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Blue Liqueurs today - do we need them really?

I have had an interesting conversation with the brand manager of a small liqueur brand, which I have pre-viewed.

After the call, when I thought about it, I realized, that maybe I have crucified this brand - as it stands against my beliefs, where the liquor and bar business should head.
I took the article down, as I thought it was unfair to mention one specific brand, which just starts its business, if other brands are in full swing and much more popular - brands like Hpnotiq and Alizée bleu.

But lets come down to the original question - do we need nowadays blue "more or less exotic" liqueurs?
Lets face it, blue curaçao was pretty much always only used for its color in any drink. It's taste is forgettable. While average "triple sec" is like alcoholic_and_slightly_flavored_simple_syrup - blue curaçao is the same with blue color.

What surprises me is, that the bar and the pastry still rely so much on artificial colors. In the rest of the culinary arts, artificial flavors & colors have just a bad reputation, and who ever uses it, can wait to be affronted. Why not using "orange-yellow" E110, to make a chicken more appetizing [would look like a corn fed chicken]? Why not using E127 to emphasize on the red of a beef carpaccio?
Or you could cook broccoli in E142 - to strengthen and "freshen" its green color!

I guess, nobody really would like that! But using E131 [blue V] in drinks is agreeable. Well, Not. With. Me.

So please feel free to complain, if I will crucify your liqueur or your cocktail in future, if you are using artificial colors and flavors. Yeah - I talk about YOU: Midori, Hpnotiq, Alizee, Agwa, Ty Ku, Carnivo XO,  and Bols, deKuyper and all "artificial" absinthes...

Lets get real in bartending again.



Comments

  1. Blue curaçao is frowned upon in most "serious" bars for years - if you want blue in your drink you should probably add some red cabbage

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well - I know. On one hand, red cabbage might not taste very good - and doesn't create a vivid blue.
      On the other hand, real food products aren't blue! And if any respectable bar, would act upon this, we might change the guest side as well [hence they would not order any further blue drinks].

      Delete

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