Best Blue Cocktails to Make for the Final Four

The ultimate guide to blue cocktails for the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball Final Four. Cocktails in every shade of blue for the Battle of the Blues — UNC versus Duke and Kansas versus Villanova. Includes recipes for a UNC Tar Heels blue cocktail, a Blue Devil Martini, a crimson and blue Kansas Jayhawks layered shot, Villanova Wildcats Martini and more blue alcoholic drinks.

Let me get this out of the way from the start: Go Heels! Our blue is better than your blue!

But I recognize that college basketball fans from Chapel Hill to Durham and from Villanova to Lawrence will be cheering for their teams and their particular shades of blue during the Final Four.

The rivalries are strong and the stakes are high, and we’re all going to need a drink! In addition to my Carolina Blue Belle Cocktail and Carolina Blue Party Punch, I’ve rounded up a collection of 20 of the tastiest blue cocktails to serve at your Final Four party.

Make sure you have a selection of game day snacks, like these Slow Cooker BBQ meatballs, better-than-takeout fried wontons and Firecracker Spicy Saltines to go along with the drinks.

This post may contain affiliate links. AttaGirlSays.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Read my full disclosure policy here.

Use the table of contents below to jump ahead to various recipes and sections. You’ll also find tips for mixing up your own original blue cocktails using blue liquors and mixers.

Jump to:

• How to Make a UNC Tar Heels Blue Cocktail
• How to Make a Blue Devil Martini
• How to Make a Kansas Jayhawks Cocktail
• How to Make a Villanova Wildcats Cocktail
• Carolina Blue Party Punch
• More Blue Cocktails
• Blue Liquors and Spirits
• Blue Mixers for Cocktails
• Shop for Team Drinkware
• Carolina Blue Belle Cocktail Recipe
• Carolina Blue Belle Cocktail
• Carolina Party Punch Recipe
• Carolina Blue Party Punch

How to Make a UNC Tar Heels Blue Cocktail

To make my Carolina Blue Belle cocktail, you will need:

• 2 ounces peach vodka
• 1 ounce Blue Curacao
• 3 ounces lemon-lime soda 
• crushed ice

1. Fill a large glass or tumbler with crushed ice.
2. Combine the vodka and Blue Curacao in a cocktail shaker. Stir or shake.
3. Pour over ice and top with lemon-lime soda.

How to Make a Blue Devil Martini

To make a Blue Devil Martini, you will need:

• ice cubes
• ½ ounce Blue Curacao
• ½ ounce lime juice
• 1 ounce gin or vodka

1. Fill a shaker with ice.
2. Add Blue Curacao, lime juice and gin or vodka.
3. Shake well and strain into a martini glass.

How to Make a Kansas Jayhawks Cocktail

To make this crimson and blue Kansas Jayhawks layered shot, you will need:

• ⅓ ounce UV Blue Vodka
• ⅓ ounce Bacardi Razz rum
• ⅓ ounce lemon lime soda
• ¼ ounce grenadine

1. Combine the blue vodka, rum and lemon lime soda in a shot glass or cocktail glass.
2. Slowly pour in the grenadine over the back of a bar spoon to float it on top.

How to Make a Villanova Wildcats Cocktail

This dark blue martini is rimmed with lighter blue sugar to highlight the Wildcats’ team colors.

• 1½ ounces vodka
• 1½ ounces Blue Curacao
• 2¼ ounces Cranberry Juice
• 1 teaspoon simple syrup or sugar
• ice
• light blue sanding sugar
• lemon wedge

1. Rub a lemon wedge along the rim of a martini glass to moisten it. Place the glass upside down on a dish of sanding sugar and twist to ensure the rim is coated.
2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add vodka, blue Curacao, cranberry juice and simple syrup.
3. Shake until chilled. Strain into the martini glass.

If you don’t want to buy blue sanding sugar, you can make your own by combining ¼ cup of granulated sugar with a drop of blue food coloring. Mix to achieve the desired color.

Carolina Blue Party Punch

I first made this blue punch recipe to celebrate the Tar Heels’ sixth men’s basketball National Championship in 2017.

The punch can be spiked or not, which makes it a great option if you’re watching the Tar Heels play with kids.

To make the punch you will need:

• Blue Raspberry Hawaiian Punch
• Frozen lemonade
• Pineapple juice or lemon lime soda
• Vodka or rum optional

See the recipe card at the end of this post for exact quantities

Fruity and tart, this blue punch can be spiked with vodka or light rum, or it can be served without alcohol.

How to Make Blue Punch

1. Combine the blue raspberry punch and frozen lemonade in a large pitcher.
2. Stir until the lemonade is thawed.
3. Slowly pour in the pineapple juice. Don’t add too much at once as it may turn the punch aqua instead of blue. If this happens, add more of the blue raspberry drink until the punch is the desired color.
4. Add alcohol, if you like.
5. Serve over ice.

If you don’t want to use pineapple juice, you can substitute lemon-lime soda. But I really love the tropical tang it gives this punch.

More Blue Cocktails

Looking for more blue drinks? You can’t go wrong with these blue shooters, cocktails, punch recipes, margaritas and more.

• Blue Lagoon Cocktail – This classic cocktail is the color of the Carribbean and tastes like summer with its blend of vodka, lemonade and Blue Curaçao.
• Blue Crush – Made with top-shelf tequila, pineapple juice and Blue Citrónge, this is a brightly colored tropical drink with sweet and sour citrust flavors.
• Blue Kamikaze Shots – Rim these sweet, blue shots with Pop Rocks for extra fun and flavor.
• Royal Blue Cocktail – The combination of Blue Curaçao and cranberry juice gives this cocktail its dark blue color, which is sure to make it popular with Duke or Villanova fans.
• Blue Sunday Cocktail – This beautiful pastel blue drink is made with gin and Blanc de Bleu Sparkling Wine.
• Blue Whiskey – This vivid drink gets its bright color from the combination of Blue Curaçao and Hpnotiq liqueur
• Blue Italian Ice Cocktail – You only need three ingredients to make this adults-only icy drink.
• Homemade Blue Curacao – This homemade blue liqueur is made with voda, gin and orange peels and takes 20 days to steep.

Blue Liquors and Spirits

When you’re making cocktails, you have a few options for giving them their signature color.

• Blue Curaçao – Most blue cocktails call for this Carribbean liqueur made from the dried peel of the Laraha orange. The orange-flavored is tinted blue. It has a bittersweet flavor, similar to Triple Sec.
• Hpnotiq liqueur – This pale blue French liqueur is made from a blend of fruit juices, premium French vodka and cognac. It has a sweet flavor with tropical fruit notes.
• Blue Vodkas – You can find vodka in varying shades of blue and flavors. Options include UV Blue Raspberry vodka and Western Son Blueberry Vodka.
• Other Blue Alcoholic Drinks – These liquors, spirits and malt beverages also come in shades of blue: KINKY Blue Liqueur, Ole Smoky Sour Razzin’ Berry Moonshine, Blumond Blue Bubbly and Smirnoff Ice Red, White and Berry.
• Triple Sec with Blue Food Coloring – You can subsitute triple sec or Cointreau for Blue Curaçao. Just add a few drops of blue food coloring to tint it.

Blue Mixers for Cocktails

You can also make blue cocktails with blue soda, mixers, sports drinks, and drink mixes.

Blue Sodas

• Fanta Berry Soda
• Dad’s Blue Cream Soda
• Jones Blue Bubblegum
• Big Blue
• Sunkist Berry Lemonade
• Blue soda lovers pack

Blue Mixers

• Jolly Rancher Blue Raspberry Drink Mix
• Starburst Blue Raspberry Drink Mix
• Kool-Aid Blue Raspberry Lemonade
• Hawaiian Punch Berry Blue Typhoon

Blue Sports Drinks

• Gatorade Cool Blue
• Kirkland Blue Raspberry Sport Drink
• POWERADE Mountain Berry Blast

Shop for Team Drinkware

To really show your team spirit, serve these blue cocktails in glasses with your team’s logo on them.

Carolina Blue Belle Cocktail Recipe

Carolina Party Punch Recipe

Pin This! Best Blue Cocktails