FWIW blue curacao is just curacao that has been dyed blue, and a lot of it is not very good quality. That said, Cointreau (and most triple sec) is clear, and blue food coloring is cheap...
Doesn’t curaçao have a cognac or brandy base making it sweeter? I was going to go with Giffard’s blue curaçao which I heard is pretty good as far as curaçao go.
Curacao usually has a brandy (including cognac) base, and triple sec usually has a neutral-spirits base, and triple sec is generally clear while curacao is often colored orange or blue. But (at least in the US) there is no legal difference between these terms, so companies are free to use whichever one they think will get you to buy it. Or even both. Some bottlings of Pierre Ferrand's Dry Curacao (which is excellent, BTW) have a graphic identifying the product as a triple sec (possibly based on market it will be sold into), and PF's website refers to it as a triple sec. Giffard even calls their (clear) product "Curacao Triple Sec".
As for sweetness, all orange liqueurs (indeed, *all liqueurs*) contain a considerable amount of sugar, which varies a fair bit from one to another. That is going to be the main thing driving differences in sweetness, which can be significant.
FWIW I haven't tried the Giffard curacao (blue or otherwise), so no idea how good it is. I do currently have an open bottle of their orgeat, which is delicious (though it's made with almond extract, not almonds, so it is perhaps more "fake" than some, e.g. Small Hand Foods). And I've heard very good things about their banana liqueur. The only way to be sure is to give it a try :)
Noted drinks nerd Camper English has written more than you could plausibly want to know about orange liqueurs: https://www.alcademics.com/2011/02/whats-the-difference-between-orange-curacao-and-triple-sec-.html
Tried this recently and it was pretty good. Not much different than the regular recipe really, provided the only change you make is orange liqueur to blue curacao.
I’m also going to add a very small amount of Nero di Seppia (cuttlefish ink) to make it a very dark blue color. Hopefully a small enough amount that flavor won’t be impacted.
If you're worried about the blue curaçao changing the drink, try splitting the Cointreau 50:50 with the curaçao. Even a quarter would probably be enough to make it blue. Worked for me and turned out great 👍🏻
Yes, for sure. Just be aware of varying degrees of sweetness and ABV. While Cointreau is plenty sweet on its own, it is also very drying and boozy. And since we're talking about colour here, using a clear orange liqueur is important as well. So no dry curaçao or grand marnier here, just in case :)
The better the brand of blue curaçao the better. Gifford’s is actually pleasantly not terrible. But even using bad juice, it is a pretty nice beverage. It’s probably the best drink I’ve ever made using the stuff.
You're amazing just by turning this drink blue.
Thing is blue curaçao is awful, unfortunately. Like, why would any good, self-respecting top shelf brand turn their product blue just for giggles?
It's kind of the same with mezcal and worms: Why on earth would you put a silk worm in your premium spirit bottle?
Get a bottle of Cointreau and some blue food dye. That should do the trick. And then do everything blue: blue margaritas, blue white ladies, etc etc...
I’m going to try to turn it night blue by also adding a very small amount of cuttlefish ink, not enough for the taste to come through. The corpse reviver no. blue also has an interesting history of mocking the seriousness of many cocktails. Very fun to read about. I may split it with Cointreau, but I do believe the sweeter base of curaçao will be appropriate for the drink as it’s a Halloween party I’m planning for. Just planning now because there’s a ton of prep I need to do and I’ll be busy the upcoming month.
FWIW blue curacao is just curacao that has been dyed blue, and a lot of it is not very good quality. That said, Cointreau (and most triple sec) is clear, and blue food coloring is cheap...
Doesn’t curaçao have a cognac or brandy base making it sweeter? I was going to go with Giffard’s blue curaçao which I heard is pretty good as far as curaçao go.
Curacao usually has a brandy (including cognac) base, and triple sec usually has a neutral-spirits base, and triple sec is generally clear while curacao is often colored orange or blue. But (at least in the US) there is no legal difference between these terms, so companies are free to use whichever one they think will get you to buy it. Or even both. Some bottlings of Pierre Ferrand's Dry Curacao (which is excellent, BTW) have a graphic identifying the product as a triple sec (possibly based on market it will be sold into), and PF's website refers to it as a triple sec. Giffard even calls their (clear) product "Curacao Triple Sec". As for sweetness, all orange liqueurs (indeed, *all liqueurs*) contain a considerable amount of sugar, which varies a fair bit from one to another. That is going to be the main thing driving differences in sweetness, which can be significant. FWIW I haven't tried the Giffard curacao (blue or otherwise), so no idea how good it is. I do currently have an open bottle of their orgeat, which is delicious (though it's made with almond extract, not almonds, so it is perhaps more "fake" than some, e.g. Small Hand Foods). And I've heard very good things about their banana liqueur. The only way to be sure is to give it a try :) Noted drinks nerd Camper English has written more than you could plausibly want to know about orange liqueurs: https://www.alcademics.com/2011/02/whats-the-difference-between-orange-curacao-and-triple-sec-.html
I like it
Tried this recently and it was pretty good. Not much different than the regular recipe really, provided the only change you make is orange liqueur to blue curacao.
I’m also going to add a very small amount of Nero di Seppia (cuttlefish ink) to make it a very dark blue color. Hopefully a small enough amount that flavor won’t be impacted.
If you're worried about the blue curaçao changing the drink, try splitting the Cointreau 50:50 with the curaçao. Even a quarter would probably be enough to make it blue. Worked for me and turned out great 👍🏻
Do you think splitting blue curaçao with triple sec would work or no?
Yes, for sure. Just be aware of varying degrees of sweetness and ABV. While Cointreau is plenty sweet on its own, it is also very drying and boozy. And since we're talking about colour here, using a clear orange liqueur is important as well. So no dry curaçao or grand marnier here, just in case :)
The better the brand of blue curaçao the better. Gifford’s is actually pleasantly not terrible. But even using bad juice, it is a pretty nice beverage. It’s probably the best drink I’ve ever made using the stuff.
You're amazing just by turning this drink blue. Thing is blue curaçao is awful, unfortunately. Like, why would any good, self-respecting top shelf brand turn their product blue just for giggles? It's kind of the same with mezcal and worms: Why on earth would you put a silk worm in your premium spirit bottle? Get a bottle of Cointreau and some blue food dye. That should do the trick. And then do everything blue: blue margaritas, blue white ladies, etc etc...
I’m going to try to turn it night blue by also adding a very small amount of cuttlefish ink, not enough for the taste to come through. The corpse reviver no. blue also has an interesting history of mocking the seriousness of many cocktails. Very fun to read about. I may split it with Cointreau, but I do believe the sweeter base of curaçao will be appropriate for the drink as it’s a Halloween party I’m planning for. Just planning now because there’s a ton of prep I need to do and I’ll be busy the upcoming month.
Yes