Curacao Cooler

With tropical plants in the background and a huge orange slice in the foreground, this Curacao Cooler is exactly what you need to relax with in the sun. The drink gets its name from the rum-producing Caribbean island of Curacao, but it also is flavored with a hearty dose of the bitter orange liqueur, white Curacao.

Curacao the liqueur is used to add interest to many tropical drinks. It is light in alcohol and sugary, so it replaces the need to use sugar or syrup to make a drink with it. It also blends very well and takes the unpleasant edges off of hard liquor. It rounds out citrus and adds complexity without being overly noticeable.  It's a good way to go when it comes to bitter orange and spicy rum cocktails and punches.

• 2 oz. dark rum
• 1 1/2 oz. white curacao
• 1 oz. lime juice
• sparkling water
• orange slice

Combine juice and spirits in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Collins glass full of fresh ice. Top with sparkling water and garnish with the orange slice.