Senior & Co The Genuine Curaçao Liqueur — Blue is produced by the Senior family at Landhuis Chobolobo in Willemstad, Curaçao since 1896 — the same lahara orange peel recipe as the Original Clear, with natural blue food coloring added after distillation. Lahara oranges are a variety grown only on Curaçao whose dried peel produces an intensely aromatic, bitter citrus character that standard orange varieties cannot replicate. Senior & Co is the only liqueur producer on the island using original lahara oranges, making this the only geographically authentic Curaçao on the market.
The production process begins with hand-harvesting lahara peels, which are cut into four pieces using a wooden knife to prevent staining, then sun-dried for five days. The dried peels and secret spices are placed in cloth jute bags, hung in a still of cane spirit, and cooked for three days. After cooling and redistillation, the base spirit is blended with water and 400kg of sugar per 55-gallon batch, bottled on-site, and natural blue coloring is added. The blue makes it the most recognizable bar ingredient in the world — bartenders reach for it specifically to create the aquamarine and teal colors in Blue Lagoon, Blue Margarita, and countless other visually striking cocktails.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Dried bitter orange peel, warm spice, and citrus blossom. Palate: Bittersweet lahara orange, genuine peel complexity, and warm spice — identical in flavor to the Clear and Orange versions. Finish: Long and citrusy.
Specs
Producer: Senior & Co, Landhuis Chobolobo, Willemstad, Curaçao (est. 1896) — Base: Lahara orange peel + secret spices, cane spirit — Color: Blue (natural coloring) — Certification: Kosher — ABV: 31% — Size: 750ml
Also available: Clear and Orange versions. Browse all liqueurs at Wooden Cork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does blue Curaçao taste different from clear or orange Curaçao?
No — the flavor is identical across all three Senior & Co Curaçao colors. The blue, orange, and clear versions are all made from the same lahara orange peel recipe and the same distillation process. The only difference is the natural food coloring added at the end. The blue color has no flavor contribution. This means any recipe calling for blue Curaçao can use clear or orange instead if visual color is not the priority, and vice versa.
What cocktails specifically use blue Curaçao?
Blue Curaçao is used for its color as much as its flavor. Classic recipes include the Blue Lagoon (blue Curaçao + vodka + lemonade), Blue Margarita (blue Curaçao + tequila + lime), Blue Hawaiian (blue Curaçao + rum + pineapple + cream of coconut), and the Swimming Pool cocktail. The vivid aquamarine and teal shades it produces in cocktails are impossible to replicate with any other spirit. It also appears in many tiki drinks where visual presentation is part of the experience.
Why is Curaçao blue if it’s made from oranges?
It isn’t naturally blue — the lahara orange distillate is essentially clear, like most fruit-based spirits before coloring. Natural blue food coloring is added specifically for visual effect. The convention of producing blue Curaçao developed because bars wanted a distinctive, visually striking liqueur for cocktail presentation, and Senior & Co introduced the blue version to meet that demand. The choice of blue has no flavor rationale; it was entirely aesthetic and has become one of the most recognizable bar colors in the world.
