Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is made from Vodka, Blue Curaçao, and Lemonade (the non-carbonated variety - "Old Fashioned Lemonade" if that's what you prefer to call it. A lot of the flavour and appearance of this cocktail comes from the Blue Curaçao (it's in the name!). While the Vodka is quite neutral, the Blue Curaçao brings some orange flavour and sweetness with just a bit of bitterness. The Lemonade does similar things, but of course with lemon.

Although only (likely) created around the 1960's, there's not a solid history on this cocktail. Most think the recipe was invented by Andy MacElhone in France around the time. But that's about all we have!

If you're looking for a fun tropical cocktail to enjoy, the Blue Lagoon is the way to go!

Total Time 4

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

30 mL Vodka
30 mL Blue Curaçao
120 mL Lemonade the non-carbonated variety
Garnish with a wheel of lemon

Instructions

Pour Vodka, Blue Curaçao, and Lemonade into a cocktail shaker. Add ice to the shaker and shake until everything is cold.
Fill a Hurricane glass with crushed ice. It's easy enough to crush ice at home by wrapping it in a tea towel and hitting it or going over it with a rolling pin.
Strain the drink from the shaker into your glass.
Enjoy this drink with your garnish.

Notes

You may see recipes for this cocktail that call for it blended. This works as well. Just put the ingredients above into a blender (including lots of ice) and blend for a frozen style cocktail. We're going to advocate for the non-blended version (i.e. the shaken version) though. While they're very cold and refreshing, blended cocktails tend to get too diluted. Crushed ice keeps things very cold but not quite as diluted. Shaking is also a lot faster and requires less clean up, so there's another plus!

However you make to make and serve this cocktail though, have fun and enjoy it.

A Bit More About the Blue Lagoon Cocktail

If you’ve taken a look at any of our other Tiki cocktail recipes, you’ll know we are really into the style. While a lot of people think of the classics like the Martini, Manhattan, or even the Whiskey Sour or Old Fashioned when they think “cocktail,” many others go to some sort of spirit mixed with interesting fruit juices and served in a Hurricane glass with crazy garnish. Although there’s a bit of an in-between here (something in the middle of classic and flamboyant), it goes without saying that Tiki is a fun style of cocktail. It’s a very creative style of cocktail making that has a mixture of bold flavours, subtle flavours, and sometimes unusual flavours. You’ll be surprised at what you get from a Tiki cocktail!

Can I make this cocktail as a batch?

This would likely be a little bit difficult. We wouldn’t suggest trying to convert this to a stirred cocktail, and instead keep it to the shaker. However, there is quite a bit of liquid in this recipe, so making two cocktails in one shaker may not work.

Unfortunately this isn’t really a cocktail to match make. You can, however, pre-make the Lemonade to make things easier.

Can I make a Blue Lagoon to serve later?

If you’re worried about having these available quickly enough, making a Blue Lagoon in advance and leaving it in the fridge would work. Just don’t combine it with ice until you’re ready to serve it and you should be OK.

If I’m trying a Blue Lagoon, what’s the best time?

Cocktails like this are made for vacation! Maybe it’s how they’re served, the bold colour, or simply the vibe of it all, but they feel indulgent, and indulgence goes well when taking a break from life. But unlike a lot of other vacation drinks, we’re not thinking about having one of these while sitting on the beach in a sun lounger.

As the Blue Lagoon was (likely) invented in France, we’re thinking about enjoying one of these while vacationing on the coast of the Mediterranean in the South of France. A blue cocktail may seem a little strange in more cosmopolitan France, but when relaxing near the water, maybe you can pull lit off?

While we’re sure there are plenty of great beaches where you can relax and drink a cocktail at, we feel that this drink is better suited to a quant little bar that’s right on the beach. Maybe you’re sitting outside, looking at the Mediterranean, and just relaxing.

Is the Blue Lagoon a strong cocktail?

It’s actually on the lighter side of average. While the Vodka in this recipe has plenty of kick, the Blue Curaçao only has an ABV around 25%. You’ll probably notice that a lot of cocktail recipes call for up to 60 mL of its base spirit, and don’t even dilute things as much as the Blue Lagoon. We’re not saying the Blue Lagoon is light though, there’s still plenty of alcohol in there! Just, if you’re weighing one cocktail with another, this one probably sits about in the middle.

What music goes best with a Blue Lagoon?

If you’re holidaying in the South of France, we imagine there will be some great French music playing wherever you go. We take you back to the quaint little sea side bar, they’re probably too small to have their own band, but perhaps there’s a group of three or four street musicians playing traditional French Folk Music. They’re surprisingly good for a street band, and they look to be making plenty of money by people passing by. You’re, of course, unfamiliar with any of their songs, but that doesn’t stop you from enjoying the music. You finish your Blue Lagoon and decide to order one more before returning to your hotel. You just need to remember to drop some money in the guitar case of the musicians before you leave.

If you liked the Blue Lagoon, we have more cocktail recipes you may enjoy

Take a look at the links below to go to the sections of this website you think you’ll like. If you’re more interested in just general browsing, you’re welcome to do that too.

Top 10 Vodka cocktail recipes: if you came across this recipe because you were already browsing Vodka cocktail recipes, take a look at our favourites!

All Vodka cocktail recipes: or if you’re just after a whole bunch of Vodka cocktail recipes, flip through everything we have. Our list of recipes is always growing.

All Tiki cocktail recipes: if you like the Tiki style, take a look at our Tiki cocktail recipes. You’ll find something to enjoy!