Breaking Bad boosts sales of Blue Curacao

Dutch liqueurs group De Kuyper has seen dramatic growth for its Blue Curacao expression, as a result of the popularity of hit TV series Breaking Bad.

Heisenberg (right) and his assistant Jesse Pinkman cook blue meth in their lab in Breaking Bad

According to De Kuyper, bartenders have been inspired by the TV show, which depicts the journey of Walter White – aka Heisenberg – a high school science teacher who’s turned to a life of crime as a crystal meth drug baron.

White’s success in the criminal underworld is attributed to his ability to create an extremely “pure” product, which has a blue hue as a result.

De Kuyper’s marketing director Albert De Heer claims that since the show has gained in popularity over the last couple of years, bartenders in De Kuyper’s key markets around the world have been requesting Blue Curacao in order to make a blue signature drink in honour of Breaking Bad’s Heisenberg.

“Blue Curacao is having a second youth in some places,” De Heer told The Spirits Business. “Where it was not cool for important bartenders to use this kind of liqueur, they now want the Blue Curacao and are making really fun creations with it.

“In the series Breaking Bad, a bartender makes a cocktail called the Baby Blue for Heisenberg in his cocktail bar. Off the back of that we are now selling extra Blue Curacao.”

De Heer claimed the trend is only confined to Europe – the US falls under the jurisdiction of Beam Inc which has a license to distribute De Kuyper liqueurs in the country.

“I think it’s really funny,” De Heer added, although as a private company did not reveal any volume sales figures.

The series Breaking Bad featured a range of not-so-well-known whiskeys that since airing, have gained a cult status amongst fans of the show and category.