I thought the Blue Monday a fine opportunity to gather a few of the examples of Orange Liqueur I seem to have accumulated and do a little comparison.

From Left to Right, we have Luxardo Triplum, Brizard Orange Curacao, Senior Curacao of Curacao, and Cointreau.

Blue Monday Cocktail

1/4 Cointreau (1/2 oz Orange Liqueur)
3/4 Vodka (1 1/2 oz Rain Vodka)
1 Dash Blue Vegetable Extract (1 drop Blue Food Coloring)

Shake (stir – eje) well and strain into cocktail glass.

What was immediately apparent, (and perhaps responsible for my reaction to the Blue Devil,) is that the Blue Food Coloring I used is not flavorless. Definitely adds a subtle unpleasant odor and flavor to the proceedings. In the future, a replacement will be needed. Just glad I didn’t try making these for guests.

In order from sweetest to least sweet, the liqueurs seem to go, Brizard, Luxardo, Senior, Cointreau.

The Brandy base of the Brizard, especially, makes it stand out. It’s more like an orange flavored brandy than a Triple Sec. This tasting made me re-think using it as an ingredient.

Of the others, I found the Luxardo to have the harshest base character. It definitely has that “after shave” kind of smell and is pretty hot on the tongue. Also slightly odd, the Luxardo cocktail seemed to haze slightly when chilled, like some of the orange oils were dropping out of solution. The Cointreau was next, still having a bit of alcohol heat and smell; but, more subtle and pleasant.

I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed the Senior Curacao of Curacao. It’s not a piercing or bitter orange flavor; but, a very nice, fresh, orange flavor. The base spirit, as well, is the smoothest, making it the most pleasant to enjoy in this cocktail.

As for the Blue Monday Cocktail itself, unless you are fond of slightly sweet and orangey, super-dry vodka martinis, I can’t really recommend it. I think it might be significantly improved with a dash of lemon juice, orange bitters, or a squeeze of orange peel. Just be sure your blue coloring is truly neutral in flavor before embarking.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.