Find out if Blue Curaçao goes bad, how to store this orange liqueur, and how long this drink usually lasts.
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Blue Curaçao is a popular liqueur known for its bright blue color and sweet, slightly bitter taste and full citrus flavor.
Whether you’re a bartender or like to mix up your own blue drinks at home, chances are you’ve used Blue Curaçao in a cocktail or two.
But what happens when that bottle of Blue Curaçao has been sitting in your liquor cabinet for a while? Does it go bad? And if so, how can you tell?
In this blog post, we’ll answer these questions and provide some tips on how to properly store Blue Curaçao to ensure it stays fresh and tasty for as long as possible. So, let’s dive in and explore the shelf life of Blue Curaçao!
What is Blue Curaçao?
Blue Curaçao is a liqueur with a signature bright blue color and an orange flavor. It is a liqueur made with bitter orange peels from the island of Curaçao.
Though the orange peels are bitter in flavor, they are very aromatic and lend a bright citrus flavor to this liqueur. There are many different colors for Curaçao, but the most popular are orange and blue.
Read on: What is Blue Curaçao?
How to store Blue Curaçao
Blue Curaçao liqueur should be stored similarly to other alcohols and liqueurs. A cool, dry place that’s away from direct sunlight and sources of heat, like stoves, microwaves, and other heating elements.
Room temperature is fine, but after the bottle has been opened, you might choose to refrigerate to make it last longer than if it were stored in a cabinet.
How long does Blue Curaçao last?
Blue Curaçao, like many other liqueurs can last a very long time, even a decade or so.
Once you’ve opened your bottle of Blue Curaçao, you’ll want to be sure to consume it in about one to two years, because it won’t stay at the same quality indefinitely.
Keep it in a cool, dry place or refrigerated for best results that will help keep your bottle of Blue Curaçao as good of quality as possible for this long.
Can Blue Curaçao go bad?
Blue Curaçao will eventually go bad, especially if opened. An unopened bottle of Blue Curaçao may last up to 10 years (though I’m not sure why you’d hang onto one for that long without consuming it).
An opened bottle may not “go bad” within exactly one to two years, but the flavor and quality will decline the longer it is opened. It’s a good idea to use it up before this happens.
Does Blue Curaçao go bad after opening?
Eventually, Blue Curaçao will go bad after opening. But again, it’s not necessarily going to “go bad” at some magic number. The quality of the liqueur will slowly decline over time, as well as the flavor.
You might do a sniff or taste test before adding it into a cocktail that you’re making to ensure you don’t ruin a whole batch of drinks.
How to tell if Blue Curaçao has gone bad
The best way to know if your bottle of Blue Curaçao has gone bad is to look for one of these indicators that the quality of the drink has started going downhill. These are the things to look for:
Change in color
Blue Curaçao is a bright blue color. If this color has changed over time to either a darker or lightened version of how you bought it, it may have started losing its quality.
Change in taste
A Blue Curaçao has a bright citrus flavor that’s both sweet and slightly bitter. If the taste starts moving toward the sour end of things, or it’s just generally unpleasant, I’d err on the side of it having gone bad and to get a fresh bottle for making your favorite drinks with this liqueur.
Cloudiness
If you start noticing some cloudiness or sediment in the bottom of your Blue Curaçao bottle, this might also be a sign that the liqueur has started breaking down and it may not be safe to drink.
Bad odor
As with any liqueur, if the smell has changed drastically since you first opened the bottle, the quality has probably changed.
We’re talking about a foul or unpleasant smell to help tip you off that this bottle has started turning. Get a fresh bottle of Blue Curaçao before you start mixing up your favorite drinks with this liqueur again.
Can you get sick from old Blue Curaçao?
As with almost any alcoholic drink, Blue Curaçao can certainly make you sick if you’re consuming a bottle that’s seen better days.
If you drink Blue Curaçao that has a bad odor, unpleasant taste, looks cloudy, or doesn’t have the same bright blue color that you’d expect to find in a Blue Curaçao, then you may or may not get sick from drinking it.
Of course, without a magic ball, I can’t tell you for sure if it will make you sick. Many other factors would be at play here, like how much was consumed, how old it was, and how your body can handle foods or drinks that aren’t at their peak quality.
Use your best judgment when it comes to drinking a Blue Curaçao that seems questionable to you. I’d always err on the side of not using it if there’s any question at all. Get a fresh bottle to mix into your favorite drinks instead of trying to muscle through with what you have.