With a dazzling bluest-of-blue hue and zesty bittersweet orange taste, the best Blue Curaçao Liqueurs lure bartenders into creating magnificent and colourful cocktails. It’s also incredibly refreshing when sipped neat on the rocks, and the colour looks crazy!
I must say that Blue Curaçao is an old favourite of mine and will always have a place in my home bar. My love affair with this liqueur began in the late 1980s when I sampled my first Blue Lagoon cocktail whilst on holiday in Italy.
What Is Blue Curaçao?
Blue Curaçao is a liqueur infused with the peel of bitter Laraha oranges grown on the Island of Curaçao. Usually, sweet citrus fruits are also added to the blend that’s finally coloured blue, representing the waters of Curaçao Island.
What Does Blue Curaçao Taste Like?
Blue Curaçao has the vibrant, zesty flavour and unique bitterness of the Laraha orange mixed with sweeter citrus’ to provide its bittersweet taste profile.
Best Blue Curaçao Liqueurs
The best Blue Curaçao liqueurs can be enjoyed neat or as the perfect addition to any colourful summer cocktail. Here are 7 Blue Curaçao brands to consider.
1. Vedrenne Curaçao Bleu
Overview
- Distiller: Vedrenne
- ABV: 25% (50 Proof)
- Country: France
- Colour: Electric Blue
Review
Vedrenne was founded in 1923 in Nuits-Saint-Georges, a small community in eastern France. Vedrenne is currently a family group comprising a variety of French distilleries and liqueur producers representing a longstanding heritage of local traditions.
Vedrenne Liqueur de Curaçao Bleu is made from ripe French oranges from the local Burgundy orchards that are left to steep in alcohol to release the flavours of the fruit.
The oranges with other botanicals are then placed in a bag inside a copper still, and the wash is then distilled for a second time. Cane sugar is added for sweetness, and blue colouring is added.
Taste Notes
A zesty orange fragrance on the nose transcends into a tasty Curaçao with the slight bitterness of orange peel mixed with sweet orange flesh, and I could detect hints of bark on the finish.
Best Served
Vedrenne Curaçao Bleu is best served with a shot of white rum, lemonade, and an orange twist.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
2. Giffard Curaçao Bleu
Overview
- Distiller: Giffard
- ABV: 25% (50 Proof)
- Country: France
- Colour: Deep Blue
Review
Ėmile Giffard, a dispensing chemist who took an interest in the cooling effects that mint can offer the human body. He took his research and concocted a refined mint liqueur which he offered guests at the Grand Hotel to sample during the French heatwave of 1885.
Giffard Curaçao Bleu is made by macerating bitter Lahara oranges and mint. The ingredients are then added to alcohol to naturally release their flavour before distilling. The liqueur is then filtered and coloured before bottling.
Taste Notes
Soft floral aromas of sweet oranges with light hints of mint on the nose. A delightful creamy citrus bite on the palate.
Best Served
Giffard Curaçao Bleu can be enjoyed with soda, a shot of premium vodka, and a wedge of lemon. Garnish with a maraschino cherry for a refreshing Blue Lagoon cocktail.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
3. De Kuyper Blue Curaçao
Overview
- Distiller: De Kuyper
- ABV: 20% (40 Proof)
- Country: Netherlands
- Colour: Blue
Review
De Kuyper is a family-owned distillery founded by Schiedam in 1752. The distillery became renowned for its Dutch Gin, Genever, when they shipped it to the USA after prohibition. The distillery began producing liqueur in 1911 as cocktails became more popular than gin.
Generous amounts of Lahara orange are perfectly blended with ripe orange, and lemon is laid in Curaçao distillate to release the natural zesty flavour. The infused spirit is then filtered and bottled at 20% ABV.
Taste Notes
A delightful floral fruitiness on the nose with a zesty bite. Smooth yet tangy orange on the palate with a light orange peel marmalade sweetness.
Best Served
De Kuyper Blue Curaçao is great served in a Coconut Snowball Martini or a Sparkling Glacier cocktail.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
4. Lejay Sisca Blue Curacao Liqueur
Overview
- Distiller: Lejay Sisca
- ABV: 21% (42 Proof)
- Country: France
- Colour: Bright Blue
Review
Lejay Sisca is one of only four licensed producers allowed to make Crème de Cassis de Dijon’ a French blackcurrant liqueur. Lejay still prides itself on using the passed down traditional methods to distil and produce its liqueurs.
Lejay Sisca Blue Curaçao Liqueur is made with ripe orange peel from the island nation of Haiti. The orange peel is soaked in a clear spirit till all the zesty flavour has been released. It is distilled in a small reflux pot still, coloured with natural ingredients, and diluted to a 21% ABV.
Taste Notes
A soft orange zest on the nose with a hint of sweet orange blossom. Soft and delicate flavours of sweet orange mid-palate with a slightly bitter bite on the finish.
Best Served
Lejay Sisca Blue Curaçao Liqueur can be enjoyed straight on ice with a slice of pineapple or in a cheeky Blue-Eyed Martini or Blue Lagoon cocktail.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
5. Bols Blue Curaçao
Overview
- Distiller: Bols
- ABV: 21% (42 Proof)
- Country: Netherlands
- Colour: Blue
Review
Bols Blue is the World’s best-selling blue Curaçao. It was the first flavoured expression in their liqueur range and was formerly known as Crème de Ciel. Bols blue has become legendary in the cocktail world and is the go-to expression for many bartenders.
Made from three flavorful orange varieties: Valencia orange, Kinnow orange, and bittersweet Lahara Curaçao orange. Bols then add a unique blend of botanicals and let the ingredients infuse in a neutral spirit for a burst of orange zestiness.
Taste Notes
Bursts of sweet orange and tangy mandarin on the nose with a subtle floral flourish. You get a blast of orange zest on the palate that soon sweetens for a smooth finish.
Best Served
A true classic, Bols Blue Curaçao is best enjoyed in a Margarita Azul. Swimming pool, 80s music, guy’s speedos and ladies’ high-cut luminous bikinis are optional.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
6. Volare Blue Curacao Liqueur
Overview
- Distiller: Volare
- ABV: 20% (40 Proof)
- Country: Italy
- Colour: Deep Blue
Review
Volare Blue Curaçao is not only packed with the bittersweet orange flavour you would expect from a quality Curaçao, but the bottle is designed explicitly for flair bartenders. The weighted bottom and integrated pouring spout aid even novice barkeeps.
Traditional Curaçao orange peels are sundried to release their essential citrus oils. The peels are then added to a neutral spirit and distilled to perfection. Colouring and a dash of sugar are added to enhance the flavour.
Taste Notes
Dry orange on the nose with mint in the background. On the palate, a pleasant silky mandarin that is just the right balance between bitter and sweet is joined by a touch of mint.
Best Served
Volare Blue Curaçao Liqueur is best served neat over ice with Marciano cherry or in a Kamikaze Blue cocktail.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
7. Edmond Briottet Curaçao Bleu
Overview
- Distiller: Briottet
- ABV: 25% (50 Proof)
- Country: France
- Colour: Blue
Review
The Briottet Distillery was founded in 1836 by Edmond Briottet. The distillery is currently in its 6th generation of family ownership and is located in Dijon City, France. Briottet is known for only using fresh, all-natural ingredients in its range of delectable liqueurs.
Briottet Curaçao Bleu is made with ripe Curaçao and sweet oranges, and the fruit is macerated and infused with a white spirit. Once the zest from the orange peel has been extracted, the distillate is double distilled.
Taste Notes
A light and tangy orange blossoms on the nose with the subtle bitterness of orange peel combined with smooth orange flesh and a hint of lemon on the palate.
Best Served
Briottet Curaçao Bleu is best served neat on the rocks with a slice of grapefruit and ice. For all you Tequila lovers out there, you can try it out in a Cactus Jack cocktail.
Pricing & Info
You can check the latest pricing, product information, and order online.
Ingrid’s Top Pick
Giffard Curaçao Bleu
My personal favourite is Giffard Curaçao Bleu because the bitterness of the orange is nicely offset by sweeter creamy lemon sorbet and hints of mint. Use it in my ultimate Blue Lagoon cocktail recipe.
Expert Mixologist Tip
We reached out to Lisa Belczyk, founder of cocktail experience and private events company The Fizzy Coupe, to share her favourite Blue curaçao based cocktail.
The Blue Lady Cocktail
There’s just something magical about blue cocktails. Many blue drinks hail from the “disco era” of cocktails, but one of my favourites comes from the 1930s: the Blue Lady.
Blue curaçao is its backbone, and with gin, lemon juice, and an egg white, it’s a simple, delicious, and magical cocktail!
Lisa Belczyk – The Fizzy Coupe
Conclusion
This vibrant blue bittersweet nectar, made from oranges from the Island of Curaçao, is at the heart of many delicious cocktails. The blue-eyed Martini, Blue Hawaii, and Blue Lagoon cocktail (my recipe) won’t be the same without the best Blue Curaçao liqueurs as their base.
Further Reading
Below are some additional articles from The Drinks Geek blog. We write articles on several fascinating areas of drinks, including different brands, drink types, cocktail recipes and more.
