What Curaçao liqueur is made from the dried peel of the island’s bitter oranges?

Curaçao liqueur is made from the dried peel of Curaçao’s bitter oranges.

The oranges are descended from sweet oranges introduced to the island by the Spanish. Curaçao’s dry climate made the fruit bitter and largely inedible, but the aromatic peel became useful for flavoring liqueur. The peels are dried and distilled with alcohol and other botanicals.

Curaçao liqueur can be clear or colored, including blue versions used in cocktails. The color does not define the flavor or prove that the liqueur came from a particular brand. “Blue Curaçao” is a colored style, not a separate fruit.

The liqueur is often confused with triple sec and other orange liqueurs. Its defining geographic and historical link is the bitter orange peel associated with Curaçao.