The Blue Beer cocktail is, true to its name, built around blue curaçao, yet the moment it meets golden beer, the glass glows a striking emerald green.
Maraschino adds a silky cherry sweetness and blue curaçao brings bright orange-peel aroma, and a gentle two-or-three-turn stir keeps the bubbles lively, so each sip opens light and fizzy before citrus and cherry soften the beer’s bitterness.
Just three ingredients and made for a party toast, it’s a drink well worth pouring tonight.
Recipe & How to Make It
Ingredients
Recipe no.194
- Maraschino — 1 oz (30ml)
- Blue curaçao — 2/3 oz (20ml)
- Beer — Full
※ Full = fill the glass to about 80–90%
5 Recommended Blue Curaçao Brands
How to Make It
Chill the glass and beer well in the fridge in advance.
Add the maraschino and blue curaçao to the glass and stir lightly.
Top with beer and stir lightly, and it’s ready.
Slide the bar spoon in gently and give it just two or three turns. (A stirring stick works fine, too.)
・Technique ｜ Stir
・Glass ｜ Pilsner Glass
・ABV ｜ About 8%–9%
・Best Enjoyed ｜ Any Time / Before Dinner
Blue Beer Characteristics & Recommendations
Flavor & Character
The Blue Beer is a beer cocktail named for the blue curaçao in its glass. Maraschino, a clear cherry liqueur from the Dalmatian coast, adds a silky sweetness, while blue curaçao brings orange-peel aroma.
When golden beer meets the blue liqueur, the two colors blend into an emerald green, like the sea. The first sip is light and fizzy, then citrus and cherry notes follow, softening the beer’s bitterness into a clean finish.
I’d pour it for the first toast of a party; that color gets people talking.
Tips, Twists & Food Pairings
Tips
- Common mistake: pouring the beer straight down — Beer poured fast onto sugary liqueurs foams up quickly and can spill over the rim, losing carbonation along the way. Tilt the glass and pour slowly down the side, then straighten it at the end for a neat head.
- Use a pale lager — A light lager or pilsner keeps the color a bright, clear emerald, while amber or dark beers turn it muddy. I’d always choose a crisp pilsner; its clean bitterness balances the sweet liqueurs best.
- Stir only two or three turns — The liqueurs are heavier than beer and settle at the bottom, so a gentle stir is enough to blend them. Stirring too much knocks out the bubbles and leaves the drink flat.
Twists
- Blue Radler — Replace half the beer with lemon soda. The bright citrus and lower strength make a lighter, more refreshing drink, inspired by Germany’s beer-and-lemonade Radler.
- Blue Wheat Beer — Swap the lager for a cloudy wheat beer and add an orange slice. The beer’s soft fruitiness pairs naturally with blue curaçao’s orange aroma for a rounder, smoother sip.
Food Pairings
- Buffalo wings — The liqueurs’ gentle sweetness cools the wings’ spicy heat, while the beer’s fizz cuts through the rich sauce, making each bite feel lighter.
- Fish and chips — Crisp, salty batter loves cold, bubbly beer, and the drink’s citrus notes work like a squeeze of lemon over the fish.
- Soft pretzels — Salty, chewy pretzels are a beer-hall classic, and the contrast of salt with the drink’s cherry and orange sweetness keeps every sip lively.
