This blue margarita recipe is brilliantly colored with blue curacao liqueur! It’s a refreshingly sweet cake and never fails to impress.
Here’s a colorful margarita that never fails to impress: the blue daisy! This cocktail looks as bright as the waters of the Caribbean, doesn’t it? Blue Curacao Liqueur is the secret behind the Color Jewel, an orange liqueur made on the island of Curacao since 1896. He gives this margarita an infusion of bittersweet citrus flavor that pairs perfectly with tequila and lime. Maybe blue drinks will be considered low by the craft bartender, but this blue margarita is absolutely delicious.
What’s in a blue margarita?
The Margarita is one of the most popular classic cocktails in history. It was invented in Mexico in the 1930s and has stood the test of time. In fact, it’s hard to find a drink more universally loved. The drink has spawned many variations that have diluted the classic way of making it. For our perfect margarita, we use the International Bartender Association’s official definition of IBA cocktails: just tequila, Cointreau (or triple sec), and lime juice. The blue margarita replaces the orange liqueur! The ingredients for this blue margarita recipe are:
Learn more about Blue Curacao
What is Blue Curacao? This orange liqueur is what makes the blue margarita: you absolutely can’t go without without buying a bottle! Learn more about this popular liqueur:
- Blue Curaçao is an artificially colored orange liqueur that was invented by Dutch settlers on the island of Curacao in the 19th century. There are several colors of Curaçao: the most popular today are clear and blue. Blue Curaçao is flavored with Laraha orange peel, a species 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 generally sweeter than a triple seca drier type of orange liqueur and what is typically used in a margarita.
- What does Blue Curacao taste like? It has a sweet orange peel flavor with a subtle bitter finish.
- How much does it cost? Blue Curaçao is inexpensive; A 750ml bottle costs about $10. Try to get a mid-range bottle; We like the Drillaud brand (avoid DeKuyper). Avoid blue curacao syrup, which is a completely different product.
- What other cocktails can you make with it? Try Blue Hawaii, Blue Lagoon or Blue Long Island.
For the best flavor, use Tequila Reposado
What’s the best tequila for this Blue Curacao Margarita? We like to use tequila, meaning “rested.” That means it’s aged between 2 and 12 months, giving it a more nuanced and interesting flavor. But you can use tequila blanco if that’s all you’ve got! Here are some notes on the flavor differences between the two:
- Rested Tequila: Aged from 2 to 12 months. It has a complex flavor with hints of oak and vanilla.
- white tequila: Unaged Tequila. It’s agave forward, with hints of pepper and citrus with a spicy finish.
How to make a blue margarita: unique drink
Got your blue curaco and tequila? Let’s mix! The Blue Margarita is a standard shaken cocktail: just shake it in a cocktail shaker! If you’re serving multiple people at once, craft a pitcher (see below).
- Make the edge of the salt. The best salt is kosher salt or sea salt flakes: it has the best texture. Lay it out on a plate in a single layer. Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run it around the glass. Dip the outer rim of the glass in the salt.
- Shake the ingredients. Pour the tequila, Blue Curaçao, and lime into a shaker with 2 handfuls of ice and shake!
- Filter and garnish. Pour into the glass and garnish with a lime wedge. To top it off, try clear ice! It’s a crystal clear, artisanal style ice cream that looks like a fancy bar.
Or make a pitcher of Blue Curacao Margarita!
Serving lots of blue margarita drinks at once? Make a pitcher instead! Combine the ingredients as directed below, making sure to add the specific amount of ice to dilute the drink like a shaker would. To Prepare an 8-Serving Pitcher of Blue Margarita:
- 2 cups of tequila
- 1 cup blue curacao
- 1 cup lime juice
- 3 handfuls of ice cream
Add ice and stir until cool. That’s it!
This blue margarita recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
The description
This blue margarita recipe is brilliantly colored with blue curacao liqueur! It’s a refreshingly sweet cake and never fails to impress.
- 2 ounces*rested tequila (or substitute for white tequila)*
- 1 ounce Blue Curaçao
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- Kosher salt or sea salt flakes for the rim
- Ice to serve (try clear ice)
- For the garnish: lime wedge
- Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then brush the lime over the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim in a plate of salt (or use our Salt Margarita for a festive look).
- Pour all ingredients into a shaker and add 4 ice cubes. Shake until cool.
- Strain the margarita into the glass with the salt rim. Fill the glass with ice and serve.
Remarks
*To convert to tablespoons, 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons.
**To make an 8-person blue margarita pitcher, combine in a pitcher: 2 cups tequila, 1 cup Blue Curacao, and 1 cup lime juice. Add 3 handfuls of ice and stir until cool. Pour into glasses and serve!
- Category: drink
- Method: Shocked
- Kitchen: cocktails
- Diet: vegan
Keywords: Blue Margarita, blue margarita recipe, blue curacao margarita
More margarita recipes
Want more margaritas? There are so many possibilities! Here are our favorite margarita recipes:
- Classic: Plain Margarita, Patron Margarita, Casamigos Margarita, Agave Margarita, Texas Margarita, or Cointreau Margarita
- Light: Skinny Daisy, Virgin Daisy, Vodka Daisy or Frozen Daisy
- Alcoholic: Mezcal, Grand Marnier, Hennessy or Cadillac Margarita
- Fruity: Mango, peach, blackberry, raspberry, watermelon, pineapple, orange margarita, or grapefruit margarita
- Sharp: Jalapeno Margarita, Cucumber Jalapeno, or Pineapple Jalapeno
- Unique: Italian, blue, coconut, prickly pear, hibiscus, cucumber or beer margarita
