Find out what blue Curaçao tastes like, what this liqueur is, made from, and what the best substitutes are for this in other cocktails.
Note: I am a Drizly affiliate and am happy to recommend their service and products to you. Please know that as an affiliate, I may receive a small commission on the products you purchase after clicking through my links. For more info, please see my disclosure policy.
If you’ve ever seen a bright blue cocktail go by you in a bar or restaurant, you may have wondered what the flavor of that drink might be. Is it blue raspberry? Blueberry? Is it some other made up fruit flavor?
Chances are, it has blue Curaçao as an ingredient and the drink itself has some tropical fruit flavor with a few mixed liquors and liqueurs to create a sweet drink.
If you have found yourself wondering what blue Curaçao tastes like, you’re in the right place. Find out what this blue liqueur is, what it’s made from, some popular drinks its used for, and of course some notes about what it tastes like. Since it’s hard to perfectly describe a taste, I’ll do my best to explain it.
We’ll wrap this post up with a few ideas on some blue Curaçao substitutes in case you’re looking to find out what to use instead of this liqueur in a cocktail recipe that calls for it and you don’t have it on hand.
What is blue Curaçao?
Blue Curaçao is an orange-flavored liqueur with a signature bright blue color. It is made with bitter orange peels from the island of Curaçao.
Though the orange peels used in Curaçao are bitter in flavor, they are very aromatic and lend a bright citrus flavor to this liqueur. There are many different colors for Curacao, with orange and blue being the most popular.
Read on: What is blue Curaçao?
What is blue Curaçao made from?
Blue Curaçao is made by soaking bitter lahara orange peels in alcohol and water. Spices and more alcohol are added a few days later before distilling this liqueur. Blue food coloring is added to this liqueur to give it its signature color.
What is blue Curaçao used for?
Blue Curaçao is used for some popular blue-colored cocktails and drinks. Here are some of the more popular blue cocktails that blue Curaçao is used in:
- Blue Margarita
- Blue Hawaii
- Blue Lagoon
- Aqua Velva
- Bluebird
Read on: Is blue Curaçao alcoholic?
What does blue Curaçao taste like? What is the blue Curacao flavor?
Blue Curaçao tastes similar to triple sec, an orange liqueur, but with a slightly bitter finish. It is an orange liqueur and can be used in the same way you’d use a triple sec.
The main flavor of blue Curaçao is going to be oranges or citrus from any brand that you purchase.
What can I substitute for blue Curaçao in a cocktail recipe?
If you don’t have any blue Curaçao on hand and are looking for an ingredient to replace it in your cocktails at home, your best option is to choose another orange flavored liqueur or triple sec.
Though you won’t get the same signature color or bitter finish of blue Curaçao, a triple sec or Cointreau is a great choice to mimic the same orange flavor your recipe is most likely calling for in your drink.
Add a few drops of blue food coloring to your drink and voila! An easy blue Curaçao substitute perfect for replacing this liqueur in all your favorite drinks.
Read on: Triple sec substitutes
If you’ve been wondering what blue Curaçao tastes like, I hope you have a better picture of what to expect from this neon blue colored liqueur. It lends an orange flavor to many cocktails and mixed drinks, so even if you don’t keep it stocked in your home bar, you can definitely substitute another orange liqueur for it – and even add some blue food coloring to get a similar flavor.