Bar on QM2 consistently better or worse than others in quality of cocktails

I am trying to see if there are any bars consistently better or worse than others in terms of quality of cocktails.

To me quality is how well they are made and taste not generally how much alcohol is used, although of course an amount should be reasonable.

For example real/fresh lime juice in a Margarita vs. sour mix, real muddled mint in a Mint Julep, etc.

The price of cocktails on the QM2 is high and I am willing to pay that IF I get a good drink.

Hate to pay a high price for poor quality.

For example had a friend who recently returned from England and had drinks at a bar at the Savoy London and thought they were quite good although pricey. Is there any bar on the QM2 approaching that quality.

The cocktails in the Commodore Club are superb....this is a Transatlantic Love Affair [emoji4]

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There are no bars on the QM2 (or almost any ship for that matter) that approaches the level of the American Bar at The Savoy. These type of cocktails bars make their own bitters and mixers, are constantly inventing new combinations, and are rely on their reputations to attract customers willing to put out big bucks for what is essentially a mixed drink. I know because I am their market group. I love these type of bars.

The QM2 deals with a captive audience. They are not on the cutting edge of mixology. But they can make a decent drink. Understand that they are limited by what's on board. So muddling mint for a Mint Julep works as long as they have enough fresh mint, and they can access it quickly at the bar. At The Savoy all the juices are fresh squeezed that day. On the ship: maybe fresh, maybe processed.

But that said: the QM2 bars do a good job. I would put them on par with a cocktail bar in a metropolitan area. Not the top bars. But a good bar. One found in a restaurant for example. And as for prices: the QM2 charges the same as a major city bar. If I walk to a bar in Boston and order a Manhattan, I pay $14. More if I specify a certain Rye or Bourbon.

I am a humble inside cabin dweller, and a Sazerac for £5000 at the Savoy is way out of my budget.

That said, I do find that the bars on the QM2 are among the best ones I regularly visit. Also, I think their prices are moderate for what they offer. The Commodore Club Menu got a refit in 2016, the Chart Room Menu somewhen in 2017. For drinks and prices see the links below.

My personal favourites in the CC are the Punch Romaine à la Carpathia (aka Lemon Meringue Pie) & the Chieftain of the Clan, both are after dinner drinks. From the new Chart Room Menu I tried only the Stout Independence and the Conqueror, both of which I found to be interesting creations.

For some reason I don't drink Martinis too often on board, I suspect that the Vermouth they use is just a regular supermarket brand. If you happen to order the Land of Hop and Glory in the CC: Beer foam seems to be difficult to produce - you might want to ask first whether they can do it with foam or not.

https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/life-on-board/drink_cost

They posted videos about the CC drinks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WeAreCunard/videos

As long as a bar has a bottle of Plymouth, some fresh Dolin dry, a bit of orange bitters, and the time for a 45 second slow stir, then I’d be happy.

. . . of course a nice long curly lemon peel would be great as well.

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I am a humble inside cabin dweller, and a Sazerac for £5000 at the Savoy is way out of my budget.

If you think the Savoy is pricy, try Artesian at the Langham. They have won the title of "Best Cocktail Bar in the World" for the last several years at the Tales of the Cocktail competition in New Orleans. The drinks are delicious, the presentation is inventive, and the costs are a lot higher than the QM2. Tried it once. The cocktail was amazing. But I will only go back if you (or someone else) is treating. Any takers?? I'll be in London this July.

If you think the Savoy is pricy, try Artesian at the Langham. They have won the title of "Best Cocktail Bar in the World" for the last several years at the Tales of the Cocktail competition in New Orleans. The drinks are delicious, the presentation is inventive, and the costs are a lot higher than the QM2. Tried it once. The cocktail was amazing. But I will only go back if you (or someone else) is treating. Any takers?? I'll be in London this July.

Thanks. This seems to be a good place to perform a little bit of industrial espionage.

That said: I'm not in the hospitality industry, but I do take some pride in offering proper drinks to my guests at home.

I never get tired of the Chart Room and the Commodore Club. I have a couple of favorite drinks and almost always drink the same things, but I love to explore the drinks menus.

The Commodore Club seems to be very inventive with Martini's with many unusual flavors offered. As JWB is my tipple, I cannot assess their quality.

I can vouch for the very well made Manhattans in the Commodore Club.

re. pricing- QM2 cocktail prices are certainly no worse than any bar or restaurant in Dallas area.

I am trying to see if there are any bars consistently better or worse than others in terms of quality of cocktails.

 

To me quality is how well they are made and taste not generally how much alcohol is used, although of course an amount should be reasonable.

 

For example real/fresh lime juice in a Margarita vs. sour mix, real muddled mint in a Mint Julep, etc.

 

The price of cocktails on the QM2 is high and I am willing to pay that IF I get a good drink.

 

Hate to pay a high price for poor quality.

 

For example had a friend who recently returned from England and had drinks at a bar at the Savoy London and thought they were quite good although pricey. Is there any bar on the QM2 approaching that quality.

Good morning LB_NJ, I believe you'll be pleasantly surprised with the standard of cocktails across the fleet of Cunard,

afraid I have to disagree with 'some' of the replies posted by Q -Step.

The Savoy has been in collaboration with Cunard Line for a several years, not only inspiring their cocktail selection across the fleet, but also providing 'additional' training for their FB team in the art of cocktail mixology.

Not too long ago , The Savoy and Cunard collaborated with the 'Commodore club' signature cocktails, inspired by former knighted Cunard captains/commodore's. More recently the Savoy and Cunard were instrumental ( together with a leading brand of Bourbon) with the "Age of discovery cocktail" ( 9th cocktail in the Savoy collection)

;)