Here’s 10 delicious Blue Curacao cocktails!
What better way to cure the blues than to enjoy a blue curaçao cocktail?
Blue curaçao (pronounced cure-ah-sow; the "sow" part is pronounced like the word "now") is an orange liqueur that is most commonly used to make striking cocktails and shooters. The blue (made from dye) is absolutely stunning—just what you want a cocktail to look like. The taste has a citrus flavor to it, which is why it's so refreshing to drink. In my mind, it's the perfect liqueur to star in a summer cocktail, although I'll admit I drink it all year round in some of these fabulous cocktails.
Let's look at how curacao is made and ten fantastic cocktails that you can make with it that are sure to impress your guests.
What is Blue Curaçao?
Curaçao is a liqueur that has an orangey flavor to it. It gets this flavor from the peels of the laraha citrus fruit that is grown on the island of Curaçao (which is where the liqueur gets its name).
The laraha are descendants of the Valencia oranges that were brought to Curaçao in the 1500s by Spanish explorers. Neither the soil or climate were suited to growing oranges, and the original Valencia oranges evolved into the laraha.
The laraha is too bitter to be eaten. The skin, however, can be used. When making the curaçao liqueur, the laraha peel is dried. The drying process releases the laraha's sweetly fragranced essential oils. Once dried, the skins are soaked in alcohol and water for a few days before they are removed.
Curaçao liqueur is actually colorless. Artificial color is added to it frequently, however, most commonly blue. Blue curaçao can make some very striking cocktails. I have included 10 of them for you to enjoy.
1. The Blue Lagoon
- 1 oz. vodka
- 1/2 oz. blue curaçao
- Lemonade
Fill a highball glass with ice, add the vodka and blue curaçao, and top up with lemonade. Stir and serve.
This cocktail is great to drink on a warm summer afternoon as it has a lovely refreshing flavor. The lemonade component turns it into a 'tall drink,' so it's not as potent as some other refreshing cocktails can be!
2. The Blue Hawaiian
- 1/2 oz. light rum
- 1/2 oz. blue curaçao
- 2 oz. pineapple juice
- 1/2 oz. coconut cream
- 1 cup of ice
Place all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend and serve in a highball glass with a pineapple wheel and some cherries as garnish.
3. Midnight Kiss
- 1 1/2 oz. vodka
- 1/2 oz. blue curaçao
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Champagne
Place the vodka, blue curaçao, lemon juice, and ice into a cocktail shaker and shake. Then strain into a champagne flute and top up with champagne.
4. Envy
- 1 1/2 oz. silver tequila
- 2 oz. pineapple juice
- 1/2 oz. blue curaçao
Pour tequila into a glass and fill with ice. Add pineapple juice and stir well. Top with blue curaçao and stir lightly. Garnish with a cherry.
5. Big Easy Blue Punch
- 1 oz. blue curaçao
- 2 oz. coconut rum
- 2 oz. pineapple soda
- 1/2 oz. lemon juice
Combine blue curaçao, rum and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass. Top with pineapple soda and garnish with lemon wheel.
6. Blue Diablo
- 1 1/4 oz. Jose Cuervo Clasico
- 1/4 oz. blue curaçao
- Juice of half lime
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Club soda
Mix tequila, blue curaçao, lime juice, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour into a short glass and top with club soda.
7. Blue Monday
- 2 oz vodka
- ¼ oz triple sec
- ¼ oz blue curaçao
Place all of the ingredients together with ice into a cocktail shaker. Shake and serve in a martini glass.
8. Bluebird
- 2 oz. gin
- 1 oz. triple sec
- 1 oz. blue curaçao
- 2 dashes bitters
Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.
9. Blue Margarita
- 2 oz. tequila
- 1 oz. blue curaçao
- 1 oz. triple sec
- 1 oz. lime juice
- Salt
- Garnish: lime wedge
Rim the glass with salt. Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into the margarita glass being careful of the salt rim.
10. Electric Blue Margarita
- 1 oz. triple sec
- 1 oz. silver tequila
- 1/2 oz. peach schnapps
- 1/2 oz. blue curaçao
- 4 oz. sour mix
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Fill glass with ice. Strain the mixture over fresh ice. Garnish with lemon slice and serve.
Bonus: Indianapolis
This cocktail is fairly new to me, and while it makes a nice change from the blue lagoon, it doesn't have as much flavor as the blue hawaiian for example. It looks sensational however.
- 1 part blue curaçao
- 1 part vodka
- 1 part half 'n half
Mix the ingredients together in a mixing glass with ice before straining into martini glasses to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Type of Alcohol Is Blue Curaçao?
Blue Curaçao is a colorless liqueur made from the dried peels of a bitter orange fruit called Laraha. It is dyed blue with food coloring and can be used as a substitute for cocktails that call for triple sec (and vice versa). The only difference is the blue color.
What Is the Alcohol Content of Blue Curaçao?
The alcohol by volume of blue curaçao ranges from 15% to 40% depending on the brand.
What Is the Best Substitute for Curaçao?
Cointreau (a brand of triple sec) and Grand Marnier (a blend of cognac and triple sec) are both clear, sweet, orange-flavored liqueurs that are great substitutes. In fact, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and curaçao are all interchangeable and all belong in the family of orange liqueur. Depending on the cocktail you make, there are slight flavor differences between each one. Cointreau is less sweet, while Grand Marnier is closest in taste to curaçao because both are sweetened and distilled in brandy.
Are Triple Sec and Blue Curaçao the Same Thing?
Triple sec is "dry," which means that it is less sweetened than blue curaçao. Triple sec is also clear. The most well-known brand of triple sec is Cointreau. Blue curaçao is colored blue and is sweet.
Yummy! So, prepare one of these to you and your friends! Everybody is tired of winter!
Source: Delishably.com
Cover: L’atelier des chefs