China Blue Cocktail
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 8.1% ABV ∙
A China Blue Cocktail is a shaken, low-ABV mix of lychee liqueur, blue curaçao, pink grapefruit juice, and lemon juice, served up in a martini glass. Floral lychee sweetness leads, then pink grapefruit and lemon cut in tart and citrusy, finishing bright and light — an easy, low-proof sipper for an afternoon gathering.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Lychee liqueur 30 mlBlue Curaçao 30 mlPink grapefruit juice 60 mlLemon juice 10 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a lychee dropped into the cocktail
Tips
- Use freshly squeezed pink grapefruit and lemon juice, as this build calls for — bottled juice mutes the color and flattens the tartness.
- Shake hard with plenty of ice to fully integrate the two liqueurs before fine-straining into a chilled martini glass.
- Chill the martini glass beforehand; this drink is low-ABV and served up with no ice, so it warms quickly in a warm glass.
History
The China Blue is generally described as a Japanese creation, said to have emerged in the late 1990s and to have remained popular along the Pacific Rim since. It belongs to the wave of blue curaçao cocktails developed to showcase the liqueur's vivid color, here paired with lychee liqueur and pink grapefruit juice for a sweet-tart, floral drink. No individual bartender or bar is credited with inventing it, and beyond the general Japanese attribution, its precise origin is not documented in cocktail references.
FAQ
What is a China Blue cocktail?
It is a shaken cocktail built from lychee liqueur and blue curaçao, balanced with fresh pink grapefruit and lemon juice, served up in a martini glass with a lychee garnish. At about 8.1% ABV, it is a notably low-proof, easy-drinking cocktail rather than a strong spirit-forward one.
What is in a China Blue drink?
Lychee liqueur, blue curaçao, fresh pink grapefruit juice, and fresh lemon juice, shaken and strained into a martini glass. The two liqueurs supply both the base alcohol and the blue color, while the citrus juices bring the tartness that balances the lychee's sweetness.
How do you make a China Blue cocktail?
Shake the lychee liqueur, blue curaçao, fresh pink grapefruit juice, and fresh lemon juice hard with ice, then fine-strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lychee. Shaking is essential here, since the citrus needs the aeration and quick chill a shake gives; stirring would leave it flat and under-diluted.
What alcohol is in a China Blue?
The alcohol comes entirely from lychee liqueur and blue curaçao, both of which double as the drink's base spirits. Together with the fresh citrus juices, this keeps the finished cocktail at a light 8.1% ABV, far lower than a typical spirit-forward cocktail.
What glass is a China Blue served in?
A martini glass, served up with no ice, garnished with a lychee. Because it is shaken and fine-strained, the glass stays free of ice or pulp.
