Here’s how this (often electric blue) liqueur should be served.
Sure, it’s known for that electric blue glow, but here’s the twist: curaçao isn’t always blue. In fact, it comes in all sorts of shades – clear, orange, even red, if you’re feeling spicy.
The colour’s all smoke and mirrors, though, as all curaçaos pretty much taste the same. Think sweet, fragrant, oily, viscous orange-citrus liqueur. The real star of the show is a bitter orange known as laraha, originally bred by the Spanish to thrive on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. When the Dutch took over, they saw the citrus’s potential, shipped the peels back to Holland, and voilà: the citrusy liqueur we now know as curaçao was born.
Who actually invented it? No one’s totally sure. Like most liquor stories, there’s a bit of myth-making involved. Some even reckon the first curaçao came out of Flanders, a Dutch province in what’s now Belgium.
Like we mentioned, it’s traditionally made with zesty laraha peel, but these days, curaçao has evolved, and other bitter oranges often make the cut (see: Bols curaçao). But the taste? Still sweet, citrusy and endlessly versatile. No wonder bartenders keep it within arm’s reach.
Curaçao starts with dried bitter orange peels – usually laraha, if you’re keeping score – soaked in alcohol with other ingredients like lemon peel and botanicals like vanilla. It’s then redistilled, sweetened and often dyed those wild hues (hello, electric blue).
Sound like triple sec? You’re not wrong. Both are orange liqueurs and often mix into the same cocktails, but curaçao is older and usually leans richer and spicier, while triple sec is drier and brighter. Think of curaçao as triple sec’s moodier, sweeter cousin. Whereas triple sec brings the zesty clarity, thanks to beet sugar spirit, dried orange peels and possibly its ‘triple dry’ distillation and mix of peel styles. But these are not hard-and-fast rules (hello Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao Triple Sec Liqueur).
Now that you know the deal with this famously blue (or orange… or red… or clear) liqueur, you’ll appreciate it even more in your go-to curaçao cocktails. Just be sure to taste a little curaçao on its own to get a feel for the flavour first. It’s definitely meant to be a cocktail ingredient, but if you like it straight, go for it.
First up? The bluest of them all: the Blue Lagoon. It’s a loud, proud mix of curaçao, vodka, fresh lemon juice and lemonade (yes, like Sprite). It’s built in a Hurricane glass (non-negosh) and topped with a maraschino cherry and a slice of orange. Gaudy? Absolutely. Iconic? Also yes. Take out the fresh lemon and sub it for crème de framboise, and now you’ve got a Fruit Tingle cocktail, we love a versatile queen.
Next up: the mighty, sweet and tangy Mai Tai. We’re leaving the garish blue behind and reaching for the softer touch of orange curaçao. Mix it with 20mL light rum, 20mL dark rum, a hit of orgeat (that almondy-sweet magic with a hint of rose), and a good slosh of fresh lime juice. And finally, garnish with a lime wheel and a maraschino cherry because that was very much the style of the time.
Want more blue? Meet the Blue Hawaii. She actually leans a little green (thanks, pineapple juice), but we love her all the same. Just to be clear, we’re not talking about the Blue Hawaiian. This is the OG. The Blue Hawaii skips the coconut cream in favour of clarity – vodka, rum, blue curaçao, fresh pineapple juice, and our go-to sweet-and-sour mix (fresh lime, lemon and sugar syrup). No creamy stuff here – that’s the Blue Hawaiian’s schtick, which, may we say is also damn delish.
From down south in America, the Bourbon Iced Tea is a no-fuss mix: iced tea plus a cheeky shot of bourbon. Ours? The Bourbon Peach Tea is a little cooler and a lot more flavourful. Think crisp peach schnapps, spicy bourbon, and floral Earl Grey layered together, then brightened with a splash of curaçao (orange or clear, no blue unless you’re after murky madness) and a squeeze of fresh lemon. It’s a smashing spring sipper with enough Southern charm to even please the ever-charming Dolly Parton.
Lastly but not leastly, we have a Matt Stirling Halloweeny special, The Side Eye, named for its amazing eye garnish made from lychees and blueberries.This playful mix of pineapple juice, passionfruit, vodka, orange curaçao and a float of port gives major lava lamp vibes – marbled and mesmerising. But it’s not just eye candy: this tropical sipper is fruity, refreshing and deceptively simple.
