Wine by the glass at bars

[PTC DAWG]

13 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

I will have to try a Zacapa Old Fashioned ...

It’s worth a try for sure..

[publicpersona]

32 minutes ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

That must be an older pic

 

It is. That was on the Edge December 2018.

[DaKahuna]

5 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

It’s worth a try for sure..

 

 I really like them.  I first found them at the WCB.  I have to ask the bartender to go easy with the sugar syrup.  I do not like mine overly sweet.   Luis, the Retreat bartender on our Millennium East to West transit last year, make them really well.  I had him write down his recipe.  The secret is to muddle 1 slice of orange with 1 cherry, then add the rum, bitters and sugar water, shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with cherry and orange slice. 

 

 

[chefchick]

21 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I cannot remember the last time I order champagne outside of the Retreat Lounge or a restaurant.  I'll have to try it on our cruise in April.  

 

 My go to drink at the Sunset bar before dark is either a Kettle one and diet tonic or a Zacapa Old Fashioned, and after dark a Side Car or a Zacapa Old Fashioned.  I guess there is a theme here. 

 

I love a rum old fashion.  Do you remember the cost of those?  Are they “included” in the premium drink package?  Also. I saw on my app that The Club had Diplomatico which is one of my favorite sipping rums.  Has anyone seen that in the bars on the Edge? (I’ve only seen it for sale in the onboard shops).

[Stu UK]

8 hours ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

That must be an older pic…on the Silhouette in May this year the Villa Maria was $15. That’s my go to on Celebrity and totally agree with you about the difference between the VM, or most other NZ SB for that matter,  and those from either S. Africa or even Chile. I enjoyed the Villa Maria in all venues except Ensemble which for some reason had a run on corked bottles. 🤷‍♀️

VM is a screw top 🤦🏻

[DaKahuna]

7 minutes ago, chefchick said:

I love a rum old fashion.  Do you remember the cost of those?  Are they “included” in the premium drink package?  Also. I saw on my app that The Club had Diplomatico which is one of my favorite sipping rums.  Has anyone seen that in the bars on the Edge? (I’ve only seen it for sale in the onboard shops).

 

It depends on the rum that you have the bartender use to make the drink.  Ron Zacapa 23, my first choice, was I believe recently moved off the premium package but I was able to get it in the Retreat on my last cruise.  

 

Burgul 1888 was used when Ron Zacapa was not available.  I have also have it made with Bumbu XO both on the Premium package as of last month.  Bacardi 8 is another one that I have had as well. 

 

Cannot speak to what's on Edge.  Have not been on her since February 2020.  I believe I saw it in May on Millennium but could be mistaken.  When I see Zacapa 23, I usually stop looking at what else is available. 

 

[39august]

Is it possible to get Zacapa Old Fashioned at other than the World Class Bar?  Also, we have had very good luck with wines at Sky Lounge on Equinox. We just ask for the wines we want. Usually, Decoy and the "real" champagne for me, whatever brand they are carrying that cruise; Haslinger, Mountadon, etc. 

[chefchick]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I really like them.  I first found them at the WCB.  I have to ask the bartender to go easy with the sugar syrup.  I do not like mine overly sweet.   Luis, the Retreat bartender on our Millennium East to West transit last year, make them really well.  I had him write down his recipe.  The secret is to muddle 1 slice of orange with 1 cherry, then add the rum, bitters and sugar water, shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with cherry and orange slice. 

 

 

Hmmm, I’m sure it was delicious, that sounds like a fruit salad to me 😎. I too prefer my cocktails not overly sweet (which can be hard to get in a cruise ship for some reason). Anyway, I prefer to use a small amt of simple syrup (or even better just a sugar cube dissolved with a touch of water and bitters) then the rum and ice (stir with a tall cocktail spoon to chill) then GARNISH with the oil of a orange peel and a luxardo cherry.  That’s the way we make them at home and I had one made wonderfully at the WCB.  Unfortunately, no such bar on the Edge but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. 

[markeb]

13 minutes ago, 39august said:

Is it possible to get Zacapa Old Fashioned at other than the World Class Bar?  Also, we have had very good luck with wines at Sky Lounge on Equinox. We just ask for the wines we want. Usually, Decoy and the "real" champagne for me, whatever brand they are carrying that cruise; Haslinger, Mountadon, etc. 

 

A rum old fashioned is a pretty standard cocktail, so you should be able to get one at "any" bar. You might not be able to get it with Zacapa since I believe Diageo owns and licenses the WCB, and they're the distributor for Zacapa. And on ships with a WCB, they might not repeat the exact recipe. I've seen several recipes for both rum old fashioned and Zacapa old fashioned depending on the mix of bitters they use.

 

2 minutes ago, chefchick said:

Hmmm, I’m sure it was delicious, that sounds like a fruit salad to me 😎. I too prefer my cocktails not overly sweet (which can be hard to get in a cruise ship for some reason). Anyway, I prefer to use a small amt of simple syrup (or even better just a sugar cube dissolved with a touch of water and bitters) then the rum and ice (stir with a tall cocktail spoon to chill) then GARNISH with the oil of a orange peel and a luxardo cherry.  That’s the way we make them at home and I had one made wonderfully at the WCB.  Unfortunately, no such bar on the Edge but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. 

 

This. I have no problem with someone drinking the drink they want, but the only thing that should be muddled in an Old Fashioned is the sugar cube with bitters and a drop of water. It's one of the oldest and simplest cocktails out there. And the classic recipes don't muddle the garnish.

 

But if that's what you enjoy, enjoy it. I just hate that muddling an old fashioned has become the default in a lot of places. Like asking if I want a badly overpriced single malt on the rocks!

[Liao]

1 hour ago, chefchick said:

Hmmm, I’m sure it was delicious, that sounds like a fruit salad to me 😎. I too prefer my cocktails not overly sweet (which can be hard to get in a cruise ship for some reason). Anyway, I prefer to use a small amt of simple syrup (or even better just a sugar cube dissolved with a touch of water and bitters) then the rum and ice (stir with a tall cocktail spoon to chill) then GARNISH with the oil of a orange peel and a luxardo cherry.  That’s the way we make them at home and I had one made wonderfully at the WCB.  Unfortunately, no such bar on the Edge but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. 

Fruit salad, too funny LOL!!!

[DaKahuna]

5 hours ago, 39august said:

Is it possible to get Zacapa Old Fashioned at other than the World Class Bar?  Also, we have had very good luck with wines at Sky Lounge on Equinox. We just ask for the wines we want. Usually, Decoy and the "real" champagne for me, whatever brand they are carrying that cruise; Haslinger, Mountadon, etc. 

 

 Agree it is possible at other bars.  I just first discovered it at the WCB.  I had one at the Sunset Bar and at the Rendezvous Lounge on Millennium in May.  Any bar where they have Ron Zacapa should be able to make you one. 

 

 

[ExArkie]

16 hours ago, Stu UK said:

VM is a screw top 🤦🏻

With Stelvin closures (a.k.a. Screw caps), if the wine is bad, it is most likely due to reduction - the opposite reaction to oxidation. Usually, there is a sulfur smell.

 

Of course, it also depends on how one defines “corked.” While the TCA that’s the usual cause of corked wines is almost exclusively from cork, TBA (bromo- instead of chloro-) is linked to certain fungicides and can be present in wood, styrofoam, cellar walls, etc. Having the corked aromas in a screw cap wine is possible, but more likely to be TBA.