The Raketje cocktail recipe
for your table
Pour the grenadine into the bottom of a hurricane glass, then fill the glass completely with crushed ice.
Mix the vodka with the orange juice and carefully pour it over the ice — this forms the yellow middle layer.
Slowly pour the blue curaçao over the rounded side of a bar spoon on top.
Serve immediately with a straw and let your guest mix it themselves.
The story
The Raketje popsicle has been a fixture of Dutch summers since the 1970s, and the cocktail version is exactly what you would expect: a bartender who realized that you could pour those three colors too. There is no official recipe — every bar does it slightly differently, with berry gin, lemonade syrup or liqueurs. What always stays the same is the order, and that is not an aesthetic choice but physics: grenadine contains the most sugar and sinks, while blue curaçao has the highest alcohol content and stays afloat. The same principle as with the B52, only bigger.
The right glass
The hurricane glass is the logical choice here: tall, curved and with a wide bowl that clearly separates the three colors. In a straight glass, the layers are stacked on top of each other; in a hurricane glass, they have room and the transitions are much more distinct. Count on 44 cl — large enough for a generous amount of crushed ice, and with this cocktail that ice is not an afterthought but the reason the layers do not collapse into each other. Choose clear glass; any tint or facet will cloud the effect.
Royal Leerdam Cocktail Hurricane Cocktail Glass 44 cl (4 pieces)
Arcoroc Hurricane Cocktail Glass 44 cl (6 pieces)
Together € 70,90.
The right tool
For a Raketje cocktail, use a jigger alongside the glass for precise measurements, a citrus juicer, and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you'll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools — together € 61,80.
Variations & twists
Leave out the vodka and you have a mocktail that's a hit at any children's party — this may well be the most obvious alcohol-free cocktail there is. Replace the grenadine with strawberry syrup and the blue curaçao with blue lemonade syrup for the completely alcohol-free version. With white rum instead of vodka, it heads towards tiki. In the mood for the same colors but in blue? See the Blue Lagoon. Find more inspiration in all cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Crushed ice isn't a luxury here: fine ice slows the liquid down and keeps the layers in place. With regular ice cubes, everything blends together within a minute. No crushed ice? Put ice cubes in a tea towel and hit them a few times. Pour each layer over a spoon and place the glass on the table while pouring — in your hand, it always moves too much.
Frequently asked questions
Which glass do you use for a Raketje cocktail?
A 44 cl hurricane glass. View our hurricane glasses.
How do the layers stay separate?
Because of the difference in sugar and alcohol content. Grenadine is the heaviest and sinks, while blue curaçao is the lightest and floats. Pour from heaviest to lightest and use crushed ice to break the fall.
Can you make it alcohol-free?
Yes, and very easily: replace the vodka and blue curaçao with blue lemonade syrup and leave the rest unchanged. The color and effect remain identical.
Why do my colors blend together?
Usually because you pour too quickly or use too little ice. Really fill the glass to the top with crushed ice and pour each layer over the rounded side of a spoon.
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