What's The Official Flavor Of Blue Curaçao?

Blue Curaçao is a delicious liqueur that's sweet and syrupy, and known for its distinct blue hue. However, this alcohol has a flavor that's a little bit tricky to pinpoint. Despite its bright blue color, — and its name — Blue Curaçao is actually an orange-flavored liqueur. It's similar to Triple Sec, which is another orange-flavored liqueur, although Blue Curaçao tends to be a bit more bitter. The alcohol percentage in the drink can range from 20-40%, so make sure to keep your wits about you while you're drinking it!

As to its origins, Blue Curaçao originates on the island nation of Curaçao, as its name implies. Hundreds of years ago, Spanish settlers brought a type of bitter orange to the island. Although no one knows who came up with the first batch of Blue Curaçao, what we do know is that distillers figured out how to use the orange to make a tasty liqueur. Since then, Blue Curaçao has boomed in popularity, and it remains a key ingredient in many cocktails today. 

If the idea of a blue-colored orange-flavored liqueur has your mind boggled, it might help to understand how Blue Curaçao is made. Blue Curaçao, which The Atlantic tells us was first invented in the late 1890s on the island of Curaçao, is made from a special type of orange.

To make it, distillers harvest the peels of these oranges, called Lahara oranges. The orange peels are dried. Then, along with a mix of spices, are added to distilled sugar cane alcohol.

Interestingly enough, when the alcohol is finished distilling, it actually has a clear color. Distillers then need to add blue food coloring to give the drink its signature blue color. The good news is that even though distillers have to add coloring to the drink to turn it blue, the colors don't affect the flavor. All you'll taste is the subtle orange flavor, along with whatever spices that particular distiller uses to make their blend.

After that, the mix is ready to be bottled and sold to consumers. It can be either drunk on its own or mixed into a variety of unique cocktails with a bright blue color.

Although you can drink Blue Curaçao on its own, it's more commonly used to make fun and vibrant cocktails. One such cocktail that you can make is the Blue Jasmine. Blue Jasmine calls for a maraschino cherry, two ounces of sparkling wine, an ounce of Blue Curaçao, and an ounce of St. Germain. All you have to do is mix the two liqueurs together in a champagne flute and top it off with the sparkling wine. Then, drop a maraschino cherry into the glass for garnish.

Another popular cocktail you can make with Blue Curaçao is a Blue Hawaiian. A Blue Hawaiian is a blended cocktail that requires a cup of crushed ice, two ounces of pineapple juice, and one ounce each of Blue Curaçao, rum, and cream of coconut. Throw all these ingredients in a blender and pour them into a tall glass. Then, add a slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry to the rim for garnish.

These are just a couple of the many cocktails you can make with Blue Curaçao, of course. Feel free to get creative and explore other fun recipes that add pizazz to your glass with a dash of Blue Curaçao.