Blue Lagoon Cocktail Recipe
Blue curaçao brings both the color and a mellow orange-peel sweetness, while fresh lemon juice and lemon-lime soda cut that sweetness with enough acidity and fizz that the drink never tastes syrupy, even though it looks like candy.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 5 min
- Servings
- 1
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz vodka
- 1 oz blue curaçao liqueur
- 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
- 3 oz lemon-lime soda
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1 slice lemon wheel, for garnish
- 1 each maraschino cherry, for garnish
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 296
- Protein
- 0g
- Carbs
- 24g
- Fat
- 0g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Fill a tall glass (or a cocktail shaker, if chilling first) with ice cubes.
- 2Pour the vodka, blue curaçao, and fresh lemon juice over the ice.
- 3Stir gently for about 10 seconds to chill without overdiluting.
- 4Top with the lemon-lime soda and give it one more light stir to combine.
- 5Garnish with a lemon wheel and a maraschino cherry, and serve immediately while it's cold and fizzy.
Tips & variations
- For a layered look, pour the soda last down the back of a bar spoon so it floats rather than fully mixing in right away.
- Swap the vodka for white rum for a slightly sweeter, more tropical version.
- Add an ounce of pineapple juice in place of some of the soda for a fuller, fruitier drink; it will mute the blue slightly toward teal.
- For a non-alcoholic version, skip the vodka and curaçao and use a blue sports drink or blue raspberry syrup with soda water for the color and fizz.
Storage & reheating
This cocktail is meant to be mixed and served immediately; it doesn't store well since the soda goes flat and the ice dilutes it within an hour. If batching for a group, premix the vodka, curaçao, and lemon juice in a pitcher and refrigerate for up to 2 days, then add fresh ice and soda to each glass right before serving.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Chilling the glass in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand keeps the drink colder longer without needing extra ice.
- Use a clear, colorless soda rather than a cloudy one so the blue color stays vivid instead of turning murky.
FAQ
What does a Blue Lagoon cocktail taste like?
Mostly citrusy and lightly sweet, similar to a spiked lemon-lime soda with a subtle orange note from the curaçao rather than anything overtly 'blue' flavored.
Is blue curaçao the same as regular curaçao?
They're made the same way from dried bitter orange peel and have the same flavor; blue curaçao just has blue food coloring added, so you can substitute clear (white) curaçao or triple sec if you don't need the color.
Can I make a Blue Lagoon without alcohol?
Yes. Replace the vodka and blue curaçao with a blue sports drink or a splash of blue raspberry syrup, then top with lemon-lime soda or soda water for the same color and fizz.
Why did my drink turn green instead of blue?
That usually happens when too much lemon juice or a yellow-tinted soda is used; the yellow overwhelms the blue. Stick to a clear lemon-lime soda and measure the lemon juice carefully.
