Skip to main content

Skip the Blue Stuff and Sip Destillaré Orange Curaçao Instead

Destillare-Orange-Curacao-Ampersand
Image courtesy of Copper & Kings American Brandy Co.

When it comes to cocktails, it isn’t only the base spirit that matters. The quality of ingredients that you’re using with said base spirit are just as important, because these additional elements are going to help the liquor shine. This is where Curaçao comes in.

Recommended Videos

Curaçao (cure-a-sow) is a liqueur flavored with the dried peel of laraha, a bitter, orange-like fruit that is grown on the island of — you guessed it — Curaçao. If you were drinking during the ’90s or survived college parties with jungle juice, you’ve probably seen Curaçao before — in its neon blue form.

However, the liqueur has a much more storied history dating back to the 1600s. Destillaré orange Curaçao (which is Latin for “to drop” and “distillation”) thankfully follows the trail of the historical variations and not in the foot steps of its neon brethren.

Destillare-Orange-Curacao-Ampersand
Image courtesy of Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. Image courtesy of Copper & Kings American Brandy Co.

Made by Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. in Louisville, Kentucky, this Curaçao is produced in a way close to the original liqueurs of the same name. Copper & Kings uses a vapor distillation process with orange peels and lavender petals; apple brandy barrel-aging; and orange clover honey as a back sweetener instead of regular sugar. The resulting liquid is orange in color (not blue), pictured above in a classic Sidecar cocktail.

Appearance: Destillairé Orange Curaçao is a pale straw color.

Nose: Immediately, the smell of ripe orange asserts itself. This is followed by honeyed orange zest and candied apple. On the end, there are notes of sweet tea and clover honey.

Palate:  This is viscous, liquid orange through and through. Under the orange flavors, the spirit base — apple brandy — presents itself in the form of slow-cooked apples. There is only a quiver of heat, despite the 45 percentABV.

Finish: For a liqueur, this has a nice, medium-length finish that leaves fresh squeezed orange on the palate.

Final Thoughts: One of the things I loved as a kid was orange Triaminic cough syrup. It went down so smoothly compared to other flavors of medicine. At first, that is what this reminded me of, but as I sat with it, the Curaçao really opened up. The pure orange flavor you get here goes really well with the apple brandy base. In short, while I wouldn’t necessarily drink this on its own, it makes a great addition to multitudes of cocktails. If you don’t believe me, buy a bottle of the bottom shelf Curaçao  out there and do a side-by-side — the contrast is stark.

Destillaré Orange Curaçao is 45 percent ABV and retails for around $35.

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
Woodinville is launching its oldest rye whiskey to date
woodinville is launching an eight-year-old rye whiskey
Woodinville

The well-known Washington State-based distillery Woodinville Whiskey Co. just released its oldest rye whiskey to date. Matured just a shade under a decade, the whiskey was launched this past weekend at the distillery.
Woodinville 100% Rye Aged 8 Years

As the name suggests, this is a rye whiskey boasting a mash bill of 100% rye. Grown, distilled, and matured in Washington State, this complex rye whiskey was matured for a minimum of eight whole years. The Rye was grown at the nearby Omlin family farm in Quincy, Washington. After harvesting, it’s shipped across the mountains to Woodinville, where it’s milled, mashed, and distilled.

Read more
Oaklore Distilling is launching a rye whiskey matured in port wine barrels
Oaklore

North Carolina-based Oaklore Distilling Co. recently announced the launch of a new, limited-edition whiskey that fans of unique barrel-aging won’t want to miss. The latest addition to its Oaklore Story Series, Port Cask Finish Rye Whiskey is a 92-proof rye whiskey finished in barrels that previously held port wine.
Oaklore Port Cask Finish Rye Whiskey

This memorable whiskey begins with a mash bill of 70% rye, 20% corn, and 10% malted barley (it’s the same as the brand’s signature 6-year-old straight rye whiskey). It’s first matured for six years in a combination of char #2 and char #3 new, white oak barrels. It’s then transferred to ex-port wine barrels for another twelve to eighteen months of finishing.

Read more
Coffee molds: What’s really inside your coffee?
All about mycotoxins
Whole beans and ground coffee

Imagine you open a package of cheese from your fridge to find something green and fuzzy growing on it. Your immediate reaction (beyond saying "ew") probably involves throwing it in the trash immediately. Molds on foods come in all varieties, yet not all are visible to the naked eye, such as mycotoxins.

Coffee molds are one example, which could be living on your coffee beans without you even knowing. These toxic compounds are odorless and invisible and can only be identified through lab testing. Do you know what's inside your cup of coffee? Most of us don't know if our coffee has mold. Here's what you should know about coffee molds and how to avoid them.
What are coffee molds?

Read more