callmebetty Posted June 14, 2015 #1 Share Posted June 14, 2015 For those of you that aren't following my review....here is my take on the entire drink menu. We had the drink package so I tried to try everything. Some were better than others and occasionally I got hung up on the fashionista.... Drink review- I tried to get through the whole drink menu, but excuded drinks with gin or spiced rum as a star ingredient. I will go in menu order Drink of the day Twilight Zone -typical cruise drink. It is a pinkish orange color and reminds me of St. Josephs's aspirin. Alaskan Ice Tea- A typical Long Island Iced Tea with curacao instead of coke on sour. Ice Cool Aid- sweet. A little more fruity than a midori sour. Glacier Blue Martini- didn't finish it. Not a fan, probably because it was a bit warm. Arctic Kiss- house vodka with champagne...really what could go wrong? You take some warm vodka and dump champagne over the top. I had them add OJ to it and still struggled. Tat-Hattan- didn't try it, ran out of time. Klondike cooler- whiskey and bubbles with a bit of sweetness. Signature Cocktails Hand Shaken Cuban Mojito- your average Mojito. The mint was not muddled so much as shaken. I had 1. Fresh Lime Margarita- It was on par with your typical Mexican restaurant chain (at least here in CT). Epic Spiced Daiquiris- Capt. Morgan and I are not friends- pass. Tropical Cable Car- another cruise ship staple. Similar to the taste of the Twilight zone with a hint of coconut. Champagne dreams- I had it classic. It was a mimosa. Tropical Specialties Sexy Citrus Cosmopolitan- It was a cosmo. Not much else to write about Fresh Lemon Drop- Again, a typical lemon vodka drink. Tuscan Lemon Drop- a lemony martini with sprigs of rosemary that poked you in the nose when you took a sip. The rosemary did not influence the drink at all. Fashionista- This became my go to drink. It was not too sweet, slightly tart, and it made me say "oh crap" when I got down to my last sip since it was gone. On our last night, the bartender in Northern Lights actually shook it with fresh raspberries which made it even more delicious. Pomegranate Ginger Drop- I loved it. I could have done without the 1 inch granulated sugar rim, but the easy way around it was to sip from the same location each time. It wasn't very sweet and had a slight ginger flavor. It was very enjoyable to drink. Fresh Tropa Mango Mojito- sounded too sweet. Skip. Frosty Chocolate Mint Buss- an adult chocolate milkshake. Consume one in place of a meal. It was delicious, but very filling and quite pleasing to the eye. Sophisticated Retro Favorites Tanqueray Martini- Skipped Mediterranean Martini- ouch. blew our my taste buds. Didn't finish...too grainy Sparkling Bellini Manhattan- bar ran out of red vermouth so it was a no go. Royal Manhattan-See above post (I was crunched for time) Skinny Berry Citrus Rita- where do I being? The description is "Fresh raspberries with premium Cabo Wabo Silver tequila and our special skinny lime sour fruity and sugar free take on our classic margarita". I ordered this at 2 different bars. They did not use Cabo Wabo, they did not use fresh raspberries, and by no stretch would it ever be sugar free, It was overly syrupy and sweet and I did not enjoy it. Strawberry Basil Belisimo- again the same strawberry blend from a carton (like what they use for Oasis machines). No detectable basil except for the leaf the placed on top of the beverage. Poolside Delights We didn't spend much time by the pool...but I tried some drinks! Sunsicle- Again tasted like the Twiliight Zone....St. Joseph's aspirin...that vanilla orange flavor...not terrible, but not worth a second drink Skip the next few... Cucumber Lime Smash- Depended on who you got it from. Sometimes it was great, other times, it was cucumber slices floating on the top. I really enjoyed it when they actually smashed the cucumbers. Signature Cocktail List Cosmo Cuban- A bit more interesting than the Sexy Cosmo. Ultra Strawberry Lemonade- Sour mix with strawberry syrup and house vodka. Why hype it up? Blue Coco Mojito- a slightly blue, slightly tropical mojito. I again missed the muddles limes. Luxury Espresso Martini- This was a quality beverage. Come to think of it, every beverage I had in the Crow's Nest was. It was shaken within an inch of its life and perfect. Red Stag Derby- A mint julep with a slight cherry flavor. Nice and clean! Wine Country Collins- The fresh grapes make this drink! The first one I had prompted 2 others at the bar to order it. When I ordered it again and the bar was out of grapes, it tasted like cardboard. Gin's Cup- Skipped it. Strawberries and Bubbles- The description "Fresh strawberries and vodka with champagne top..." substitute fresh strawberries with strawberry syrup from a carton and you have this drink. Much better than the Arctic Kiss, but I barely finished one. Bengal Banshee- Not a fan of nutmeg- skipped. That is my take on the drink menu. There were good, bad, and downright ugly. It is all subject to the drinker. I hate those corn-syrupy drinks. but you might like them. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I can only speak for myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz chic Posted June 14, 2015 #2 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Thx for taking one for the team:D;). I was a good read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beyondthe7Seas Posted June 14, 2015 #3 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Love it! Thanks for sharing!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OVgirl Posted June 15, 2015 #4 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I also found it quite disappointing when the description includes some sort of fresh berries and all you get is flavoured syrup. The Strawberries and Bubbles sounded really good, but it ended up as a frozen drink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvertoGold Posted June 15, 2015 #5 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Wow!!! Great review!!! Thanks a lot for all the hard work you put into this (the drinking, I mean!). Boy, is doing something like this out of my league. Unfortunately!!!! Have taken notes and will be using your wisdom on my next cruise. I agree that the Chocolate Mint Buzz is a meal in itself. Sometimes they are made with Kahlua, but I prefer the mint ones. Again, a great read! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare POA1 Posted June 15, 2015 #6 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Thanks for your hard work. You're very brave to take on all those list cocktails. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted June 15, 2015 #7 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Thanks for all your research and sharing. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 15, 2015 #8 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Hope you have time for a Wang Wang next time, OP ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare POA1 Posted June 15, 2015 #9 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Hope you have time for a Wang Wang next time, OP ;) Ah.... Part two of the research project: Sampling all the drinks that aren't on the menu. :D Part 3 is "every shot you can get for $7 or less." Followed closely by "Hangover remedies - fact and fiction." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Copper10-8 Posted June 15, 2015 #10 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Ah.... Part two of the research project: Sampling all the drinks that aren't on the menu. :D Part 3 is "every shot you can get for $7 or less." Followed closely by "Hangover remedies - fact and fiction." Me thinks you've got 'em all pretty much covered with that :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted June 15, 2015 #11 Share Posted June 15, 2015 OP Thanks for all your tasting of drinks and reporting on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callmebetty Posted June 15, 2015 Author #12 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I would like to thank the Alaska sunrise and sunset times for making this endeavor possible. Without all that sunlight I would have had a normal sleep schedule. I look forward to the sequels. Perhaps the next cruise should cover the mock-tail section.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare puppycanducruise Posted June 15, 2015 #13 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Thanks for your review. Great research! I may try a few on our cruise - we got the Signature Beverage Package too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare POA1 Posted June 15, 2015 #14 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I look forward to the sequels. Perhaps the next cruise should cover the mock-tail section.... No. All that sugar is bad for you. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonvoyagebites Posted June 15, 2015 #15 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Nice work, thanks for taking one for the team. Tough work, but someone had to do it, it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvertoGold Posted June 15, 2015 #16 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I would like to thank the Alaska sunrise and sunset times for making this endeavor possible. Without all that sunlight I would have had a normal sleep schedule. I look forward to the sequels. Perhaps the next cruise should cover the mock-tail section.... Mocktail section: please!!!!! Not-a-cosmo is good!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvertoGold Posted June 15, 2015 #17 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Hope you have time for a Wang Wang next time, OP ;) Oh, ugh! I would be asleep in a minute flat! Didn't someone on this board drink 7 (seven) in one day? Cheers to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greysandy Posted June 15, 2015 #18 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I hated Gin, until I tried this drink, HAL's version of a Pimm's Cup called the Gin's cup. It is my favorite drink now and I make it at home all the time. With our Sig Bev card on the 14 day Baltic cruise, I drank them out of all their Pimm's liquor. So light and refreshing, not overly sweet. Recipe: Muddled cucumber 1 part house sweet and sour (lemon, lime juice, water, sugar, in equal proportions) 1 part Gin 1/2 part Pimm's 1/2 part St. Germaine (the most divine elderberry flower liquor) Serve like a martini, or do as I do at home, top with fizzy water so you don't get bombed after 2 drinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windsailer Posted June 15, 2015 #19 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I hated Gin, until I tried this drink, HAL's version of a Pimm's Cup called the Gin's cup. It is my favorite drink now and I make it at home all the time. With our Sig Bev card on the 14 day Baltic cruise, I drank them out of all their Pimm's liquor. So light and refreshing, not overly sweet. Recipe: Muddled cucumber 1 part house sweet and sour (lemon, lime juice, water, sugar, in equal proportions) 1 part Gin 1/2 part Pimm's 1/2 part St. Germaine (the most divine elderberry flower liquor) Serve like a martini, or do as I do at home, top with fizzy water so you don't get bombed after 2 drinks. I'm with you. I discovered Ginn's Cup many years ago and it's my "go to" drink on HAL. Best one i had was when I was in the Tamarind Restaurant on the Eurodam and it came in a VERY large glass over ice. Yum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricktan Posted June 15, 2015 #20 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Ah.... Part two of the research project: Sampling all the drinks that aren't on the menu. :D Part 3 is "every shot you can get for $7 or less." Followed closely by "Hangover remedies - fact and fiction." OK, what is a Wang Wang? And, what drinks do y'all recommend that aren't on the menu?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz chic Posted June 15, 2015 #21 Share Posted June 15, 2015 OK, what is a Wang Wang? And, what drinks do y'all recommend that aren't on the menu?? See post number 2 http://forums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=610516 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz chic Posted June 15, 2015 #22 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Oh, ugh! I would be asleep in a minute flat!Didn't someone on this board drink 7 (seven) in one day? Cheers to you! I'm not much of a drinker but the wang wang only has two ounces of booze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holacanada Posted June 15, 2015 #23 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Wow ! What a very «informative» review ! Thank you ! It seems that you share some of the same taste il like too ! The worst drink I drank while onboard was the "Banana Liqueur". My guts tried to leave out my body ! OUUUUUUUUUSH ! Equal : 8 teaspoon of sugar + banana essence ! Holacanada from Quebec City Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvertoGold Posted June 16, 2015 #24 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I'm not much of a drinker but the wang wang only has two ounces of booze. It is the combination! I've had the coffee with an assortment of boozes and you can't really identify any particular one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scapel Posted July 10, 2016 #25 Share Posted July 10, 2016 My desert drink 1 oz Green Crème de Menthe 1 oz White Crème de Cacao 1 or two scoops of vanilla ice cream and put in blender with few ice chips Pour in 8 oz rocks glass with straw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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