Lively cocktail round and the origin of Curacaos of Curacao

Day 11:

Excuse me if I make some mistakes, but I have had a few cocktails and shots. If anyone thinks it's pathetic to drink alone, I can reassure you: I was in good company.

Today, my path led me to Landhuis Chobolobo - the Curacao Liqueur Distillery - the place where the well-known Blue Curacao comes from. However, I have to tell you that you have probably never tasted the original from Curacao, as it is only shipped to Holland, Italy, Spain, Norway, and America. The original can be recognized by the rippled structure of the glass, which resembles an orange peel, the special shape, and the cork - and of course, by the taste. So, the Blue Curacao drink from Kaufland for your 80's Green Meadow is no comparison 😁

So, I paid $20 for the deluxe tour because I wanted to treat myself to a nice farewell since I'm unfortunately leaving on Sunday. The two weeks flew by, and I already have nightmares thinking about sitting in the office on Tuesday 😭 Oh well. The deluxe tour included the following: a private tour of the factory and exhibition rooms, tasting of the liqueurs, two cocktails, and an ice cream. I have to say that I found the price to be very reasonable, as a single cocktail would have cost $9! I caught the last tour at 3 pm. The factory is closed on weekends and not accessible to visitors, so I got lucky! There were hardly any tourists here either - my group consisted only of two Dutch soldiers stationed here and a family of four from Washington D.C. with two little boys who were super funny. All in all, the tour was very pleasant. Our guide conducted it in English and chatted with us, asked us questions, and told us interesting things about the factory.

Did you know, for example, that the oranges used for the Curacao liqueur actually come from Valencia? And when they were shipped to Curacao because they wanted to grow delicious oranges there, it failed and the fruits remained green and very bitter and inedible. This has to do with the climate and the sunlight. However, in the 19th century, it was discovered that the fruits release essential oils which are suitable for the production of spirits. This eventually led to the creation of the Curacao liqueur with a lot of sugar, cardamom, cloves, and other secret spices, which, by the way, is originally clear and not blue in color. The colorants were only added for fancy cocktails - the locals prefer to enjoy it clear. Additionally, there are a few other varieties such as Rum & Raisins or Chocolate. All very delicious!

After tasting some varieties, we pushed two tables together and enjoyed our cocktails, which were personally prepared by our guide. We all started talking and chatted for at least an hour. Very nice atmosphere and I met some really lovely people again! Feeling good, I walked to Pietermaai beach, went swimming for a bit, and was once again randomly discovered by my hosts and even driven home, isn't that great?! 😎 They were really nice and I had a truly wonderful time! Tomorrow, I will return the bike (no, I haven't ridden it since last week) and enjoy the last day at the beach and take in the Caribbean air once again. An concluding vacation post is coming! See you soon and greetings to home!