Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Vodka Cocktails

Blue Lagoon

blue lagoon cocktail on a marble surface, garnished with a lemon and cherry

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Everything you need to know about the Blue Lagoon is right in the name. Tall, refreshing and bluer than the bluest Caribbean sky, the cocktail turns vodka, blue curaçao and lemonade into a drink you’ll want to dive into.

It’s believed that the Blue Lagoon was created by Andy MacElhone, the son of famed bartender Harry MacElhone, at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in the 1960s or early 1970s. So, the drink predates the 1980 movie of the same name.

Vodka provides a sturdy base, while the blue curaçao—a Caribbean liqueur made using the dried peel of the Laraha citrus fruit and then colored blue—adds sweet, zesty notes. The lemonade lengthens the drink, lends additional tartness and keeps the beverage quaffable.

This recipe involves shaking and then straining the liquid, which is the preferred method when making the drink. However, some people choose to blend the ingredients with crushed ice to whir together a frozen cocktail. The shaken route is easier, faster and delicious, so don’t hesitate to keep things simple. But if you’re craving an icy journey, try the frozen version. Either method you choose, the Blue Lagoon is a formidable antidote when the sun’s high and the temperature’s warm.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce vodka

  • 1 ounce blue curaçao

  • 4 ounces lemonade

  • Garnish: lemon wheel

  • Garnish: maraschino cherry

Steps

  1. Add the vodka, blue curaçao and lemonade to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  2. Strain into a hurricane glass over crushed ice.

  3. Garnish with a lemon wheel and maraschino cherry.