Blue beverages are making a comeback.
I was taught the ways of blue early in my hospitality career. As a young bartender bashing out an obscene number of lychee martinis and mojitos on King Street Wharf in the early 2010s, I often wondered why people didn’t drink more negronis, manhattans, martinis… you know, serious cocktails.
It took me several years to come to the realisation that these cocktails were an escape from the norm, a getaway to another world, a literal holiday-in-a-glass with your own little umbrella and flamingo friend. It is scientifically impossible to look into the electric blue of curaçao and not be blissfully whisked away to a tropical vacation of pristine blue oceans and clear skies. Lesson learnt – not everyone aspired to be the brooding Don Draper. Most of us just want to have fun.
So what is curaçao?
Traditionally made with dried lahara peels grown on the island of Curaçao; once Seville oranges planted by Spanish explorers in the 1500s, the arid Caribbean climate proved too much for the expat citrus, its flesh becoming unapologetically bitter and entirely inedible. The peels on the other hand – enticingly aromatic, fragrant and destined to change the cocktail world forever.
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How do I use it?
Of course, we’ve all had a sticky, sugar-laden, gloopy mess of a blue cocktail at least once – that Blue Lagoon jug on a harbour cruise was almost as bad of an idea as the cruise itself. However that’s not to say blue curaçao can’t elevate even the most revered of classics. Despite its ‘brilliant blue’ hue, curaçao is a citrus-based liqueur that lends itself to just about any cocktail.
Let’s talk margaritas. Generally made with clear (see: boring) triple sec or orange liqueur – so why not substitute in blue curaçao? It may look turbo but not only do you still have a well balanced, delicious cocktail, it’s now objectively better to look at. Essentially any cocktail that calls for a citrus liqueur can be elevated with the addition of blue.
Why is it trending?
Now more than ever, I see the inherent value of blue curaçao. The pandemic’s seemingly endless lockdowns continued to crush our dreams of island life and cocktails by the pool – and that may be why we’re seeing a blue revival.
With its ethereal blue power to transport you away, curaçao is a gift that must be cherished.
Blue drinks are happiness.
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