🥃 Curaçao Senior & Co

Curaçao Senior & Co is a liqueur made from dried peels of the laraha, a bitter orange from the island of Curaçao, which the company Senior & Co has produced since 1896. Production is based at the Chobolobo estate in Willemstad. The basic clear version is 31 % ABV; the company also makes coloured versions, including a blue one.

According to the brand page, the company was founded by Edgar Senior and Haim Mendes Chumaceiro in 1896 as the pharmacy Botika Excelsior, where they created the first Senior's Curaçao Liqueur. In 1947 the family bought the Chobolobo estate in Willemstad, where the distillery is still located. The copper still ordered in 1896 is, according to Difford's Guide, still in use. Our sources do not say who owns the company now.

Laraha is the name for the bitter orange that grows on Curaçao; its flesh is inedible, but the peel is aromatic. According to Difford's Guide, green fruits are cut with wooden knives, and the dried peels are steeped in cane neutral spirit and water for four days; then bags of spices are added for another two days, and the mixture is distilled. The brand page speaks of about seventeen days of manual work, so we do not record the exact length of the process.

The general name "curaçao" is broader than this brand: it is used for orange liqueurs, and not all are made from laraha. The company claims that it alone always uses peels of local laraha, and labels its product "Genuine Curaçao Liqueur"; because of similar names, the product has, according to Difford's Guide, been renamed "Curaçao of Curaçao". Protection of the name "curaçao" itself is not confirmed in our sources.

Why this matters to you. The blue colour is a dye, not a flavour: the blue, red, orange and green versions have the same taste and strength. Not every drink called "curaçao" is made from laraha, so check the label. The basic version is 31 % ABV, which is stronger than many liqueurs. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.