What is Curaçao?

Pronounciation: Cure-ah-souw

Curaçao is a liqueur, sometimes quite syrupy, that is flavoured with the dried orange peel of the laraha variety, an orange-like citrus fruit grown on the island of Curaçao itself. It can be sold in a variety of colours with an orange-tinge, but the most recognisable is the brilliant blue.

A History Of Curaçao

The very first Curaçao creation is unknown, but when the Dutch took control of the island in 1634 is when laraha began being imported back to Holland. The Bols distillery, still going strong today, had shares in the West and East India Companies giving it access to these fruits. Once they had discovered that the peel yielded an aromatic oil, the story goes that Lucas Bols exported it back to Amsterdam to produce Curaçao. Clearly an eccentric, apparently he enjoyed alchemical mystery and so added a blue colouring which persists today.

However, nowadays you can find Curaçao under different flavours, like coffee, chocolate and raisin so it's always worth making sure you check what you're buying if you are after the orange flavour. Senior & Co, a company started in Curaçao, is the one to look out for if you want the most original version. It's the only company that has always produced the liqueur from laraha peels.

Difference between Curaçao and Triple Sec

Whilst Triple Sec is often conflated with Curaçao due to its orange flavour, they are not the same. Triple Sec is made from a neutral grain spirit, making it a bit more clean, dry and sharp whilst Curaçao can have either a brandy, rum or cognac base giving it a more complex, characterful flavour as well as more sweetness. It is also of course often notably blue!