Home Chimneys What is blue curacao? Blue Curacao - Caribbean liqueur with a special taste

What is blue curacao? Blue Curacao - Caribbean liqueur with a special taste

(Triple Sec). The blue drink is made from the dried peel of a special variety of bitter orange - larah, which grows only in the Caribbean. The strength of the drink is 30 degrees.

Historical background

Laraja is not an indigenous Caribbean fruit; its ancestor was the Valencian orange, brought to the island by the Spaniards in 1527. Citrus was unable to fully take root in the dry, infertile soil and degenerated into small, bitter fruits. It is impossible to eat larakha, but the aromatic peel is used in cooking.

In appearance, the larakh fruit bears little resemblance to the usual orange

There are two conflicting versions of the origin of Blue Curacao. Dutch liqueur maker Lucas Bols claims credit for the invention goes to their founder, Lucas Bols. The entrepreneur explained the blue color as a “secret alchemical element,” claimed that he did not use dyes, and called the liqueur Crème de Ciel (heavenly cream). On the other hand, the Senior Company, located in Curacao, states that it was their first director, Edgar Senior, who developed the liqueur recipe in 1896.

To this day, Senior Company is the only manufacturer that uses lahara fruit grown in Curacao in its recipe, which is why this company’s products are labeled “genuine.”

It is not known who first came up with the idea of tinting the colorless liqueur, but references to “blue” or “orange” Curacao can be found already in the 1920s. Most likely, this was done to make the drink look more picturesque in cocktails.

Curacao island on the map of the Caribbean region

Curaçao production technology

Larahi zest is placed in jute bags, spices are added (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg), poured with heated wine alcohol and kept for three days. Then the resulting infusion is distilled, sugar is added, diluted with water and filtered. This produces alcohol with a pronounced orange flavor and a slight bitterness. The drink itself is colorless; special dyes give the desired color.

Some manufacturers use dyes based on anthocyanins, natural pigment substances found in many flowers and berries, such as elderberries. Others use cheaper chemical analogues: E131, E132, E133. Information about the composition and dyes is indicated on the label.

Interesting fact: the Larahi plantation on the island of Curacao consists of only 45 trees, which produce no more than 35 kg of zest per year. The fruits are picked by hand, still unripe, and the skin is cut only with a wooden knife so as not to affect the taste of the citrus.

The color of Blue Curaçao resembles the water off the coast of the island

Types of Curacao liqueurs

Triple sec (triple dry) is a colorless liqueur made from the peel of laraja or bitter oranges (depending on the manufacturer). Strength – 30%
Blue Curacao is a “blue” variation of liqueur. The composition includes not only bitter zest, but also sweet orange essence. Manufacturers claim that the very name of the drink hints at the crystal clear waters and bottomless blue sky of the Caribbean islands. Strength 30%.
Orange Curacao is an orange liqueur. Pairs well with mango juice and Scotch whiskey. Strength 30%.
Red Curacao, Green Curacao. Red and green liqueurs are less common and are simply colored versions of Triple Sec. Often used in cocktails as an alternative to Cointreau or triple dry to make the drink more festive without changing the taste. Strength 30%.
Rum Raisin Curacao - is made on the basis of regular Triple Sec, but includes a raisin infusion with rum. The strength is 25%.
Coffee Curacao – 25% strength, the recipe includes coffee bean extract in addition to orange zest. Used as a digestif (alcohol after meals).
Chocolate Curacao is a sweet liqueur with a strength of 25% based on Triple Sec with the addition of cocoa extract. Good for both cocktails and drinking neat.

Famous brands of Blue Curacao

Although Seniors Company has the exclusive right to label its Blue Curaçao with the word "genuine", there are other producers:

Bols (Bolz);
De Kuyper (De Kuyper);
Wenneker (Wenneker);
Bvland (BiViland).

Manufacturer from the island of Curacao

How to drink Curacao

The liqueur can be drunk neat with ice or by pre-chilling the bottle in the refrigerator. The drink is served with fruit or desserts.

Also, any of the variations can be added to coffee or tea, diluted with juice or lemonade in any proportion.

Most often, blue liqueur is used in cocktails.

Cocktails with Curacao

Blue Margarita – 1 part Blue Curacao, 2 parts tequila, 4 parts lemon juice, mix in a shaker. Take a Margarita glass, moisten the rim with lemon juice, and dip in salt. Pour the cocktail into a glass and garnish with lime zest.
Blue Lagoon – one part each of vodka and Blue Curacao, ½ part lemon juice and ice, mix in a shaker, pour into a glass, add a little Sprite or 7-up to taste, garnish with a lime wedge or strawberry.
Blue Hawaii – one part each white rum and Blue Curacao, 2 parts coconut cream, pineapple juice to taste. Mix everything in a blender and pour into a tall glass filled with ice cubes.
Cucumber delight – three parts Orange Curacao, one part each lime juice and gin, 8 large cucumber slices. Mix everything in a shaker, pour into a glass, and garnish with another slice.
Mai Tai – One part Triple Sec, 2 parts dark rum, three parts each pineapple juice, orange juice, gold rum, ½ part lime juice, 1 drop grenadine. Mix everything in a shaker, pour into a glass filled with ice, and garnish with an orange slice.

Blue Margarita – beautiful appearance and excellent taste

Blue Curacao is an orange peel based liqueur with added spices. Often used to make cocktails. Known for its characteristic blue color, which resembles the color of the water off the coast of the island of Curacao. We will look at the recipe and preparation technology, which successfully imitates the original liqueur.

Real Blue Curacao is made from the peel of laraja, a variety of bitter orange that grows only on the Caribbean islands. It has been experimentally established that a similar effect in terms of taste and aroma can be achieved by mixing the zest of an ordinary orange and grapefruit in equal proportions. Store-bought vodka, alcohol diluted with water, or well-purified moonshine (any distillate) without the smell of fusel are suitable as an alcoholic base.

Ingredients:

vodka (alcohol 40-45%, moonshine) – 0.5 liters;
dried orange and grapefruit zest (in equal parts) – 30 grams;
nutmeg – 7 grams;
cloves – 1 bud;
cinnamon (ground) – 1 gram;
sugar – 100 grams;
water – 100 ml;
blue food coloring – 0.5 grams (approximately).

Food coloring is even used industrial manufacturers liqueur, however, in expensive drinks, instead of synthetic ones, natural dyes are used based on anthocyanins - natural pigment substances in some flowers and berries, for example, elderberry.

Blue Curacao Recipe

1. If you don’t have pre-prepared or purchased dried zest, 5 days before mixing the ingredients, scald the orange and grapefruit with boiling water, rinse in running water and wipe dry to remove any remaining preservative. Then use a knife or vegetable peeler to carefully remove the zest - top part peel without white pulp. Place the resulting peel in the sun in an even layer and wait until it dries.

2. Place dry zest, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves in a jar for infusion, pour in the alcohol base, stir, seal tightly.

3. Leave for 14 days in a dark place at room temperature, shake once a day.

4. Strain the finished infusion through several layers of gauze, then filter through cotton wool to get rid of any remaining cinnamon.

According to classic recipe Blue Curacao, the tincture is distilled - diluted with water to 18-20% and distilled to moonshine still without cutting off the “heads”, distillation is completed when the strength in the stream drops below 40%. The zest can be placed in a steamer to obtain a richer aroma. However, you can do without distillation; there will be no significant difference in taste.

5. Prepare sugar syrup: mix water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heating power to a minimum, boil for 3-5 minutes, skimming off the foam. The syrup is ready when there is no more foam. Remove the pan from the stove and cool the contents to room temperature.

6. Mix the resulting tincture (without distillation) or distillate with cold sugar syrup. Add blue food coloring to make the liqueur bluish. The amount of dye depends on the desired color saturation of the drink. You can start with a dosage of 0.25 grams per 0.5 liter, and gradually increase the amount of dye if the liqueur is not blue enough.

7. Pour the finished homemade Blue Curacao into bottles for storage. Close tightly. Leave in the refrigerator for 3-5 days to stabilize the taste. Serve well chilled.

Shelf life when stored away from direct sun rays– up to 2 years, strength – 24-25%.

The eye-catching blue color of Blue Curacao liqueur has become his business card on the market alcoholic products. Thanks to this feature, any cocktails prepared on its basis turn into elite alcohol.

The liqueur got its name in honor of Curacao, the island where the main ingredient of the drink, the laraja fruit, is found.

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Blue Curacao liqueur and its production

The blue drink is made from the dried peel of the larach fruit, a type of small bitter orange.

The common sweet large orange was brought to the island of Curacao by Spanish settlers for cultivation, but due to poor natural resources islands, the harvest ripened in the form of small bitter oranges, called laraha.

They are not suitable for consumption in food, but their peel has a rich aroma, for which it is used in the culinary field as a spice.

Manufacturers

Among the companies producing alcoholic beverages, the Senior Company stands out, which has been granted the exclusive right to apply the “genuine” mark on the Blue Curacao liqueur it produces. The inscription translated into Russian means “real”. The company has earned this right by its consistency in using the laraha fruit, growing on the island of Curacao, as the main ingredient for its production.

The production of the drink is based on the technology of infusing wine alcohol on the dried peel of the larach fruit, which is found in the Caribbean. This determined the region of its production.

Along with the Senior Company, there are a number of companies producing Blue Curacao liqueur.

Some of the most famous:

Bols – Netherlands;
De Kuyper – Netherlands;
Wenneker - Holland;
Beveland S.A. - Spain.

Compound

The ingredients of Curacao blue liqueur are:

Dried peel of larahi;
Cinnamon;
Nutmeg;
Carnation;
Wine spirit;
Water;
Sugar.

Production stages

Primary processing of larakha. The fruit is collected unripe, by hand, without the use of machines. Its skin is cut off only with a wooden knife, this ensures the preservation of the taste. Drying.
The dried peel of larakha is mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and placed in jute bags.
Wine alcohol heated to a temperature of 50-75 degrees is poured onto filled bags placed in containers to the top, closed and left to soak for 3 days.
The aged infusion is subjected to distillation.
A small amount of sugar is added.
Diluted with water.
The resulting liquid is filtered. The result is a colorless alcoholic drink with an orange flavor and bitterness.
Dye is added to give it a blue color.

For this purpose, dyes are used mainly based on anthocyanins - pigment substances of natural origin found in berries and flowers. Used as a coloring agent chemical elements: E131, E132, E133. Information about the dyes used is contained on the product label.

Types of liquor

The technology for producing Blue Curacao liqueur is the same for all manufacturers. During the production process, alcoholic beverage manufacturing companies make minor changes to the recipe.

Depending on the brand, its most famous types differ slightly from each other, mainly in the strength of the drink:

Bols Blue Curacao.

In its production, a traditional recipe is used. The drink is colored blue using natural dyes. Bols Blue Curacao liqueur has a strength of 21 degrees.

Wenneker Blue Curacao.

Blue Curacao liqueur from Wenneker has a strength of 34 degrees. It has a rich, juicy blue color and an orange aroma with added notes of spice.

De Kuyper Curacao Blue.

De Kuyper Curacao Blue liqueur is characterized by a bright juicy dark blue color, a fragrant citrus aroma and a bitter aftertaste. Alcohol strength 24 degrees.

Senior Company Blue Curacao.

Blue Curacao liqueur by Senior Company is the only liqueur produced on the basis of the larach fruit grown on the island of Curacao, for which it is considered real. The alcohol strength is 30 degrees. It has a subtle pleasant citrus aroma with hints of tangerine.

Bvland Blue Curacao.

The strength of the drink is 18 degrees. It has the aroma of orange with light tones of spices; wheat alcohol is used in the production of Bvland Blue Curacao liqueur.

Blue Curacao is recommended to be drunk diluted with ice cubes and mixed in cocktails with other drinks. In its undiluted form it is sweet and strong. Its most successful combination is in cocktails with vodka, white rum, gin, and tequila. It can be served with fruit and ice cream.

Among all the famous liqueurs produced by different brands, Blue Curacao liqueur is the most exotic due to its specific blue color, so reminiscent of blue Caribbean Sea.

What is liqueur is known in the world. A thick, aromatic, usually sweet alcoholic drink consumed in different countries Oh. It was first made in France in the 14th century. Its production was carried out by Catholic monks.

Characteristics

The name of the liqueur comes from the Latin liquor, which means liquid (in French liqueur). In different countries, this name is used to refer to drinks with different properties. But in general, liqueur is a flavored alcoholic drink containing sugar or honey, flavorings, essential oils, extracts of some plants, juices of fruits or berries.

Classifications of liqueurs

Liqueurs are classified according to strength:

Strong. Their strength is 35-45 degrees, 30-50% sugar content, and have a bright, rich aroma. Sweet, differ in different tastes;
Dessert. The preparation is based on berries and fruits, alcohol strength 25-30 degrees, 25-30% sugar content, used in cocktail mixing technology. Most often sweet and sour, with the aroma of the main raw materials used: fruits, spices, cocoa, coffee beans;
Cream. The consistency resembles a thick viscous cream. Sweet, often cloying, based on low-fat cream. Ireland is considered to be their birthplace. Strength 15-23 degrees, up to 60% sugar content.

Liqueurs are classified according to the type of raw materials used:

Spicy. The main raw materials are spices;
Herbal. The main raw materials are mint, anise, and other aromatic herbs;
Fruit and berry. They are created using fruit extracts, berry juices, and coffee beans as the main raw materials;
Creamy. Based on cream, vanilla, cocoa beans, Irish whiskey;
Egg. They have a velvety structure due to the main raw material used - egg yolks.

Production

Liqueur is made in two ways:

Maceration. The process of producing liqueur based on alcohol infusions of fruits and berries.
Distillation and further mixing. The process of producing liqueur from herbal roots, cocoa beans, and coffee beans.

The aging period of the drink is from 3 months to 2 years. Fruit liqueurs are stored in an upright position, shelf life is no more than 2 years.

Usage statistics

Among the most famous sold alcohols in the world, liqueur ranks 5th after whiskey, vodka, rum, and cognac. Its sales amount to more than 30 million boxes per year. The leading place in sales is occupied by traditional tastes, coffee, creamy, fruit, bitter and anise liqueurs are in less demand.

The culture of drinking alcoholic beverages among consumers in different countries differs under the influence of existing traditions and physiological characteristics population of the country. The World Health Organization, compiling a list of the most drinking countries in the world, took into account the level of alcohol consumed, calculating the number of liters of pure ethyl alcohol per capita of the population over 15 years of age. The compiled list consists of 25 countries.

The top ten list includes 3 countries where liqueur is considered the main alcoholic beverage consumed:

Hungary – 10th place. The national Hungarian alcoholic drink is a unique liqueur made with herbs and aged in oak barrels;
Luxembourg – 9th place. The traditional alcoholic drink is Quetsch (plum liqueur);
Estonia – 1st place. National alcoholic drink – Vana liqueur Tallinn.

Russia ranks 11th on this list, but not thanks to liqueur; it is not among the most consumed types of alcohol in the country, but gives way to beer and vodka.

Typical consumer

Liqueur is a purely ladies' alcoholic drink. It is preferred by women over 25 years old, housekeepers, lovers of sweets, and dreaming of a sweet life.

Blue Curacao- a Caribbean orange cream liqueur from the Curacao family, very popular among bartenders, bright blue in color with a strength of 24-31%.

Taste and aroma The drink is specific - you can detect light notes of orange, tangerine and spices.

Motherland- one of the southern Dutch islands of the West Indies, washed by the waves of the Caribbean Sea and called Curacao.

Story:

In the 14th century, the Spaniards said: “Oranges belong here!” and brought tree seedlings with orange fruits to the island, covering a small piece of land with them. But the sweetest Valencian varieties, due to the lack of fresh water, quickly degenerated here into small and bitter ones.

In the 16th century, the Dutch began to come to the abandoned plantations, who did not eradicate the bitter oranges, but called them “laraha”.

In the 18th century, part of the Larach plantations began to belong to the family of Petrus De Cuyper. The enterprising owner of the De Kuyper company tried to use the orange harvest to make liqueur.

300 years later (at the end of the 1920s), the same company created the first Curacao liqueur with the “Blue” color, which quickly became popular and was already produced by other enterprises in Holland, France, and the Czech Republic.

Undoubtedly, the leader in the production of blue liqueur is still De Kuyper.

By the way, this drink won the heart of grandfather Lenin himself.

Types and varieties:

Why is Curacao liqueur blue? This is a banal PR move.
The first Curaçao liqueurs were clear (because they were prepared with white rum), but to increase sales, De Kuyper marketers painted the drink blue (and more). They did this with natural dyes, which in an alkaline environment acquired the desired cornflower blue hue.

But many other Curaçao producers use food “eats” for this, of which only E 133 (shiny blue) can be considered harmless. Dyes E131 and E132 are no longer so harmless.

It is known that in addition to Blue, Curacao comes in White, Green and Orange.

Effect on the body: improves the digestion process.

How to serve and drink:

Blue Curaçao is a beautiful but unique drink. Due to its specific taste, high sweetness and strength, it is almost never drunk without dilution. In addition to ice, you need to add at least juice (from orange or pineapple) to it - and it will give you pleasure.

Being a digestif, it is served after a meal, usually in cocktails, where the liqueur skillfully plays off all other components (which is why it is a favorite of bartenders).

The most famous cocktails with Blue Curacao have a “blue” prefix - “”, “Blue Hawaii”, “Blue Margarita”. But there are, of course, names that do not in any way indicate the presence of blue liqueur in the cocktail, for example, “Burning Ferrari”.

There is also a non-alcoholic analogue of liqueur - Blue Curacao syrup, which is usually produced by the same company as its alcoholic counterpart.

Secrets of production:

As mentioned above, the best blue liqueur Curacao is produced in Holland and is branded by the De Kuyper company. The drink is bottled in 0.7 liter bottles and sold at a price of 15 – 25 US dollars per piece. The syrup of the same name usually costs half as much.

The more original components of the liqueur are replaced by De Kuyper's competing companies with cheaper ones (unnatural and/or harmful), the lower the cost of the bottle.

In the original, the technology involves infusing the peel of “larakha” (bitter) oranges in wine alcohol, where spices are introduced to expand the taste boundaries - clove buds, crushed nutmeg, chopped cinnamon sticks.

The tincture gets its blue color thanks to anthocyanins - natural colors that black currants and blueberries, black grapes and eggplants can boast of, cauliflower and basil. Extracts from them (and/or other plants) give the drink such a wonderful color.

So there is nothing complicated in the composition of the world-famous liqueur, but the proportions are known only to the manufacturer.

Blue Curacao liqueur (recipe for making at home):

In some countries (not to mention cities), it can be difficult (or impossible) to purchase good liquor. Therefore, you can try to prepare it at home, especially since it is still better than buying a low-quality fake.

For the first time, this was done in the West, but the recipes of foreign craftsmen required adaptation, which was successfully carried out in the vast expanses of our vast Motherland.

By the way, about the dye: you can give the drink a blue color, or you can not - after all, there are other colors of liqueur, and the main thing in it is still the shade of taste.

Homemade version of classic Curacao

Prepare:

vodka – 1 liter
sugar syrup – 400 ml
dried orange zest – 50 grams
nutmeg (ground) – 30 grams
cinnamon (ground, finely broken) – 1/4 teaspoon
carnations – 3 buds

You need to prepare it like this:

Pour the spices and zest with alcohol into a 1.5 liter glass container, close it and leave for 4 hours.
Separately prepare syrup from sugar and water according to any recipe you know.
Add cooled sugar syrup and dye to the tincture, close again and keep in a warm place without access to light for a week.
The resulting liquor must be filtered and poured into sterile bottles, preferably dark glass.

Curacao on honey

Prepare:

fresh orange zest - 4 pcs.
whiskey – 0.7 liters
honey (liquid) – 240 ml
food coloring - optional

You need to prepare it like this:

The zest is poured into whiskey and aged for 1 month, after which the infusion is filtered.
Honey is added to orange whiskey and placed in a dark place until the alcohol becomes transparent.
The resulting liquor is drained from the sediment and colored if desired.

There is one very interesting way - infusing dried orange peels of a special variety of curacao (the true name is “Laraha”), familiar cinnamon, nutmeg and, of course, cloves in wine alcohol. The result is a drink of 20 to 30%. Blue Curacao liqueur owes its interesting name to the island of the same name, where orange plantations grow. In the distant eighteenth century, part of these plantations was bought by the family of Petrus De Cuyper.

The De Kuyper company is quite well known, information about it is easy to find. The peculiarity of this liqueur is that the oranges used are not quite ordinary; they have a piquant bitterness. This variety of oranges did not appear on the island by chance. Ordinary varieties did not take root, so the Spaniards brought this special variety, which suited the local climate, took root, and began to be actively grown. A variety of liqueurs are produced from these oranges; in addition to Blue Curacao, there is also the Triple Sseca liqueur.

If you analyze such a liqueur by its components and color design, it should be noted that the liqueur turns out to be transparent. Unfortunately, when purchasing, the buyer pays attention to everything, including the color of the drink being purchased, so marketers have proposed coloring the liqueur in a variety of colors. The most beloved and widespread color has become blue, because other colors have other alcoholic drinks. How exactly a specific color is achieved in such a liqueur remains a mystery, however, everyone believes that only natural dyes are used. Most likely, these are extracts from plants, anthocyanins, which in an alkaline environment can acquire a blue tint. Unfortunately, on brands of such liqueur that are low in price, you can see the inscription that the composition includes food coloring E131 and E132. Having read the notes made many years ago, you can find out that previously, to acquire this color, they used a special indigo mineral, which was dissolved in vitriol, after which any drinks were colored. At the liquor market, Blue Curacao is sold in green, orange, and yellow colors.

How to drink Blue Curacao without additives, as well as in various cocktails

Liqueur (Blue Curacao) is used extremely rarely for nothing, since it does not have a special taste. At best, if you have a great desire to drink such liqueur without anything, then you should at least add ice. This liqueur pairs interestingly with orange juice or pineapple. They drink it only after meals, because it belongs to the category of digestifs, which have a positive effect on the digestive process.

The taste of the liqueur is amazingly revealed in a variety of cocktails, the recipes of which are accessible and easy to implement.

Cocktail “Blue Lagoon”

For preparation you need:

sprite – 150 ml;
Blue Curacao – 20 ml;
vodka good quality– 50 ml;
pineapple – 25 g (used as decoration).

Cooking process:

Hurricane is filled with ice cubes;
pour vodka, sprite, liqueur to the top;
The glass is decorated with pineapple.

All other cocktail recipes are clear and easy to prepare, the only difficulty is that these components are quite difficult to find and purchase.

Cocktail “Blue Moon”

Prepare the following ingredients:

gin – 40 ml;
Cointreau – 30 ml;
Blue Curacao – 10 ml;
pineapple juice – 100 ml;
Fruits are used for decoration.

Fill the shaker with ice and pour the remaining ingredients into it;
everything is whipped perfectly;
the prepared cocktail is poured into a glass that is already filled with ice;
The glass is decorated with fruit; a cherry looks interesting, like a bead.

To prepare such a wonderful cocktail you need:

vodka – 30 ml;
melon liqueur – 10 ml;
Blue Curacao, banana yellow liqueur, 33 percent cream - 20 ml each;
apple (slice) for decoration;
a pinch of cinnamon.

Cocktail preparation steps:

liqueurs according to the list, vodka and cream are poured into a prepared shaker;
add ice to it, beat everything well;
The cocktail is poured through a strainer into a chilled glass;
The glass is decorated with chopped apple slices and sprinkled with cinnamon on top.

You need to prepare:

sour cherry liqueur – 20 ml;
tequila (silver) – 40 ml;
beater (lemon) – 100 ml;
sugar syrup – 5 ml;
Blue Curacao – 10 ml;
lime – 10 g;
lemon – 20 g;
cocktail cherries to garnish the drink.