With all the glamour you’d expect, our Purple rain cocktail is stunning, it’s sweet, yet bitter, and has a refreshing easiness to it, you need this cocktail in your life! We first had a Purple rain drink at a party to celebrate the legendary singer Prince, since then we’ve been busy with our cocktail shaker and have perfected our very own version.

A cocktail glass full of purple rain drink, with ice cubes and lime wedge garnish, with a lime wheel and wedges around it.

Why you’ll love this stunning purple rain drink

It looks amazing, vividly purple, this is a cocktail that makes a statement!

It’s quick and easy to make and you’ll have it made in just 5 minutes!

You can make it ahead and serve it when your guests arrive.

Our purple rain drink recipe is 100% vegetarian.

We love seeing this beautiful purple cocktail come to life, it becomes a fun, stylish, yet refreshing addition to any party cocktail menu!

Ingredients you’ll need

Ingredients needed to make a purple rain cocktail, club soda water, lemon juice, lime juice, vodka, blue curacao, and grenadine.

How to make the best purple rain cocktail with step-by-step instructions

It’s easy to make our purple rain drink recipe if you follow our simple instructions.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, then add vodka, blue curacao, and grenadine.

Next, add fresh lemon and lime juice, secure the lid on our cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

Adding grenadine into to a cocktail glass to make a purple rain cocktail. — Add ice cubes, vodka, blue curacao, and grenadine to a cocktail shaker.

Topping the cocktail up with soda water. — Then add fresh lemon and lime juice, shake, and top up with soda water.

Strain into your prepared cocktail glass and top up with club soda.

Garnish with a lime wheel or lemon slice.

Serve and enjoy – cheers!

Recipe notes and expert tips

Get ahead
Make a batch of purple rain cocktails ahead, mix your drink and keep it chilling in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. Make sure you remove the ice cubes or you’ll dilute your cocktails.
Extra zest
Use citron absolut vodka or lemon-lime soda for an extra zesty boost!
Can’t find lemon-lime soda water?
Use Sprite instead.
Get creative with cocktail equipment
If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, then use a large jar with a lid, if you don’t have a cocktail strainer, then use a tea strainer, these will enable you to make the drinks until you get the proper equipment – where there’s a will, there’s a way!

What is blue curacao?

Blue curaçao is a liqueur that is made on the island of Curaçao.

We hope that you enjoy making and drinking our purple rain drink recipe and would love to hear how you got on with making it.

Please leave a comment below and feel free to ask any questions.

It’s made from citrus fruit peel and has a real citrus taste.

If you’re wondering how it gets its blue color, that’s simple, it’s food coloring.

It’s used to make many different purple cocktails including our delicious purple rain drink.

Close up of half a purple rain drink, with a lime wedge.

How do you get the purple color in a purple rain drink?

You get the purple color when you combine the two main ingredients of this purple cocktail.

Blue Curacao and grenadine.

Blue curaçao is obviously blue, and grenadine is deep red, combined together, they make these drinks the color purple.

What alcohol is in a purple rain drink?

For our purple rain cocktail recipe, we use vodka and blue curacao.

You’ll find that some recipes call for gin as well, which works, but we prefer to mix our cocktail without it.

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

If you’re going to the trouble of mixing a purple rain drink, then you really want to use the best ingredients.

Fresh lemon and lime juice, is always far better than bottled.

A bottle of lemon or lime juice just doesn’t have the same zingy flavor that freshly squeezed juice does.

A glass full of homemade Purple rain, with limes.

Many different purple rain recipes

You’ll find that there are many different purple rain drink recipes.

They may use different juices, grape juice, cranberry juice, sour mix, or pineapple juice.

Even different alcohol, gin, raspberry liqueur, and many more!

You can definitely play around with the ingredients, we suggest you make our recipe first and then alter the taste to suit you.

What cocktail glass should I use?

We think that this elegant purple rain cocktail deserves a stylish cocktail glass.

A martini glass or coupe glass works perfectly, especially if you are going to have a purple sugar rim on your glass.

Finishing touches for your purple cocktail

If you want to add a little glamor to your purple rain drink, then why not have a purple sugar-rimmed glass?

All you’ll need to do is to mix blue curacao, grenadine, and sugar together, then wipe a lime wedge around the rim of your glass, turn the glass upside down and gently swirl it in the purple sugar.

It’ll be like the icing on the cake for your stunning purple cocktail and impress all of your friends!

More easy cocktail recipes for you to make at home

Dirty martini – let’s get this party started!

Aviation cocktail – this stunning cocktail will take you on a flight of fancy!

Sidecar – sweet yet sour, this is so good!

Vodka martini – a classic cocktail that’s always in fashion!

Long Island iced tea – the original party cocktail!

Dirty Martini Cocktail Recipe
Classic Aviation Cocktail Recipe
Sidecar drink
Vodka Martini
Long Island Iced Tea Recipe