Hawaiian POG juice, a blend of passionfruit, orange and guava juice, tastes like sunshine in a glass. I’ll show you where to find the ingredients to mix up a homemade pitcher of this refreshing beverage.
Fourteen years ago, we traveled to Maui for my brother’s wedding and had the most amazing relaxing time. I’ve been plotting a return trip ever since; my dream is to be able to spend an entire summer there relaxing on the beach, eating Maui Gold pineapples and drinking fresh POG juice every morning for breakfast.
I fell in love with everything about Hawaii. The beautiful scenery. The flowers. The aloha spirit. The relaxing atmosphere. The food and drink. (Kalua pork is amazing!)
While it’s probably true that everything tastes better in paradise, I have found a way to bring at least some of that vacation flavor home by making my own POG juice.
Or as I like to call it, sunshine in a glass. Or a vacation in a glass.
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What is POG Juice
POG is an acronym for a delicious Hawaiian beverage made from passionfruit, orange and guava juice.
POG juice has a much mellower flavor than orange juice, thanks to the addition of guava and passionfruit juice.
A lot of POG juice, including the kind sold in Hawaiian grocery stores has sugar added, so it is fairly sweet.
My POG juice recipe doesn’t have any added sugar, so you won’t feel guilty when you pour a second glass. (And trust me, you will!)
I still remember the first time I had a sip of POG juice. It was in a hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant where we were having breakfast on our way to tour the Road to Hana. Our driver, Joe, insisted we stop there for muffins, pineapple, coffee and POG juice.
From the first sip, I was hooked.
You can scroll to the end of this post for the POG juice recipe or keep reading for more tips on where to find the ingredients and how to make this delicious Hawaiian drink.
How to make POG Juice
POG juice or POG drink contains just three ingredients:
- passionfruit juice
- orange juice
- guava nectar or juice
My recipe contains pure fruit juice, and the tartness will really depend on type of orange juice you use. Fresh squeezed is the best, but I usually use a carton of our favorite, pulp-free orange juice from the grocery store for simplicity.
For years, I’ve tried to find the ingredients to make POG juice at home, but passion fruit juice hasn’t always been easy to come by.
So, I was THRILLED — yep, all caps excited — to find passion fruit juice at World Market when I was shopping for supplies for my Oscars champagne bar. (You can also find Passion Fruit juice on Amazon and some local stores may carry it, as well.)
And they also sell cartons of guava juice, too.
If you’re still unable to find passion fruit juice where you live, you can make your own. Attainable Sustainable has a good recipe for passion fruit juice, if you can get your hands on the fresh fruit.
You can find recipes for homemade guava juice here.
I know you’re probably saying, “get on with the recipe, already,” and I hear you. But it’s so simple, I felt like I needed to tell you a story and give you some shopping tips first.
How to Make POG Juice
To make your own pog juice, gather up your ingredients:
- passionfruit juice
- orange juice
- guava juice
Start by mixing two parts passionfruit juice and two parts guava juice to one part orange juice. Take a sip to test for tartness, then add more orange juice if preferred.
I tend to like a 1:1:1 ratio, with equal parts of passionfruit, orange and guava juice. But you may prefer a different mixture or proportion.
You can add a bit of sugar, and I’ve noted that in the recipe below. But I don’t think you need it; the fruit juices in POG juice are delicious and sweet enough on their own.
Garnish with orange slices or a tropical umbrella. (I used blood oranges for these photos.)
Now that I have found a reliable source of passionfruit juice, I plan to experiment with some POG juice cocktails. Can you imagine a mimosa or a tequila sunrise or a screwdriver made with POG juice instead of orange juice?
Now if only I could find Maui gold pineapples here on the mainland.
What does Hawaiian POG juice taste like?
I have referred to POG juice as sunshine in a glass because it has such a refreshing flavor.
It’s smoother and mellower than orange juice because the passionfruit juice and guava juice tone down the citrus flavor.
Guava nectar tastes like a combination of strawberry and pear or grapefruit and pear. Passionfruit juice has a sweet, yet slightly tart, flavor.
So the combination of the three — passionfruit juice, orange juice and guava nectar — results in a unique sweet and tart fruity combination.
Where can I buy POG Juice
As I mentioned, I have been on the hunt for POG juice in local grocery stores for more than a decade.
It’s plentiful in Hawaii and possibly other tropical locations, but I’ve not had luck finding it in stores on the mainland.
You can buy sweetened POG juice on Amazon in cans and a powdered version, but neither lives up to the real stuff. Hawaii’s Own makes a frozen, concentrate version, but it’s only available in select stores in Hawaii, Alaska and the west coast.
That’s why I recommend you make Hawaiian POG juice yourself.
Can you buy POG juice on the mainland?
POG juice is hard to find on the mainland, sadly, which is why I had to come up with a recipe for the delicious Hawaiian juice. As I mentioned above, you can buy a frozen, concentrate version in select stores on the west coast. But it is mostly sold in Hawaii.
Apparently, you can order up a glass of POG juice at certain Disney World locations, where it is sometimes called Jungle Juice. You can find it at ‘Ohana, a restaurant at Disney Polynesian Resort, and at the Tusker House restaurant at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom.
Can you freeze POG juice?
Yes, you can freeze POG juice to thaw and serve later.
If you have leftover POG juice, I recommend freezing it in ice cube trays. Transfer the frozen cubes to a zip-top bag or airtight container in the freezer.
Then, put the frozen cubes in the blender to make a POG juice slushie. I recommend using a powerful blender, with ice-crushing capabilities, like the Kitchen Aid K400.
Homemade Hawaiian POG Juice
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups passionfruit juice
- 2 2/3 cups orange juice
- 2 2/3 cups guava juice
Instructions
- Start by mixing two parts passionfruit juice and two parts guava juice to one part orange juice. Take a sip to test for tartness, then add more orange juice if preferred.
- I tend to like a 1:1:1 ratio, with equal parts of passionfruit, orange and guava juice.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin This! Easy & Delicious POG Juice Recipe
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Heidi
This juice is so refreshing and perfect on a hot day! It is one of our family favorites!
Adelina
I wonder if I have a World Market near me… This is my kind of juice drink! I’m feeling more a smoothie style POG now. Thank you for sharing on Weekend Bites!