Still Spirits Top Shelf Blue Curacao
- Buy 5 for $9.65 each and save 10%
Make your own vibrant Blue Curaçao liqueur at home with the Still Spirits Top Shelf Blue Curaçao essence. Capturing the authentic bittersweet orange flavour of the classic Caribbean liqueur — and that iconic vivid blue colour — this home distilling concentrate is a must-have for any home cocktail bar. One bottle produces up to 1,125ml of finished Blue Curaçao. No still required. Simply mix with a neutral alcohol base, add sugar syrup, and you're ready to shake, layer, and pour.
Blue Curacao Liqueur
What Flavour is This Essence?
The Still Spirits Top Shelf Blue Curaçao delivers the authentic bittersweet citrus character of genuine curaçao liqueur — modelled on the flavour of the dried peel of the Laraha orange, a bitter citrus fruit native to the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean. The taste is sweet and orangey on the surface, but with a pleasingly dry, slightly bitter citrus edge underneath that stops it tasting like a simple fruit cordial. What sets Blue Curaçao apart from plain orange liqueur is precisely that interplay of sweetness and bitterness — and this essence nails it. The vivid blue colour also carries through, making every cocktail it touches visually spectacular.
Flavour Profile
Nose: Bright candied orange peel, light floral citrus, subtle bitter marmalade note.
Palate: Sweet orange upfront, dry bitter citrus mid-palate, clean and refreshing.
Finish: Crisp, citrus-clean, gently sweet — short and lively
How to Use It?
Making your own Blue Curaçao liqueur at home is straightforward and beginner-friendly:
- Pour your neutral alcohol base into a clean mixing vessel at the recommended ratio (see below).
- Add the entire Still Spirits Top Shelf Blue Curaçao essence to the base.
- Prepare a sugar syrup by dissolving approximately 200–250g of white sugar per litre in warm water, then allow to cool before adding.
- Stir well until fully combined — the deep blue colour will develop immediately.
- Bottle and refrigerate for best results. Use within 3 months for optimal colour and flavour vibrancy.
Pro tip: The blue colour is at its most striking when the liqueur is chilled. Keep a bottle in the freezer for cocktail service — it pours beautifully over ice and holds its colour best when cold.
What Spirits Can It Make?
This essence produces a Blue Curaçao-style orange liqueur — one of the most versatile cocktail ingredients in the home bartender's toolkit. The vivid blue colour and bittersweet citrus flavour make it an essential component for a wide range of classic and contemporary cocktails. The most popular home uses include a Blue Lagoon (blue curaçao, vodka, lemonade over ice), a Blue Margarita (tequila, blue curaçao, lime juice, salt rim), a Swimming Pool (vodka, coconut rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, cream), and a Blue Cosmopolitan as a vibrant twist on the classic. It also works beautifully as a float or layer in layered shooters, adding dramatic colour contrast against cream or lighter spirits.
What Alcohol Base Works Best?
A clean, unflavoured neutral grain spirit or plain vodka at 40% ABV is ideal — it preserves the true bittersweet orange character and allows the blue colour to remain vivid and true. Any flavour in the base will compete with the delicate citrus profile and can cause colour shifting, so carbon filtering a home-distilled base beforehand is strongly recommended. Store-bought plain vodka works equally well for those not distilling their own base. Avoid aged spirits entirely — the colour and flavour will both be compromised.