Germany

Swimming Pool

Also known as Swimmingpool

A creamy, tropical cocktail that tastes like a boozy piña colada with a coconut twist and a bright blue hue.

creamytropicalcoconutpineapplesweetblue-curaçaotikiindulgentdessert-cocktail

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with sweet coconut and pineapple, thick and frosty. The middle brings out the vanilla and light rum warmth, while the blue curaçao adds a faint orange note. It finishes sweet and creamy, coating your mouth like a melted tropical milkshake.

Who will like it

This is for drinkers who love sweet, creamy, fruit-forward tiki drinks and don't mind that it goes down like dessert.

When to drink

Serve this at a summer pool party or as a daytime tropical treat when you want something cold and indulgent.

Ordering tip

Ask the bartender to go easy on the cream if you want it less heavy, or add a dash of lime juice to cut through the sweetness.

Ice: CrushedTemp: ColdCost: $10–$15Glass: HurricaneBatch-friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This drink is a sweet, thick tropical milkshake with a kick. The coconut and dairy coat your tongue right away, followed by bright pineapple and a whisper of orange from the blue curaçao. It does not have much depth or shifting flavors, but it delivers exactly what it promises: a cold, creamy, fruity sip that hides its alcohol well.

Finish: The finish is short and sweet, leaving a coating of coconut cream and a faint pineapple tang on the tongue.

Primary tastes

sweetcreamyfruity

Secondary

floralnutty

Aroma

pineapplecoconutorange peel

Sweetnessvery sweet
This is dessert-level sweetness from the coconut cream, pineapple juice, and blue curaçao syrup all hitting at once.
Sournesslow acidity
The pineapple brings a little tartness, but the dairy completely smooths out any sharp sour bite.
Strengthmoderate strength
You get a solid hit from the rum and vodka combo, but the thick mixers mask the alcohol well.
Refreshingheavy and indulgent
It is cold and icy, but the cream and coconut make it heavy on the stomach rather than thirst-quenching.
Creaminessvery creamy
The combination of dairy cream and coconut cream gives this a thick, milkshake-like body.
Complexitystraightforward
What you taste on the first sip is what you get the whole way through—sweet, fruity, and creamy with no real shifts.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Hurricane · equal parts on Light Rum. A clean, unaged or lightly aged rum works best

Before you start

Pull out your shaker and a large hurricane glass. If you have fresh pineapple, cut a wedge and a cherry now so your garnishes are ready to go.

Ingredients

Light RumBase Spirit30ml
VodkaBase SpiritA neutral vodka to boost the alcohol without adding flavor30ml
Blue CuraçaoLiqueurGives the drink its signature blue color and a bitter-orange flavor20ml
Coconut CreamDairyThick, sweet coconut cream, not coconut water20ml
Pineapple JuiceJuiceFresh or quality bottled juice40ml
CreamDairyLight or heavy cream, adds richness and body20ml

Garnish: Pineapple wedge, Maraschino cherry, Drink umbrella

Tools

Cocktail shaker · Shaking
To shake and chill the creamy and fruit ingredients together with ice
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid
Jigger · Measuring
To measure the spirits, liqueur, cream, and juice accurately
At home: A shot glass or measuring spoons
Hawthorne strainer · Straining
To hold back the ice while pouring the drink into the glass
At home: A slotted spoon or fine mesh sieve
Hurricane glass · optional · Serving
To serve the drink in a large, curved tiki glass that shows off the blue color
At home: A large wine glass or pint glass
Bar spoon · optional · Mixing
To layer the dark rum on top if you are adding the float
At home: A regular teaspoon

Steps

1
Measure 30ml light rum, 30ml vodka, 20ml blue curaçao, 20ml coconut cream, 40ml pineapple juice, and 20ml cream into your shaker. The cream and coconut cream are thick, so pour slowly to get an accurate measure.
!Using coconut water instead of coconut cream will make the drink thin and tart instead of rich.
2
Fill the shaker about two-thirds full with ice cubes. Close the lid tightly so it doesn't leak when you shake.
!Overfilling with ice leaves no room for the ingredients to mix and churn, resulting in a weak shake.
3
Shake hard for about 10 to 12 seconds. You want the shaker to frost over on the outside and feel very cold in your hands, which tells you the cream and juices are fully chilled and mixed.
~12s
!Shaking too softly leaves the coconut cream and dairy poorly blended, making the drink chunky.
4
Open the shaker and pour everything through a Hawthorne strainer into a hurricane glass filled with fresh ice. The drink should look pale blue and opaque.
!Letting ice chips slip into the glass waters the drink down faster as it sits.
5
If you want the traditional float, pour 10ml of dark rum over the back of a bar spoon right on the surface of the drink so it sits on top. Skewer a pineapple wedge and a cherry, rest them on the rim, and serve with a straw.
!Pouring the dark rum straight in without a spoon will sink it and ruin the layered look.

Serve

Serve it right away while it is frosty cold. The thick, creamy texture melts fast, so drink it before the ice dilutes it too much.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Blue Curaçao

Blue CuraçaoTriple Sec plus blue food coloring
Match
Common availability
Blue Curaçao → Triple Sec plus blue food coloring: Adds the same orange flavor and blue color, but the color looks more artificial and less vibrant.

Swap options for Coconut Cream

Coconut CreamCream of Coconut
Match
Common availability
Coconut Cream → Cream of Coconut: Very similar, though often sweeter, so the drink will taste even sweeter than it already is.

Swap options for Cream

CreamHalf-and-half
Match
Common availability
Cream → Half-and-half: Makes the drink slightly lighter in body and less rich on the tongue.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Piña Colada

The Piña Colada skips the vodka, blue curaçao, and dairy cream, relying solely on coconut for richness.

Match

Drinking a Swimming Pool feels like drinking a Piña Colada that had extra cream stirred in and a shot of vodka snuck in, with a bright blue tint and a hint of orange peel.

In common: Creamy tropical texture, Pineapple-coconut flavor base, Sweet and indulgent

Ingredients

Both share

Light Rum, Coconut Cream, Pineapple Juice

Only in Swimming Pool

Vodka, Blue Curaçao, Cream

The Swimming Pool adds vodka for extra booze, blue curaçao for color and orange notes, and straight cream to make the drink even richer and thicker than a Piña Colada.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Sweet pineapple-coconut backbone, Creamy and thick mouthfeel, Tropical and fruity

How Piña Colada differs

Slightly boozier, Has a faint orange note, Even heavier and creamier

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Blue Hawaiian

The Blue Hawaiian uses coconut cream instead of dairy cream and skips the vodka, making it lighter.

Match

The Blue Hawaiian drinks lighter and more refreshing, while the Swimming Pool is heavier and milkier on the palate.

In common: Blue color from curaçao, Pineapple and orange flavor, Tropical and sweet

Ingredients

Both share

Light Rum, Blue Curaçao, Pineapple Juice

Only in Swimming Pool

Vodka, Cream

Only in Blue Hawaiian

Coconut Cream

The Blue Hawaiian swaps the dairy cream for coconut cream and drops the vodka, so it keeps the blue color but has a lighter, less milky body than the Swimming Pool.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Bright blue appearance, Pineapple and orange flavor, Sweet tropical profile

How Blue Hawaiian differs

Less creamy and heavy, More coconut-forward, Lower alcohol punch

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The Swimming Pool emerged in Germany during the 1980s as part of the tropical cocktail craze that swept through European bars. Its exact creator is unknown, but it was likely developed as a visually striking, creamy variation of the Piña Colada, using blue curaçao for its signature pool-water color.

Era: 1980s
IBA: Contemporary Classics
Data version: IBA Contemporary Classics spec
Confidence

The IBA recipe lists this as an official Contemporary Classic, though some variations include a dark rum float which is not in the IBA spec.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Shake harder than you think to break up the thick coconut cream.
Use crushed ice in the glass to keep it frosty and slow down dilution.
Chill your glass in the freezer for 10 minutes before making the drink.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Do not use coconut milk, it will separate and look curdled.
Skip the cream if you want a lighter drink, it changes the whole texture.
Do not stir this drink, shaking is required to blend the dairy.