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Curaçao has an interesting and charming backstory about a Valencia orange that took a trip across the ocean, only to have its hopes dashed and dreams crushed … but like a phoenix, it rose from the bitter ashes, on an island off Venezuela. Probably with amnesia. And a hangover.

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Ever wonder why curaçao is blue?

Curaçao is blue just to fuck with you, apparently. Curaçao is naturally clear, but “brilliant blue,” a synthetic dye produced using aromatic hydrocarbons from petroleum – aka C₃₇H₃₄N₂Na₂O₉S₃ – is added to it for no reason other than … to make it blue. I guess the problem with clear curaçao is that it tastes like orange, but isn’t orange. Apparently you solve that problem by making it blue. Fun fact: your gastrointestinal tract will send 95% of the brilliant blue you ingest into the toilet. Yes, that’s how I’m going to introduce this delicious drink to you. It is delicious; you just have to go in with your eyes wide shut.

The Blue Hawaiian

Note that the Blue Hawaiian is distinguished from the Blue Hawaii by the addition of “an” and the absence of sour mix and Elvis, and sometimes vodka. A Blue Hawaiian should be made with crème of coconut. What a pain in the ass, when you can hardly enter a liquor store without tripping over coconut flavored rum. With the latter, you get a drink that’s just as tasty but about 30 calories less heavy. 30 calories? Why, that’s an extra cup of bean sprouts!

You may feel that you have no choice but to use canned pineapple juice to make your Blue Hawaiian. Some stores – the best stores – carry it fresh, in the refrigerated section.

Yield: 1 serving

What You’ll Need:

How To Do It:

Combine the ice and all the liquid ingredients in a blender and process on the “blend” setting until smooth, about 15 seconds. Pour into a 10-oz-capacity glass. Garnish and serve immediately.

How To Do It Cleverly:

Don’t want to stock blue alcohol? I’ll bet you have a bottle of blue food coloring and some Cointreau. Instead of the Curaçao, use 1½ Tbs Cointreau and one drop of food coloring. The color will turn out to be identical, and the taste, maybe a bit sweeter. Want to make it creamy? Reduce the ice to ¾-cup, blend, then add one Outshine Coconut Fruit Bar (without the stick, yo), blend on lowest setting until you no longer hear any kerchunking. It will be the loveliest shade of baby blue, and so thick that you’ll need a straw.

These Brilliant Blue Hawaiians can provide a nice complement to a Hawaiian-themed dinner menu. Want to see how?

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Credit for all images on this page: Make It Like a Man! Hover over images and/or green text for pop-up info. Click for joy.

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