Jellyfish Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 12/6/21
Jellyfish Cocktail

The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Looking for a flavor-filled, blue highball with a cool visual effect that is fun to build? The jellyfish is the cocktail for you! It has the appearance of a Caribbean-blue sea with white tendrils floating around that gives the cocktail its marine-inspired name. You can serve this at a party while practicing your bartending skills and it's a ton of fun!

The jellyfish is not only visually impressive, but it's also rather tasty too. It uses a vodka base with orange and anise flavors contributed by blue curaçao and white sambuca. This interesting combination is topped with cream, which is how you'll create the jellyfish.

To obtain the full effect of the drink, you will want to slowly pour the ingredients over one another so they float. It requires patience and a little practice, but these particular ingredients are some of the easiest to layer.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces vodka

  • 1 1/2 ounces blue curaçao liqueur

  • 1 1/2 ounces white sambuca liqueur

  • 1/2 ounce cream

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for a Jellyfish Cocktail
    The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

  2. Fill a highball glass with ice and add the vodka.

    Making the Vodka-Based Jellyfish Cocktail
    S&C Design Studios

  3. Float the blue curaçao slowly on top by pouring it over the back of a bar spoon and trying to minimize the mixing of the liquids.

    Floating Blue Curacao for the Jellyfish Cocktail
    S&C Design Studios

  4. Float the sambuca on top in the same manner.

    Floating White Sambuca on Top of the Jellyfish Cocktail
    S&C Design Studios

  5. Float the cream on the very top.

    Floating Cream on Top of the Jellyfish Cocktail
    S&C Design Studios

  6. Stir delicately and slowly as to not ruin the "jellyfish" effect. Serve and enjoy.

    Stirring the Jellyfish Cocktail
    S&C Design Studios

Tips

  • While there are other colors of curaçao available—clear (called "orange") and green—the look of the jellyfish cocktail relies on the blue-colored liqueur.
  • You can also find blue curaçao in a nonalcoholic syrup. Just be aware that this may have a different specific gravity than the liqueur and may not create very distinct layers.
  • Sambuca is an anise-flavored liqueur that is often compared to the taste of black licorice. It also comes in different colors—primarily clear (called "white") and black—with the white being the most popular and common.
  • The heavier the cream you use, the more distinct the jellyfish effect will be. Heavy whipping cream is the thickest available and is an excellent choice because it will barely mix in with the rest of the drink. A standard cream or half and half would be good as well. You'll find that milk is too thin and will likely blend right in.
  • As for the vodka, go ahead and use your favorite "well" brand. The jellyfish is designed to be more of a novelty drink than anything else and there's really no need to pour your best vodka with all these flavors. That said, you'll find it best to choose a clean tasting vodka; there are quite a few worthy brands that remain very affordable.

Recipe Variation

  • Black sambuca could be a very interesting twist in the jellyfish because it offers a great contrast to the white cream. It would be a fun substitute for Halloween parties.

How Strong Is a Jellyfish Cocktail?

The jellyfish is fun, funky, and surprisingly strong. Even with the cream, the three liquors add up to an average alcohol content of 28 percent ABV (56 proof). That's hefty for a highball drink, so as tempting as it may be to have a few rounds, you're taking a chance on getting schnockered.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
381 Calories
5g Fat
21g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 381
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 16mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)