels like summer.

The weather being what it is, it might not be presumptuous to treat ourselves to a drink from the Pacific from upcoming title The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook (Running Press, April 2012) by Rick Rodgers and Heather Maclean.

Blue Hawaiian

Makes 1 drink

As you shake this sky-blue cocktail, be sure to move your hips in an Elvis style. At this point in his career, the King was just a crown prince, as the previous generation’s stars, such as Sinatra and Crosby, were the big names, and Presley was for kids. This is the kind of drink that gives tiki cocktails a good name. 

1 ounce silver (light) rum

1 ounce blue Curacao

1 ounce cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez

2 ounces pineapple juice

Fresh pineapple wedge, for garnish

Maraschino cherry, for garnish

Fill a large tiki or hurricane glass with ice. Half fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the rum, Curacao, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice to the shaker. Shake well. Strain into the glass. Garnish with the pineapple and cherry and serve.

Frozen Blue Hawaiian: Process the liquid ingredients with 1 cup cracked ice in a blender until smooth. Pour into a highball glass.

Blue Hawaiian pictured above alongside a Mai Tai whose recipe is also included in the book.

(* Recipe reprinted with permission from The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook © 2012 by Rick Rodgers and Heather Maclean, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Book Group.)