The Blue Lagoon is the drink people photograph before they taste. That electric blue color is impossible to ignore, and it gets the same reaction every time someone sees it for the first time. The good news is that it tastes as fun as it looks. Sweet, citrusy, and fizzy with a tropical feel that works any time of year.

The color without the alcohol

Traditional Blue Lagoons get their color from blue curacao, a liqueur flavored with the dried peel of lahara citrus fruit. For the non-alcoholic version, blue curacao syrup gives you the same vivid color and the same sweet, orange-adjacent flavor without any alcohol content. You can find it in most well-stocked grocery stores or online, usually shelved near the cocktail mixers.

If you can’t find blue curacao syrup specifically, a combination of a few drops of blue food coloring and a tablespoon of orange syrup gets you close. It’s not identical, but the visual impact is the same.

Building the drink

The key to a good Blue Lagoon is cold ingredients and plenty of ice. The lemonade provides the sour backbone, the soda adds fizz, and the blue curacao syrup brings sweetness and that signature color. Stir it gently. If you stir too vigorously, the color distributes evenly and you lose the gradient effect that makes this drink a showstopper.

For a frozen version, blend all the ingredients with a cup of ice until smooth. The slushie texture works well with the sweetness and turns it into something closer to a poolside drink.

When to make it

The Blue Lagoon is a natural fit for summer parties, pool days, and any gathering where you want drinks that double as decoration. It pairs well with the Shirley Temple if you’re setting up a mocktail bar, since you get both red and blue on the table. Kids love this one, but the citrus and the fizz keep it interesting enough for adults too.