China Blue Cocktail
A fruity and sour cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 7% 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.
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
- Squeeze the pink grapefruit and lemon fresh; at 60 ml, grapefruit is the biggest pour in the drink.
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; no individual bartender or bar is credited with it. 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.
FAQ
What is a China Blue cocktail?
A light, sweet-tart blue cocktail said to come from Japan: lychee liqueur and blue curaçao shaken with fresh citrus and served up, at about 7% ABV.
What is in a China Blue drink?
30 ml each of lychee liqueur and blue curaçao, 60 ml fresh pink grapefruit juice and 10 ml fresh lemon juice. The liqueurs are the only alcohol, the curaçao gives the color, and the citrus cuts the lychee's sweetness.
How do you make a China Blue cocktail?
Shake all four ingredients hard with ice, fine-strain into a chilled martini glass, and drop a lychee into the drink.
What glass is a China Blue served in?
A martini glass, served up with no ice and garnished with a lychee.
