The Swimming Pool 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 lightly frothy.
Strain into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice.
Slowly pour the blue curaçao into the center; it sinks and colors the bottom pool blue. Garnish with pineapple and a cherry.
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Send the Swimming Pool recipe to your own email, so you’ll have it handy when you’re ready to make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code when you spend €50 or more, for the glasses that go with it.
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 the 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 mixing 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. Allow 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, which is important for a drink made with cream and therefore quick to warm up. Colorless, clear glass is essential; the entire effect is visual.
Royal Leerdam Hurricane Stemmed Cocktail Glass 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, use a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining, 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) + 5 bar tools together € 120,70.
What do you use to make a Swimming Pool?
For a Swimming Pool, you need blue curaçao. On every drink page, you'll find the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Leave out the blue curaçao and you have a Piña Colada; leave out the coconut and you’ll be 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 is my cocktail turning 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 do not stir afterwards.
What is the difference compared with 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 end up with a virgin colada with a blue base, virtually identical in experience.
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