PR Blue Curacao Liqueur Essence 20 ml

PR Blue Curacao Liqueur Essence 20 ml

Some bottles on the bar shelf are bought for flavour alone, and then there is the one you buy because it makes your guests catch their breath. Blue curacao is the bar’s splash of colour – the liqueur that turns a perfectly ordinary long drink into something resembling a lagoon with the sun behind it. Yet behind that electric blue hides a proper orange liqueur with both bitterness and depth.

The style is built on the peel of small, bitter oranges – laraha and bigarade – whose aromatic oils give a flavour that is at once sweeter and sharper than everyday orange. With PR Blue Curacao Liqueur Essence you mix your own bottle in a matter of minutes, and then have colour and citrus on hand for a whole season of drinks.

Colour & Appearance

Once mixed, the liqueur is an intense, clear blue, like ink let down with water or a swimming pool on a cloudless day. The sugar lends it a lightly syrupy texture, and even a small splash will tint an entire glass. Combined with yellow juice it shifts towards turquoise and green.

Nose

The nose is unmistakably orange peel – not juice, but the aromatic oil that sprays out when you bend a strip of zest over the glass. Bitter bigarade orange sits on top, with sweet orange and a little mandarin beneath. In the background there is a mild spiciness of coriander and cinnamon, along with a floral note.

Palate

The palate opens sweet and round, almost like orange marmalade, but the sweetness is soon joined by a clean, pithy bitterness that gives the liqueur its backbone. The bigarade brings a dry, perfumed citrus note, while the sweet orange fills out the middle of the flavour. A light spiciness – think clove and a whisper of nutmeg – makes sure the whole never becomes one-dimensional. The mouthfeel is smooth and syrupy, exactly as a mixing liqueur should be: it gives the glass body without taking over.

Finish

The finish is medium-long and fresh. Orange peel and a gentle bitterness linger on the tongue, together with a sweetness reminiscent of candied citrus.

How to Use

The essence is mixed with vodka or neutral spirit plus sugar. 20 ml makes 750 ml of finished liqueur. Instructions are on the label.

Serving Suggestions

• Blue lagoon: vodka, blue curacao and lemonade over plenty of ice.
• Layered shots – pour gently over the back of a spoon and let the colours settle in bands.
• With pineapple juice, white rum and coconut cream for a turquoise beach drink.
• Blue Devil: gin, lemon juice and blue curacao, shaken and strained.
• A few drops in sparkling wine for an ice-blue welcome drink.

About the Essence

PR Blue Curacao belongs to the PR (Prestige) series and is one of those essences every home bartender will find a use for. A single bottle of finished liqueur goes a long way, since most drinks call for no more than a couple of centilitres.

Do think beyond the bar as well: the blue liqueur brings striking colour to jelly, icing and ice cubes for a grown-up take on a children’s party. The essence also comes in 280 ml, 1000 ml and 25 litres for anyone mixing blue on a larger scale.