The Science Of Blue Curacao: Know What Gives The Blue Lagoon Its Signature Colour?

Sometimes, people cannot guess the ingredients correctly in food or drinks because of their unusual characteristics or taste. It is not uncommon, especially when it comes to cocktails or mocktails.  

Have you ever wondered why a pink drink is pink and how the blue lagoon cocktail obtained its vibrant blue colour? Well, people interested in making their own recipes by experimenting with various ingredients together to make a cocktail should know about these lessons to perfect a drink.  

Blue lagoon does not get its colour due to the mixing of various ingredients, but a secret ingredient is used to achieve such colour and taste. Learn more about the secret ingredient and how blue lagoon gets its popular signature colour. 

Before one can get into the actual ingredients, it might be helpful to know about the drink blue lagoon. Blue lagoon is a kind of cocktail that is made with blue curaçao mixed with vodka and lemonade. Harry's New York Bar in Paris claims to have invented the drink.  

It is usually served in a hurricane glass, and there are other variations of it where one can add lime cordial or raspberry cordial along with grenadine, which is also known as fruit tingle. Blue lagoon is one of the most famous French cocktails worldwide for its citrusy taste and vibrant blue colour. 

Curaçao is a type of liqueur made with the dried peel of the bitter orange variety, laraha. It is a citrus fruit native to the Caribbean Island of Curaçao. This variety of liqueur is sold in numerous forms, but the most common form of liquor is blue curaçao.  

To make this liqueur, firstly, the laraha is soaked in alcohol and water for several days, after which the peel is removed and placed to dry. Different kinds of spices are added, and the bag is hung in a heated 120-year-old copper still with 96% pure and kosher alcohol derived from sugarcane for 3 days. Once it gets an orange-like flavour with a hint of bitterness. E133 brilliant blue is added for an exotic appearance.  

The original liqueur is transparent in colour. The different elements of the cocktail give the drink a vibrant blue colour.  

Curaçao gets its blue colour from E133 brilliant blue. It is a synthetic organic compound primarily used as a blue colour for processed food, medication, supplements, and cosmetics. It is completely safe to use and has gained popularity due to its signature colouring elements from the blue lagoon cocktail.  

Apart from the dye, different kinds of liquors mixed with the main ingredient also give it a popping blue colour, which is essential to maintaining the signature colour of the blue lagoon. If the same ingredient is mixed with any other drink that has a different coloured liqueur or syrup, the colour outcome might not be the same.  

Presentation and garnish also play an essential role while maintaining the striking colour of blue in the cocktail. Any colour, such as yellow, orange, or red, will make the blue more noticeable and visually appealing. Any colour similar to blue will dim the signature colour along with the presentation and serving style.  

The most common way to serve a blue lagoon is with lime and mint leaves, which bring out the colour more. Flowers, mainly orchids, are placed for presentation, representing a tropical setup.  

Blue lagoon is a popular drink with a simple ingredient list that might interest many enthusiasts to try different recipes to create mocktails and cocktails. They can also play with colour theory while making blue lagoon cocktails with different variations, such as adding raspberry juice for a purple colour.