CURACAO LIQUEUR: The Genuine Liqueur

WHAT IS CURAÇAO LIQUEUR?

Curaçao liqueur is made from the dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit grown in Curaçao. A non-native plant, the laraha developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish explorers.

HOW IS CURAÇAO LIQUEUR MADE?

The liqueur the laraha peel is dried and after soaking in a still with alcohol and water for approximately 4 days.  The peel is removed and other spices are added, giving it an orange-like flavor.

TYPES OF CURAÇAO LIQUEUR

The liqueur is produced in 5 different colors: the original clear liqueur, Blue and Green (the two most well-known varieties), and Red and Orange. There are also the special tastes: Coffee, Chocolate and Rum Raisin.

When I visited the Chobolobo Liqueur Factory during my visit to Curaçao, I tasted each flavor…all were delicious.  But my favorite combination was mixing the Coffee and Chocolate flavors.  It would be the perfect drink on the rocks while basking in the Curaçao sun.

HOW TO DRINK CURAÇAO LIQUEUR

One of my favorite drinks of all time is a Kamikaze.  It was one of the first drinks I learned to order when I started drinking (at the age of 21, of course).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 oz vodka
• 1 oz Curaçao liqueur
• .5 oz lime juice

DIRECTIONS:

Shake all ingredients together in a mixer with ice. Strain into glass and serve.

You’ll love it.  Trust me!

Interesting things to note about the liqueur:

1) It’s 100% kosher.

2) The official Curaçao liqueur has to say “The Genuine” on the bottle.  All others are imitations.

Cheers!
Ashlee

Photo Credit: Ashlee Tuck

AMARULA: An African Original

WHAT IS AMARULA?

Amarula is a cream liqueur made from the nutritious marula fruit only found in the Sub-Saharan African countries of South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia and Zimbabwe.  Elephants love eating the fruit of the marula tree, which is why it’s the symbol of the liqueur.

HOW IS AMARULA MADE?

To begin the process, the marula fruit’s flesh is separated from its seeds. The pulp is first transferred to cooling tanks to prevent uncontrolled fermentation, and then further transferred to cellars where it is fermented under conditions similar to wine making. After fermentation, the marula wine is distilled twice to give it a rich, creamy flavor.

HOW TO DRINK AMARULA

Many times Amarula is mixed with Kahlua, milk and coffee since it’s a cream liqueur; however, I found this less traditional recipe online and made it at home.  So delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz Amarula Cream

• 1/2 oz citrus vodka

• 2 1/2 oz lychee juice

• 3/4 oz ruby red grapefruit juice

• Lychee fruit for garnish

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker glass filled with ice.

2. Shake vigorously and strain into glass.

3. Garnish with lychee fruit on the rim, if desired.

Sounds totally refreshing, right? I should have taken pictures but I was too anxious to try it.  Bottoms up!

Photo Credit: Amarula.com

*While this post is sponsored by Colangelo & Partners Public Relations, all opinions expressed are my own.