Blue Lagoon

Bright blue, tall, and refreshing. The Blue Lagoon is a fun, energising cocktail, made with vodka, blue curaçao (a Caribbean liqueur flavoured with the dried peel of the bitter orange laraha) and lemonade, and lemon to garnish. The vodka presents a strong base while the curaçao brings in a sweet, zesty note, and the lemonade adds a tartness, also tying the whole drink together. To make it, it needs to be shaken and then strained, while others prefer blending everything in with crushed ice.

Given its popularity, there are several variations. For instance, the Blue Lagoon can be made with rum or gin instead of vodka. For garnish, instead of lemon, it can be served with a generous layer of whipped cream. The curaçao liqueur can also be replaced with syrup and consumed as a mocktail.

The common belief is that the beverage was invented by Andy MacElhone, son of the famous bartender Harry MacElhone, at Paris’ Harry’s New York Bar, around the 1960s or early 1970s. Another, less plausible story states that the cocktail was invented in Haiti by French painter Paul Gauguin, who couldn't take Absinthe for medical reasons. So he started mixing different drinks together until he had the perfect blue.

Either way, the cocktail predates the famous movie of the same name.