One of the easiest ways to level up any celebration is to include a signature cocktail or two. With so many amazing flavor combinations and appearances, anyone can find a drink to fit their theme.
These three delicious cocktails all contain Blue Curacao. It’s a delicious liqueur that adds a lot of punch to your cocktails with it’s delightful flavor – and a lot of flair with it’s fun blue color.
What Is Blue Curaçao?
Blue curaçao is a citrusy-flavored liqueur whose flavor is derived from the peel of the bitter orange laraha, a citrus fruit that grows on the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean. While naturally colorless, a blue dye is added to the liqueur to give it its shocking appearance. This coloring gives drinks with blue curacao a distinctive, exotic look and makes blue curaçao a coveted ingredient in cocktails, especially tiki drinks.
The Blue Hawaii
One of the most famous blue curaçao cocktails, the Blue Hawaii was developed in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, HI, by famous bartender Henry Yee. To make a Blue Hawaii, you’ll need:
- 3/4 oz vodka
- 3/4 oz light rum
- 1/2 oz blue curaçao
- 3 oz pineapple juice
- 1 oz sweet and sour mix
Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until they’re well chilled. Strain them into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice and garnish with a pineapple slice, maraschino cherry, and cocktail umbrella.
For an extra refreshing drink on a hot summer day, try mixing the ingredients with ice in a blender rather than a cocktail shaker to create a frozen Blue Hawaii slush.
The Blue Hawaiian
While similar, this drink should not be mistaken for its cousin, the Blue Hawaii. A Blue Hawaiian, sometimes called a Swimming Pool, is a take on a piña colada, making it another great tropical drink for backyard luaus or island-themed parties. To make a Blue Hawaii, you’ll need:
- 1 1/2 oz light rum
- 3/4 oz blue curaçao
- 2 oz pineapple juice
- 3/4 cream of coconut
- 1/2 fresh lemon juice
Use a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until well combined and chilled. Strain the drink into a hurricane glass filled with crushed ice and garnish with a pineapple slice, maraschino cherry, and cocktail umbrella.
Like a Blue Hawaii, Blue Hawaiians can be made in a blender instead of a cocktail shaker to make a frozen cocktail. You can also substitute coconut milk for the cream of coconut to cut down on the drink’s sweetness.
The Shark Bite
A fun cocktail for celebrating Shark Week or to add to a Halloween party, a Shark Bite’s special ingredient is a few drops of grenadine added after the rest of the ingredients to mimic the appearance of blood in the water. To mix a Shark Bite, you’ll need:
- 3/4 oz spiced rum
- 3/4 oz light rum
- 1/2 oz blue curaçao
- 1 1/2 oz sweet and sour mix
- 3 drops of grenadine
Add all the ingredients except the grenadine to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain the drink into a lowball glass fill with ice. When it comes to the ice for a Shark Bite, you’ll want to be sure that it comes all the way to the top of the drink; if there’s no ice at the top of the drink, the blood in the water effect won’t work. It’s better to use cubes than crushed ice, as crushed ice always ruins the effect.
To finish off, slowly and carefully add the grenadine drops. It’s best to do this in front of whoever is receiving the drink so they can appreciate the effect, or to let the drinker do it themselves. To really make it a showstopper, try putting the grenadine drops in a plastic shark and using that to tip it into the drink.
There are so many fun cocktails to make to fit your next celebration, and don’t forget that you can always try your own hand at being a mixologist to create a cocktail that is truly your own.