Blue drinks are back this summer. This is why you should care

Blue drinks are nothing new. In fact, the act of colouring alcoholic beverages is believed to date back to around the time food dye itself was invented in 1856, as a derivative of coal tar. Despite this, the blue drinks category didn’t properly emerge until 1957, when bartender Harry Yee was tasked by Bols to craft a drink featuring its blue curaçao.

Since then, bartenders globally have remained somewhat reluctant towards the trend despite its obvious market appeal.

“Ultimately, if it's blue, people are going to look at it [and] Instagram it in the modern era; it'll be on all their feeds,” said Jason Crawley, veteran bartender and Co-Owner of Fortunate Son, at a recent Vanguard Luxury Brands event.

“Of course, it's great for the venue from that perspective, but mostly it tastes great and it's a little bit of fun.”

Recently, Drinks Trade partnered up with Milagro Tequila to craft the ultimate Blue Margarita recipe.

“If there's one Instagram-worthy cocktail this summer, it's the blue margarita,” reads the Last Drinks article on page 82 of Drinks Trade Spring, available for free here.

“Sure, you're probably thinking this is reminiscent of those wild 80s neon nights, but this modern twist on a classic margarita could be the next big thing.”

Jason Crawley also crafted a blue margarita for Tuesday’s Vanguard Luxury Brands event. Interestingly, when asked whether blue drinks are coming back into fashion, he said “I don't think they ever went away.

“Obviously Jacob Briars has pioneered the resurgence of the blue drink, but I don't think they ever went away… depending on where you drink. I mean, they don't serve them in my old man's pub where I go, but for the most part, in bars where there's a lifestyle component, if you put a bunch of those on a tray, everybody's going to say, what's that? It's the monkey see, monkey do effect. which is why most of the modern drinks that you've heard of, someone once said what's that one? and then enjoyed it and told their mate about it and then reordered it.”

The recipe for the Milagro Blue Margarita pictured above is as follows:

Glassware:
Rocks

Garnish
Salt rim and lime wheel

Ingredients:
45ml Milagro Silver
25ml De Kuyper Blue Curaçao
30ml Fresh lime juice
5ml Sugar syrup

Method:
Add all ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish

“Featuring the vibrant blue of De Kuyper Blue Curaçao and the smooth Milagro Silver Tequila, this eye-catching drink is perfect for beachside bars and sunset sips… Cool, fun, and ready to make waves on cocktail menus, it's a must-try this summer,” says the Drinks Trade article.

Alternatively, Jason Crawley’s Blue Bondi Margarita features Batanga Blanco Tequila, Marionette Blue Curacao, Crawley's Coconut Syrup and lime juice.

“So we're going to make a blue drink, which I've given the game away already, but it's going to be like a blue coconut-y margarita-y type thing, which has been named by the marketing department the Blue Bondi Margarita,” he explained.

“They're super easy to make, and I guess the most important thing is they're really tasty and you might even get people to reorder them once they've had one and kind of become a bit of a thing in your venue, which is clearly what we're all about.”

To read more about summer cocktail trends, read this Drinks Trade article featuring insights from Jason Crawley and Nick Tesar. To review the other four cocktails showcased at the Vanguard Luxury Brands ‘Drinking Summer’ Trend Preview event, click here.