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Curaçao liqueur is traditionally made on the island of Curaçao using dried laraha peels, spices, and sugar. It can be made at home and is used in tropical mixed drinks. The liqueur’s history dates back to Spanish colonization and its popularity has led to variations in color and ingredients.
Curaçao liqueur is a liqueur that is traditionally made on the island of Curaçao in the Caribbean. In addition to being made on Curaçao, this liqueur is also made in a few other regions of the world, and you can even make it at home if you like. This liquor is used in a variety of mixed drinks, perhaps most notably the Blue Hawaiian, and tends to be included in drinks with a tropical or exotic theme.
The history of Curaçao liqueur is quite interesting. When the Spanish colonized the Caribbean, they brought with them a number of European plants to grow, including Spain’s famous Valencia oranges. However, the oranges did not grow as expected in the Caribbean, turning sharply sour. Farmers abandoned the oranges, allowing them to run wild, but in the 19th century, adventurous cooks realized that the peels had an intensely flavorful aromatic oil that could perhaps be used in cooking.
The Senior family decided to make a liqueur from the peels of Valencian oranges, known as laraha on Curaçao to differentiate them from their Spanish relatives, and the Curaçao liqueur was born. The liqueur’s popularity has led other producers to follow suit, marketing their own versions, not all made with lahara peels. Connoisseurs believe the best spirits come from distillers on Curaçao, using lahara peels to craft the traditional version of this drink.
This liqueur is made by grinding dried laraha peels in a still, along with other spices and some sugar. After a specified period of maceration, the liquor is allowed to settle to remove sediment and then bottled. Curaçao liqueur is clear when first made, but many manufacturers add colorants. Blue Curaçao is a popular variation of the traditional drink and can also be orange, green, red or yellow in color. The liqueur has a pronounced orange flavor and a hint of bitterness that is tempered by the sugar.
To make Curaçao liqueur at home, dried lahara peels can be steeped in vodka along with whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, coriander seeds, and sugar. The liqueur should be steeped in a cool, dry place for about five weeks before being strained and then allowed to sit so that the sediment settles to the bottom. After decanting, the liqueur can be carefully poured into a fresh bottle and then used as desired.
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