Tropical & Luau Drink Ideas
RELATED THEMES:
Tropical & Hawaiian Luau Party Cocktail Ideas
Rum & fruity drinks are the natural choice for your tropical themed or Hawaiian Luau party. Rum is relatively inexpensive, but plan to prepare your elaborate recipes beforehand. We have compiled some great options including:
For cocktail parties: We recommend a pre-mixed signature drink to:
- Pre-made signature drinks
- Pre-made mixes for bar service
- Simple to make tropical drinks for bar service
- Tropical martinis
- Jell-o shooters
- Tropical virgin options
- Garnishes
For cocktail parties: We recommend a pre-mixed signature drink to:
- Ensure everyone's drink tastes fabulous
- Control costs
- Reduce time mixing cocktails
- Relax the crowd quickly and facilitate conversation and laughter during dinner
- Mix in batches and reduce the time mixing cocktails
- Add style and panache
- Offering drinks with 1 to 4 ingredients
- Preparing mixes beforehand, for more complicated cocktails
- Not serving frozen drinks
When choosing a signature drink, to mix in large batches the day before the party, look for the following:
- A drink that will appeal to most tastes
- No carbonated mixers, look for juices
Remember: Only put ice in cocktail glasses, this means never put ice in pre-mixed batches. If you have room, put your signature drink mixture in the freezer, but don't forget to defrost before the party.
For all batch mixed drinks, first mix a single serving cocktail in the same proportions, then make adjustments to suit your personal taste. This will also give you a reference point for the final mixture.
Parts vs Ounces
Parts are used for mixing batches, while ounces (oz) in parentheses indicate single-serving measurements.
- Parts are relative measurements, meaning the actual volume depends on how much you want to make.
- Example: 2 parts vodka, 1 part lemon juice can be mixed as 2 oz vodka, 1 oz lemon juice for a small batch or 2 cups vodka, 1 cup lemon juice for a larger batch.
- Parts can be any unit of liquid measure, such as ounces, cups, liters, or gallons—just keep all ingredients in the same unit.
- Ounces in parentheses (oz) show exactly how much to use per drink or serving.
- Example: Vodka (2 oz), Lemon Juice (1 oz) means each drink gets 2 oz of vodka and 1 oz of lemon juice.
- "By serving" means the ingredient is added per drink, not mixed into the batch.
- Example: Club soda (By serving) means you add club soda to each drink individually, not in the mix.
Goombay Smash
4 parts Light rum (1 oz)
4 parts Gold rum (1 oz)
4 parts Coconut rum (1 oz)
12 parts Pineapple juice (3 oz)
1 part Lime juice (1/4 oz)
2 parts Simple syrup (1/2 oz)
By serving: Angostura bitters (3 dashes)
4 parts Gold rum (1 oz)
4 parts Coconut rum (1 oz)
12 parts Pineapple juice (3 oz)
1 part Lime juice (1/4 oz)
2 parts Simple syrup (1/2 oz)
By serving: Angostura bitters (3 dashes)
Mix all ingredients, except bitters, and adjust for taste,
primarily for the balance of sweet (simple syrup) and sour (lime juice).
To serve: Pour into a stemmed or highball glass over ice.
Stir, then sprinkle with dashes of bitters on top.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry on a toothpick and cocktail umbrella.
Sebastian's Mama
1 part Light rum (1/2 oz)
1 part Coconut rum (1/2 oz)
1 part Creme de banana (1/2 oz)
1 part Grenadine syrup (1/2 oz)
3 parts Orange juice (1-1/2 oz)
3 parts Pineapple juice (1-1/2 oz)
1 part Coconut rum (1/2 oz)
1 part Creme de banana (1/2 oz)
1 part Grenadine syrup (1/2 oz)
3 parts Orange juice (1-1/2 oz)
3 parts Pineapple juice (1-1/2 oz)
Mix all ingredients in batches using the parts measurement.
Serve over ice in a stemmed or highball glass.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge or orange slice and maraschino cherry on a toothpick and add a cocktail umbrella for decoration.
Variations:
Substitue Triple Sec (orange) for Creme de banana.
Substitute Chambord or Razzmatazz (raspberry) for Creme de banana and grenadine.
Californian Hurricane
2 parts Dark rum (1 oz)
2 parts Light rum (1 oz)
1 part Triple sec (1/2 oz)
4 parts Pineapple juice (2 oz)
6 parts Orange juice (3 oz)
As needed: Grenadine syrup (3 dashes)
2 parts Light rum (1 oz)
1 part Triple sec (1/2 oz)
4 parts Pineapple juice (2 oz)
6 parts Orange juice (3 oz)
As needed: Grenadine syrup (3 dashes)
Mix all ingredients in batches using the parts measurement.
Note: Use just enough grenadine to turn the mixture red.
Serve over ice in a stemmed or highball glass.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge or orange slice and maraschino cherry on a toothpick and add a cocktail umbrella for decoration.
Bompi's Punch
2 parts Light rum (1 oz)
2 parts Dark rum (1 oz)
1 part Cointreau (1/2 oz)
3 parts Orange juice (1-1/2 oz)
3 parts Pineapple juice (1-1/2 oz)
1 part Lime juice (1/2 oz)
As needed: Grenadine syrup (4 dashes)
2 parts Dark rum (1 oz)
1 part Cointreau (1/2 oz)
3 parts Orange juice (1-1/2 oz)
3 parts Pineapple juice (1-1/2 oz)
1 part Lime juice (1/2 oz)
As needed: Grenadine syrup (4 dashes)
Mix all ingredients in batches using the parts measurement.
Note: Use just enough grenadine to turn the mixture red.
Serve over ice in a stemmed or highball glass.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge or orange slice and maraschino cherry on a toothpick and add a cocktail umbrella for decoration.
Guy's Blue Hawaiian
3 parts Light rum (1-1/2 oz)
2 parts Blue Curacao (1 oz)
4 parts Pineapple juice (2 oz)
2 parts Cream of coconut (1 oz)
2 parts Blue Curacao (1 oz)
4 parts Pineapple juice (2 oz)
2 parts Cream of coconut (1 oz)
Mix all ingredients in batches using the parts measurement.
Note that proportions are different when mixing larger quantities.
Shake and serve over ice in a stemmed or highball glass.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge or orange slice and maraschino cherry on a toothpick and add a cocktail umbrella for decoration.
Simplify serving complex tropical cocktails during the party by making these bar mixes ahead of time:
Pina Colada Mix
Mix about 1 cup of Coco Lopez cream of coconut for every 2 cups of pineapple juice.
Adjust for your personal taste.
Add Midori for a Melon Colada.
Pina Colada Cocktail
1-1/2 oz Light rum
4 oz Pina Colada mix
4 oz Pina Colada mix
Mix ingredients and serve over ice in a stemmed or highball glass.
Garnish with a skewered pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry.
Add a cocktail umbrella decoration.
Rum Punch Mix
Mix 2 parts orange juice, 2 parts pineapple juice, 1 part sweet & sour lime mix.
Adjust for personal taste.
Add grenadine to color red.
Rum Punch Cocktail
1 oz Dark rum
1 oz Gold rum
1 oz Light rum
3 oz Rum punch mix
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 oz Gold rum
1 oz Light rum
3 oz Rum punch mix
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Mix ingredients and serve over ice in a stemmed or highball glass.
Garnish with a skewered pineapple wedge or orange and maraschino cherry.
Add a cocktail umbrella decoration.
Note: You may optionally use only gold rum for a tasty cocktail that is much faster to prepare.
Simple Syrup
Mix equal parts of sugar and water.
It is easiest to make by heating the water to dissolve the sugar.
Let it cool before using.
Sweet & Sour Mix
Also known as Sour Mix, this is typically a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and simple syrup.
However, we recommend Lime Sweet & Sour Mix for rum punch, made with lime juice instead of lemon juice.
Lime sweet & sour mix is also used for making margaritas.
Blue Hawaiian
There are many versions of the Blue Hawaiian cocktail, most vary in the proportions of ingredients and some use vodka, however there are 2 basic recipes.
The first is listed above in Signature Drinks and uses cream of coconut. The second is below and uses sour mix.
1 oz Light rum
1/2 oz Blue curacao
3 oz Pineapple juice
1 oz Sour mix
1/2 oz Blue curacao
3 oz Pineapple juice
1 oz Sour mix
Shake and pour over ice in a stemmed or highball glass.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge or orange slice and maraschino cherry on a toothpick.
Add a cocktail umbrella for decoration.
Blue Hawaiian Screw
1 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Blue curacao
4 oz Pineapple juice
1/2 oz Blue curacao
4 oz Pineapple juice
Shake and pour over ice in a stemmed or double-old-fashioned glass.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge or orange slice and maraschino cherry on a toothpick.
Add a cocktail umbrella for decoration.
Hawaiian Sea Breeze
1-1/2 oz Vodka
1 splash Cranberry juice
4-1/2 oz Pineapple juice
1 splash Cranberry juice
4-1/2 oz Pineapple juice
Mix and pour over ice in a stemmed or double-old-fashioned glass.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge and maraschino cherry on a toothpick.
Add a cocktail umbrella for decoration.
Tiki Guava
1-1/2 oz Gold rum
4-1/2 oz Ocean Spray guava drink
2 dashes Grenadine syrup
4-1/2 oz Ocean Spray guava drink
2 dashes Grenadine syrup
Mix and pour over ice in a stemmed or double-old-fashioned glass.
Garnish with a maraschino cherry on a cocktail umbrella.
Tropical Martini
1 part Amaretto almond liqueur
1 part Coconut rum
1 part Coconut rum
Pour ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker or martini pitcher and shake or stir.
Strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with a maraschino cherry on a toothpick.
Caribbean Martini
2 parts Vanilla vodka
1 part Coconut rum
1 part Coconut rum
Pour ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker or martini pitcher and shake or stir.
Strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge on a toothpick.
Coral Reef Blue Moon Martini
12 parts Vodka
3 parts Cointreau
2 parts Blue curacao
1 dash Dry vermouth
3 parts Cointreau
2 parts Blue curacao
1 dash Dry vermouth
Pour ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker or martini pitcher and shake or stir.
Strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with an orange or lemon twist.
Passing trays of Jell-o shooters make a fun party happening to keep the crowd entertained. They are also a great way to present candles during a birthday party. There are plenty of fruit flavors and bright colors to suit your Hawaiian Luau theme, such as:
Square blocks: Pour liquid gelatin into an appropriate-sized pan to a depth of about one inch. Refrigerate overnight. Cut gelatin into one-inch square blocks.
Fruit slices: Cut oranges, lemons, and/or limes in half and hollow out pulp leaving the rind shell. Fill each fruit-rind-half to the top and refrigerate overnight. Cut each fruit-rind-half into wedges. For oranges 3 wedges per half; for lemons and limes 2 wedges per half.
- Pineapple
- Pina Colada
- Berry Blue
- Strawberry Kiwi
- Orange
- Double the number of Jell-o packages used
- Substitute half of the water added with an equal amount of vodka
- Pour into your selected method for serving before refrigerating
Square blocks: Pour liquid gelatin into an appropriate-sized pan to a depth of about one inch. Refrigerate overnight. Cut gelatin into one-inch square blocks.
Fruit slices: Cut oranges, lemons, and/or limes in half and hollow out pulp leaving the rind shell. Fill each fruit-rind-half to the top and refrigerate overnight. Cut each fruit-rind-half into wedges. For oranges 3 wedges per half; for lemons and limes 2 wedges per half.
Tiki Guava
Guava juice
Splash of club soda
Grenadine to color red
Orange Pineapple
1/2 Orange juice
1/2 Pineapple juice
Grenadine to color red
Your drink garnishes are a major component for a complete tropical cocktail. Cut and assemble your garnishes before your guests arrive. Tropical garnishes include:
Cut a small slit in the bottom of the larger fruit to hang on the lip of the glass. Skewer the fruit together with a toothpick or drink parasol/umbrella.
In addition, you should prepare your drink umbrellas beforehand, they can be a little tricky.
Opening drink parasols/umbrellas: Remove the round plastic piece on the outside of the parasol. Gently separate and pull the parasol ribs out slightly. Store until ready to serve.
To open, push the small round plastic piece around the shaft/toothpick of the parasol up.
- Pineapple slice wedge with rind & maraschino cherry
- Orange slice wedge & maraschino cherry
- Starfruit slice & maraschino cherry
Cut a small slit in the bottom of the larger fruit to hang on the lip of the glass. Skewer the fruit together with a toothpick or drink parasol/umbrella.
In addition, you should prepare your drink umbrellas beforehand, they can be a little tricky.
Opening drink parasols/umbrellas: Remove the round plastic piece on the outside of the parasol. Gently separate and pull the parasol ribs out slightly. Store until ready to serve.
To open, push the small round plastic piece around the shaft/toothpick of the parasol up.