Does Blue Curacao Go Bad?
Blue Curacao (pronounced cure-ah-sow) is a popular liqueur that is used to make various tropical drinks such as Blue Daiquiri, Blue Hawaiian, Blue Margarita, Blue Breeze, and Blue Lagoon. Like many liqueurs and cordials, it has a limited shelf life, especially after the bottle has been opened.
So, does Blue Curacao go bad? Yes, Blue Curacao can go bad, in the sense that its quality will start to decline after a certain time, and it is advised to consume it within 1 to 2 years after opening the bottle. An unopened bottle of Blue Curacao takes much longer to go bad and can last around a decade.
Read on to find out more about Blue Curacao, how long it lasts, what makes it go bad, how to tell if it has gone bad, and much more.
What Is Blue Curacao?
Blue Curacao is a flavored liqueur that has been a favorite among cocktail enthusiasts for decades. Its signature bright blue color is artificially added to it to give it a more attractive and striking appearance.
Mostly used in cocktails and drinks, it has a sweet, bitter, and citrusy flavor that it gets from the dried peel of a bitter citrus fruit called laraha, grown on the island of Curacao in the Southern Caribbean Sea.
The laraha citrus fruit is a unique variety of orange grown exclusively on Curacao island, the peels of which are dried and soaked in alcohol.
The liqueur is then infused with orange flavoring and a hint of sweetener to give Blue Curacao its unique flavor.
Blue Curacao is alcoholic with an average ABV (Alcohol By Volume) of 25%. This percentage can range from 20% to 40% depending on the brand of the liqueur, making it similar to vodka, whiskey, rum, and gin.
In addition to being used as an ingredient for different cocktails, Blue Curacao can also be enjoyed as a standalone drink.
You can mix Blue Curacao with anything that tastes good with orange liqueur such as club soda or sparkling water, orange juice, lemon/lime soda, lemonade, vodka, cranberry juice, tequila, cola, rum, gin, pineapple juice, champagne, and sparkling white wine.
There are several great substitutes for Blue Curacao such as Triple Sec and Grand Marnier, both of which have a similar orange flavor.
Does Blue Curacao Go Bad?
Yes, Blue Curacao can go bad over time, which is why it is advised to drink it within 1 to 2 years after opening the bottle. This is due to the air inside the bottle which can stimulate alcohol oxidation and cause the quality of the liqueur to decline over time.
An unopened bottle of Blue Curacao, on the other hand, can last much longer for around a decade. This is because the contents aren’t exposed to oxygen and the alcohol content reduces the risk of quality degradation.
Several factors affect the quality of the liqueur such as the air, light, heat, and temperature. When exposed to these factors, Blue Curacao will undergo changes in its color, taste, and overall quality.
This is because, like most alcohols and liqueurs, it contains a molecule called terpene which is also found in plants, and which gets altered due to high heat and temperatures.
In addition to alcohol oxidation due to the presence of air, the alcohol from the liqueur may also evaporate over time, leaving it tasteless as compared to when it was first opened.
Also, heat and direct sunlight may cause the sugar in Blue Curacao to crystallize and change both its taste and texture.
For these reasons, it is very important to store Blue Curacao properly and consume it within a maximum of 2 years. If stored properly and in the right conditions, Bleu Curacao can last a very long time and will not be altered in terms of its quality and flavor.
How to Store Blue Curacao?
Liqueurs such as Blue Curacao are best stored in cool, dry, and dark places away from air, sunlight, heat, and moisture. Oxidation over time may cause them to lose flavor and color, and in some cases, even spoil and go bad.
While certain alcohols need to be refrigerated after being opened, there is no need to refrigerate an opened bottle of Blue Curacao. You can simply store it at room temperature in a cool and dry place.
Properly storing both opened and unopened bottles of Blue Curacao is very important as it directly determines their shelf life. Failure to do so may cause them to spoil at a much faster rate.
The key to storing Blue Curacao is to minimize air exposure and seal the bottle tightly when it is not in use. You can store it in a cupboard or pantry where it will be safe from all the factors that can cause it to spoil.
Is It Safe to Drink Blue Curacao That Has Gone Bad?
Opened Blue Curacao lasts for about a year or two before it starts to go bad, meaning that it starts losing its color, flavor, and quality. For this reason, open a bottle only if you know you’ll be using it within the recommended time period.
However, bad Blue Curacao doesn’t generally mean that it has become toxic. You may still be able to consume it, although the quality may have significantly reduced.
Always check for obvious signs of spoilage such as mold or suspicious floating particles, in which case, it is advised to toss the drink and not put your health at risk.
Do All Liqueurs Go Bad?
Some types of alcoholic drinks get better with aging, but that is not the case with all alcohols and liqueurs. Most of them will lose their color and flavor after several years.
Compared to hard alcoholic drinks, the shelf life of liqueurs is more unpredictable and temperamental. This is because they contain sugar and other ingredients that can affect their longevity.
Some of these ingredients might be more volatile than others, and it is advised to discard an opened bottle of liqueur 18 to 24 months after opening. Also, opened liqueur bottles deteriorate at a much faster rate than unopened ones.
Liqueurs with a high concentration of sugar will deteriorate much faster than those with less sugar. To combat spoilage, some drinks may come with preservatives, and if that is the case, you will see them clearly listed on the bottle’s label.
Liqueurs with ingredients such as dairy, cream, and eggs also tend to spoil at a much faster rate. In such cases, they may go bad and become undrinkable after some time even if they are unopened.
Liqueurs that have a much stricter timeline will usually come with an expiration date to help you determine their quality over the years.
Regardless, even if your liqueur isn’t on the verge of spoiling, you need to store it according to the recommended guidelines. Once opened, if you see any discoloration or sedimentation in the drink, it is best to throw it out.
If you’re ever unsure about which bottle of liqueur has the shortest shelf life, simply look at its sugar content. If it has more sugar, it will go bad at a much faster rate, especially after it has been opened.
It is also important to note that the emptier the bottle is, the more oxygen is trapped inside it, and the higher the chances are of it losing its flavor due to oxidation. A half-empty bottle of liqueur is exposed to more oxygen and should be consumed at the earliest to avoid loss of taste and quality.
Related Questions
What is the Difference Between Blue Curacao and Orange Curacao?
Both Blue Curacao and Orange Curacao are orange liqueurs made from the dried peel of the laraha fruit. The only difference between them is the color. Blue Curacao has a blue color while Orange Curacao is orange. Like Blue Curacao, Orange Curacao is also used as a base for various drinks. Orange Curacao is typically sweet and is popularly used to make Mai Tai – a characteristic cocktail in Tiki culture.
What is the Difference Between Blue Curacao and Triple Sec?
Both Blue Curacao and Triple Sec are orange liqueurs that use citrus orange peels as a base ingredient during the distillation process. The difference lies in the type of oranges used, the type of alcohol used, and the additional ingredients used. You can also say that all Curacaos are Triple Secs, but not all Triple Secs are Curacaos.
Can You Get Drunk off Blue Curacao?
Yes, Blue Curacao is an alcoholic drink and you can get drunk off of it. It is an orange-flavored liqueur that usually contains 20% to 40% ABV, making it a strong spirit. If you drink enough of it, you will start to feel intoxicated. The amount of liqueur you drink and how fast you do it will determine how quickly it happens.
