First things first, this cocktail is not named for the Blue Lagoon movie starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins. The film was panned by critics, but somehow became one of the highest-grossing films of 1980. While the movie failed to impress the critics, the same can’t be said for this garish, gaudy cocktail, which is made with vodka, blue curaçao, lemonade and lemon juice. With its bright blue hue, this is the epitome of a holiday cocktail and practically tastes like a tropical getaway. It's an electric-blue drink that strikes a flavoursome balance of sweet, sour and bitter, best served poolside during an endless summer.
The key ingredient to the Blue Lagoon, aside from the vodka, is blue curaçao. It’s a liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of 'laraha', a bitter citrus fruit grown on the Dutch island of Curaçao, which is off the coast of Venezuela. The fruit is descended from the Seville orange, which was brought over by the Spanish fleet during the 16th century. The fruit itself is very bitter, but the peel offers some lovely aromatics. The final taste of blue curaçao – the blue colour is added artificially, by the way – is a touch bitter, a touch sweet, and similar to triple sec. Oh, and it’s pronounced cure-ah-souw.
