Curacao what is it, and where does it come from? – A journey from green, to orange to blue.
If you ask someone about Curacao (kyuor-ruh-sau) there is usually a good chance that their mind will go straight to the tropical, deep-blue hued liqueur many of us know and love for its playfulness and prevalence in tiki drinks found throughout resorts and bars around the world. Where does it originate though, and why is it available in so many colours?
The island of Curacao is just off the northern coast of South America’s land mass in the Dutch Antilles. The waters are deep blue, and it is nothing if not tropical, but where did the oranges come from? As we all know, in the second millennia B.C.E, European countries were marauding around the globe and, erm, putting their stamp on things. The Spanish arrived and brought with them Valencia oranges (it’s all about the creature comforts of home, right?), unfortunately for them though, the oranges didn’t take to the islands conditions and as a result the oranges became bitter due to the tropical climate and remained green – the locals started to refer to them as Laraha Oranges. So, what do you do with something too bitter to be palatable? Add booze, and sugar. Lots of sugar.
The first recorded mention of Curacao liqueur is, as you might imagine, somewhat difficult to pin down but is widely thought to have been made in the early 19th century under Dutch rule. Bols, founded way back in 1575, claim credit for this and whilst there is little written evidence to back their claim it stands to reason that the world’s oldest commercial distillery operation (which was already producing more than 200 different liqueurs!) could well have been the first and I’m inclined to give them the credit.
It would not have been long after curacao hit the market that cheap knockoffs started to crop up featuring higher sugar contents to mask artificial flavourings and synthetic colours to draw the eye. This may have been the reason for the liqueurs initial foray into the rainbow territory for which it is now decidedly infamous.
So whilst the true origins of this particular liqueur remain hazy, we can at least say that it is an amalgamation of efforts from the peoples of Spain, The Netherlands and, of course, Curacao itself alongside some good old fashioned piracy (pun intended).
Perfect Serve
Cosmopolitan
25ml Citrus vodka, 25ml Aperitivo Co Orange, 25ml cranberry juice, 15ml lime juice. Shake with ice and strain into a coupette.
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