I’m just back from a Western Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Eclipse. It has become something of a tradition to meet up with a mixologist on board and ask them to share some of their favorite cocktail recipies. And so my wife and I spent a couple of hours in the World Class Bar with bartender Monica Acosta Amon, who showed us how she conjures up some perfect vacation getaway drinks.
But not just the usual margarita or mojito.
Monica, who hails from Venezuela and Argentina, gave us the backstory of these drinks — how they got their names, what kind of cruiser they appeal to, whether it's more of a guy or gal drink.
Says Monica, “Guests often say, 'I want to try something new.' And I put three questions to them. What's the base of the spirit you like? What kind of cocktail are you looking for — something pretty, something sour? And do you have any allergies or strong dislikes?”
Of course, we had to quaff all of Monica's creations ... just to verify that they make for a perfect warm-weather drink. The next time you're entertaining guests, give these hand-crafted cocktails a try.
Peach Pavlova
This drink was a revelation — we came back the next day and ordered it again. Monica tells the backstory: “I created this one for a Celebrity passenger named Katia as we were sailing the Caribbean. She was looking for something that is not too sweet and not sour. So I came up with a drink that's simple and that you can re-create at home. It's sour at the bottom but the foam at the top is sweet so it strikes a nice balance.”
Ingredients
1.5 oz Ketel One peach and orange blossom vodka
.75 oz lemon juice
.5 oz St. Germain elderflower liquor
Top up with peach and cinnamon foam
Garnish with 3 dashes of angostura bitters
Harmonica margarita
No cruise is complete without at least one margarita — but here's a way to impress your server and bartender. Make it a Harmonica. “I love tequila. Don Julio is my finance,” she joshed. “This one is my version of a spicy margarita, and it works all year long but is especially fitting for the Caribbean season.” The agave makes for a traditional pairing and the Cointreau gives it an extra zip.
Ingredients
1.5 oz Don Julio blanco tequila infused w/ jalapeños
.75 oz lime juice
.5 oz cucumber juice
.5 oz agave syrup
.75 oz Cointreau
Garnish w/ half moon of tajin (dry lime) on the rim
Violet Hour
I enjoy vodka-based cocktails with a twist, and this sophisticated drink fit the bill nicely. The color and scent suggest a classic Aviation (with maraschino liqueur, cream violet and lemon juice), but Monica conjures up a vodka-based version that evokes a gin cocktail at first sip, creating a deliberate sensory trick. "It's a way to play with your senses," she says. Initial assumptions about the type of cocktail are upended upon tasting, and so she tips her hat to the drink's creator.
Ingredients
1.5 oz Ketel One vodka
.5 oz simple syrup
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz crème de violette
Perfume w/ Tanqueray 10 Gin infused w/ lemon peels
Add grapefruit zest
Enjoy!
