The recipe
for your table
Add the rum, vodka, coconut cream and pineapple juice to the shaker with plenty of ice.
Shake vigorously for 15 seconds until the mixture is creamy and slightly frothy.
Strain into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice.
Pour the blue curaçao slowly into the center; it sinks and colors the bottom pool blue. Garnish with pineapple and a cherry.
The story
The Swimming Pool is attributed to Charles Schumann, the German bartender who helped shape European cocktail culture in the 1980s with his Schumann's American Bar in Munich and his book American Bar. The cocktail fits that era perfectly: tropical, creamy and visually striking, in the decade of the Piña Colada and Blue Hawaii. What sets it apart is its construction - you first make a completely creamy cocktail and only add the color afterward, so the blue remains like a shadow at the bottom instead of blending into the cream.
The right glass
The hurricane glass was made for this cocktail: the wide bowl gives the creamy, light-blue mixture room, while the narrow neck keeps the blue together at the bottom. Count on 44 cl, because with crushed ice added, this is a generous cocktail. A stemmed model looks more elegant and also keeps your hand away from the glass - important for a drink made with cream, which quickly becomes too warm. Colorless, clear glass is essential; the entire effect is visual.
Royal Leerdam Hurricane Cocktail Glass on Stem 44 cl (6 pieces)
Royal Leerdam Cocktail Hurricane Cocktail Glass 44 cl (4 pieces)
Together € 68,90.
The right tools
For a Swimming Pool, besides the glass, you need a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you’ll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools - together € 90,80.
Variations & twists
Leave out the blue curaçao and you have a Piña Colada; leave out the coconut and you’ll get close to a Blue Hawaii. Blend everything with ice for a frozen version, or replace the vodka with extra rum for a smoother, less sharp result. A splash of coconut milk instead of coconut cream makes it lighter. Find more inspiration in all cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Use cream of coconut and not canned coconut milk: the former is sweetened and thick, while the latter makes your cocktail watery and causes it to separate. Shake the can well before use, as coconut cream separates during storage. Add the blue curaçao last and pour it straight into the center - along the edge, it mixes with the cream and turns green instead of blue.
Frequently asked questions
Which glass do you use for a Swimming Pool?
A 44 cl hurricane glass, preferably on a stem. View our hurricane glasses.
Why does my cocktail turn green instead of blue?
Because the blue mixes with the yellow pineapple juice. Pour the blue curaçao very slowly and straight into the center, and don’t stir afterward.
What is the difference from a Blue Hawaii?
The Swimming Pool contains coconut cream and is therefore creamy; the Blue Hawaii is clear and fresher. Both use pineapple juice and blue curaçao.
Can you make it alcohol-free?
Yes: leave out the rum and vodka and replace the blue curaçao with blue syrup. You’ll be left with a virgin colada with a blue base - virtually identical in experience.
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