Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 10 – Blue Christmas Cocktail.
Somewhere between “festive sparkle” and “why am I crying at a tree commercial,” there is Blue Christmas. This drink is for that exact mood: bright, a little nostalgic, and very pretty in the glass. It’s my winter take on a Between the Sheets-style build; same flirty bones, now dressed in cool tones and ready for holiday party season.
Before we get into the shaking and the sipping, let’s talk about that electric-blue mischief maker in the room: Blue Curaçao. Curaçao liqueur itself is an orange liqueur made from the dried peels of the laraha, a bitter orange that grows on the island of Curaçao. Valencia oranges were brought there in the 1500s by the Spanish, the island climate turned them too bitter to eat, and then (plot twist worthy of a Christmas story) the peels became the island’s aromatic treasure.
As for who “invented” Blue Curaçao specifically? The credit is a little delightfully murky. Many sources point to the Dutch distillery Bols, saying Lucas Bols developed a laraha-based curaçao and later introduced a blue version in the early 1900s (sold as Crème de Ciel, “cream of the sky”). Other accounts suggest producers on Curaçao, like Senior & Co., may have been among the first to “blue” the liqueur on-island. Either way, the why is pretty clear: the blue colour was a marketing wink — a way to make an already exotic orange liqueur look even more magical in cocktails, like a liquid slice of tropical sea and sky.
And honestly? Mission accomplished. Blue Curaçao doesn’t taste different because it’s blue, it’s still bright, sweet-bitter orange at heart, but the colour turns any drink into a party trick. Which feels extremely on brand for Day 10.
Calvados brings orchard depth, white rum keeps it light on its feet, and Blue Curaçao adds a citrusy sweetness plus that wintry colour. Vanilla pear syrup softens everything into a smooth, festive glide. A flamed orange peel on top gives you caramelized citrus aroma that makes it feel extra special with basically zero extra effort.
Flaming an orange peel is easy, but respect the flame. Warm the peel, express over a lit match, and don’t hold it there like you’re auditioning for a fire-eater role. Quick toast, big payoff.
If this Blue Christmas lights your fire, check out my similar recipes:
IG Stories at 5 p.m. Eastern — come watch me make something blue without accidentally turning it into a tropical drink. Balance, baby.
Cheers, friends!
Blue Christmas
Blue Christmas is my wintery Between the Sheets remix. Calvados and white rum keep the skeleton classic, while blue curaçao and vanilla pear syrup turn it into a cool-toned holiday daydream, finished with a flamed orange peel for a little fireside drama.
- 1 oz Calvados
- 1 oz white rum
- ½ oz blue curacao
- ½ oz vanilla pear syrup
- ¼ oz lemon juice
- Garnish: flamed orange peel
- 2 cups ripe pears roughly chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or ½ tsp vanilla extract
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Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
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Fine-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
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Garnish with a flamed orange peel.
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Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
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Fine-strain into an airtight container.
