This blue margarita recipe uses Blue Curaçao liqueur for a bright spin on this classic cocktail with sweet-tart citrus flavor! It’s stunning, simple, and ready in 5 minutes.
Here’s a bright-colored margarita that I’m personally enamored with: the Blue Margarita. As a certified mixologist and unabashed fan of blue drinks, this spin on the classic is one of my favorites!
This margarita looks like the Caribbean because of Blue Curacao liqueur, an orange liqueur that’s been manufactured on the island of Curacao since 1896. It gives this drink an infusion of citrusy flavor that pairs perfectly with tequila and lime, in my opinion.
Ingredients in a Blue Margarita
The margarita is one of the most popular classic cocktails in history. It was invented in Mexico in the 1930’s and has stood the test of time. For my classic margarita I use the International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails definition: just tequila, Cointreau (or Triple Sec) and lime juice. The blue margarita just swaps out the orange liqueur for Blue curaçao. The ingredients you’ll need are:
- Tequila (reposado or blanco)
- Blue Curaçao
- Lime juice
A Blue Margarita tastes like a margarita, but with a slightly sweeter, more citrusy profile than the classic made with Triple Sec or Cointreau. The Blue Curaçao brings a little more bittersweet citrus depth to balance the zesty lime and the tequila backbone.
All About Blue Curaçao
What is blue curacao? This orange liqueur is what makes the blue margarita: you absolutely cannot get away with not buying a bottle! Here’s more about this popular liqueur:
- Blue curacao is an artificially-colored orange liqueur invented in the 19th century by Dutch settlers on the island of Curaçao. There are several colors of Curaçao: the most popular today are clear and blue. Blue curacao is flavored with the Laraha orange peel, a type of orange that grows on the island.
- How to pronounce Curaçao? Say it Cure-ah-souw.
- Curaçao is actually one of two types of orange liqueurs: Curaçao and Triple Sec. Curaçao is the original orange liqueur and is typically sweeter than a Triple Sec, a dryer style of orange liqueur and what’s typically used in a margarita.
- What does blue curacao taste like? It has a sweet orange peel flavor, with subtle bitter finish.
- How much does it cost? Blue curacao is inexpensive; a 750 ml bottle costs about $10. Try to buy a mid-range bottle; we like Drillaud brand (avoid DeKuyper). Steer away from blue curacao syrup, which is another product altogether.
- What other cocktails can you make with it? Try the Blue Hawaii, Blue Lagoon, or Blue Long Island.
Which Tequila Works Best?
What’s the best tequila for this blue curacao margarita? I like using tequila resposado, which means “rested”. This means that it’s been aged for 2 to 12 months, which gives it a nuanced, more interesting flavor. But you can use tequila blanco if it’s all you have! Here are a few notes on the flavor differences between the two:
- Tequila reposado: Aged from 2 to 12 months. It has a complex flavor, with notes of oak and vanilla.
- Tequila blanco: Unaged tequila. It is agave forward, with notes of pepper and citrus with a spicy finish.
How to Make a Blue Margarita
Got your blue curaco and tequila? Let’s get mixing! The blue margarita is a standard shaken cocktail: just shake it in a cocktail shaker! If you’re serving lots of people at once, make a pitcher (see below).
- Make the salt rim. The best salt to use is kosher salt or flaky sea salt: it has the best texture. Place it in a single layer on a plate. Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run it around the glass. Dip the outside rim of the glass in the salt.
- Shake up the ingredients. Place the tequila, blue curacao and lime in a shaker with 2 handfuls of ice and shake!
- Strain and garnish. Strain it into the glass and garnish with a lime wedge. To take it over the top, try clear ice! It’s crystal clear artisan style ice that looks just like a fancy bar.
Make It a Pitcher
Serving lots of blue margarita drinks at once? Make a pitcher instead! Combine the ingredients as noted below, making sure to add the specific amount of ice to help dilute the drink like a shaker would. Here’s how to make a blue margarita pitcher that makes 8 servings:
- 2 cups tequila
- 1 cup blue curacao
- 1 cup lime juice
- 3 handfuls ice
Add the ice and stir until cold. That’s it!
Serving Suggestions
A blue margarita works for a casual Taco Tuesday or a full-on party spread. Here are some ideas:
- Taco night: it pairs perfectly with Mexican and Tex Mex food
- Summer cookouts: make the pitcher version and set up a self-serve station
- Themed parties: The bright color is great for tropical, ocean, or Cinco de Mayo themes
- With other fruity margaritas: serve a tray with this, a strawberry margarita, and a pineapple margarita for a colorful spread
Perfect Blue Margarita
Pin RecipeThis blue margarita recipe uses Blue Curaçao liqueur for a bright spin on this classic cocktail with sweet-tart citrus flavor! It’s stunning, simple, and ready in 5 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 ounces* tequila reposado (or substitute tequila blanco)*
- 1 ounce blue curacao
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- Kosher salt or flaky sea salt, for the rim
- Ice, for serving (try clear ice)
- For the garnish: Lime wedge
Instructions
- Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime around the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of salt (or for a festive look, use our Margarita Salt).
- Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add 4 ice cubes. Shake until cold.
- Strain the margarita into the glass with the salted rim. Fill the glass with ice and serve.
Notes
*For converting to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons.
**To make a blue margarita pitcher that serves 8, mix together in a pitcher: 2 cups tequila, 1 cup blue curacao and 1 cup lime juice. Add 3 handfuls of ice and stir until cold. Pour into glasses and serve!
More Margarita Recipes to Try
Here are more of my favorite margarita recipes:
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/0pfSovE
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