drinks guide

SUPPORTING ROLE: BLUE CURAÇAO

Five things you didn’t know about blue Curaçao – like what it tastes like, how to pronounce it and why it has that funny ‘c’

These days we're all about the Eighties - bring on the colour!

Those who lived through the original decade will be well versed with the liqueur blue curaçao – which had its cocktail heyday amidst fluoro lycra, the original Miami Vice TV show, and a soundtrack of David Bowie's 'Blue Jean' and ‘Electric Blue’ by Aussie rockers Icehouse.

But blue curaçao is more than just a colourful cocktail classic; it has some serious history, and has its heart deep in the tropical Caribbean. Just look at the azure blue, and let it take you away to the beautiful lapping sea around the exotic island of Curaçao.

Don't know much about this pretty ingredient? Read on... 

  1. As well as adding a shot of colour to cocktails, mixologists use blue curaçao for its tart orange flavour, which comes from the dried peel of the laraha fruit – a highly bitter citrus that grows on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. It's also got a slightly bitter candy taste.
  2. Named after the island, the word ‘curaçao’ is pronounced “cura-sau” (the ‘ç’ comes from medieval Southern Europe and makes a soft ‘s’ sound)
  3. The liqueur curaçao can trace its origins to 1700s Holland, and was popularised during the 1878 World Exhibition in Paris, where it was on display
  4. With the addition of vibrant colouring, blue curaçao rose to modern prominence during the 1950s with the creation of the Blue Hawaiian cocktail, invented by legendary Waikiki bartender Harry Yee
  5. If you need more confirmation of the cool status of this liqueur, in episode one of Mad Men season 6, Don Draper and his latest flame lie on a beach in Hawaii drinking a Blue Hawaiian (see recipe below)
Blue Hawaiian

Blue Hawaiian

Mermaid Lemonade

Mermaid Lemonade

Our Picks