Blue Lagoon Cocktail

The Blue Lagoon cocktail is an easy and refreshing blue drink! Blue curacao, vodka and lemon make the bright color and citrusy flavor.

Looking for an easy drink with an electric blue color? Meet the Blue Lagoon cocktail! This brilliantly colored drink is crisp, clear and straightforward, featuring vodka and lemon. The most common version uses lemonade, but we prefer it with fresh citrus. So we’ve made an even better version of this tasty drink: with lemon juice and simple syrup! It’s easy to mix up and makes a stunning drink that’s perfect for sipping poolside…or when you’re dreaming of summer.

Want even tastier blue drinks? We prefer the Blue Hawaii or Blue Margarita.

What’s in a Blue Lagoon cocktail?

The Blue Lagoon cocktail has many variations, but the most common version mixes vodka, blue curacao, and lemonade. Like many cocktails, the origin of the drink is cloudy. Some say it was invented in 1972 by bartender Andy MacElhone at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. But others say this was a blended version of the drink, and the origin of the shaken version of this drink is unknown.

Some versions of the drink use lime or lemon lime soda and some are blended with ice. This version sticks to what’s become the classic definition: but we like to substitute fresh citrus for purchased lemonade. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Vodka
• Blue curacao
• Lemon juice
• Simple syrup

What’s blue curacao? We’re glad you asked…

More about blue curacao

Blue curacao is key to the beautiful pool-tinted hue of the Blue Lagoon cocktail. What is it, exactly?

• Blue curacao is an artificially-colored orange liqueur invented by Dutch settlers on the island of Curaçao. There are several colors of Curaçao: the most popular today are clear and blue. Blue curacao has been sold since 1912. It’s flavored with the Laraha orange peel, a type of orange that grows on the island.
• How to pronounce Curaçao? Say it Cure-ah-souw.
• 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).
• What else can you use it for? Mix up with tequila for a Blue Margarita, with rum for the Blue Hawaii, or gin and vodka for the Aqua Velva or Blue Long Island. In fact, we think these drinks are more interesting than the Blue Lagoon!

How to make a Blue Lagoon cocktail: main method

The Blue Lagoon cocktail is a shaken cocktail: meaning you shake it up in a cocktail shaker. This both cools the drink and dilutes it a bit. It’s easy for this drink to taste a little watered down since it’s served with crushed ice. We’ve taken care to develop this recipe so that it tastes refreshing and sweet tart, not watery. Here’s what to do (or jump right to the recipe):

• Crush some ice: head to How to Crush Ice for our best method.
• Shake together the vodka, blue curacao, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with a few handfuls ice.
• Strain it into a hurricane glass or a highball glass. The drink umbrella is optional, but fun!

Optional method: Blue Lagoon with lemonade

We prefer the Blue Lagoon cocktail with fresh lemon juice, but you can also use purchased lemonade! We find store-bought lemonade can be very sweet, so we like making it homemade. Either way, making it this way is even easier because you can build the drink in the glass. Here’s how to make it with lemonade (or jump to the recipe):

• Pour the vodka, blue curacao and lemonade into a glass.
• Add crushed ice and serve!

Variations on the Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is a pretty straightforward drink: it tastes sweet tart and refreshing, barely boozy at all. In fact, once you’ve made the basic version you may want to change up some ingredients to make it more interesting. Here are a few ideas:

• Use lime instead of lemon
• Add a few dashes of bitters
• Add a bit of pineapple juice for a hint of tropical (it will alter the color to be a little more like the Blue Hawaii)

What would you add? Let us know in the comments below.

When to serve a Blue Lagoon cocktail

The Blue Lagoon is a simple blue drink that’s easy to drink and laid back. It’s great as a:

• Summer drink
• Happy hour drink
• Dinner party drink
• Signature cocktail

Print