Discover the drinks that go happily hand in hand with your dream destinations…
Whilst whisked away on a hazy hot holiday, you might meet cheery Tom Collins, jolly Rob Roy or merry Margarita at the beach bar during Happy Hour (well they’re all delightfully classic cocktails, after all!) There’s no better excuse to swap your tired old umbrella (ella, ella, eh) for the tropical pretty parasol kind, placed in fresh fruity cocktails and served with ice melting in the sunshine! My crazy love of cocktail creations, from the cool classics to the quirkier modern mixes, began on holiday to a sunny Greek island, when my now-husband booked us a surprise date on a mixology masterclass! Once upon a time, I understood a ‘hurricane’ to be a huge swirling storm, a ‘high ball’ to be uttered whilst hitting a golf ball to the skies (perhaps?) and there’s no doubt a ‘flute’ meant a musical instrument. They’re also cocktail glasses, designed to keep the fabulous flavours, timing and temperature of each tipple composed in mouth-watering harmony! A big-bowled hurricane is perfect for that pineapple pucker of a Puerto Rican Piña Colada, and the highball is the Cuban home for a welcoming minty Mojito. As for a fine French Kir Royal, the tall champagne flute best serves this bubbly blackcurrant recipe. Cocktails happily go hand in hand with dream destinations. Here’s a little taster of how you can travel around the world in 8 cocktails, that are sure to take your taste buds on a tantalising adventure:
Created in New York in the 1940s, the story goes that the Moscow is used because of Russia’s association with vodka and the Mule is named after the spicy ginger beer flavours, that’ll give your taste buds a fizzy kick! Jump on this bandwagon with crushed ice, freshly squeezed lime juice and garnish with a lime wheel… and there you have it: the Moscow Mule. It was the novelty of these stylish copper mugs that first caught my eye, as I found them dangling like glazed carrots in rows above many bars in the Big Apple. If you’re a magpie, too, this Instagram-ready shiny vessel, in which it’s traditionally served, will surely tempt you to swoop one up! “Cheers!”
Take a break from the local Chang or Singha beer and meet Tom Yam, well, I mean many of the classic hot flavours that feature in this Thai soup, but in a unique signature cocktail form (if you dare to look past the garnish glaring on the rim of the glass, that is… fresh chilli!) The word yam in Thia means mix, so why not shake it up with a bit of mixology?! A promising new contender on the cocktail scene, the Siam Sunray, with its aromatic Asian cooking spices, will definitely give you a taste of Thailand in a glass (that is always half full – it’s known as the Land of Smiles, after all!) “Chon-kaew!”
Cuba has to be the best place to truly taste the beloved Mojito in all its classic glory. But better than that, try El Papa Doble, which is the writer Ernest Hemingway’s sugar-free but double the rum twist on the daiquiris he famously found too sweet at El Floridita bar, in Havana. But, best of all, order yourself the alluring Hemingway Special, which has evolved to include dashes of pink grapefruit and maraschino liqueur cherry flavours. Named in his honour, it’s shaken, served, sipped and savoured worldwide. This delicious daiquiri certainly had me toasting to the literary legend during my two week trip to sunny Holguin, which is southeast of this Caribbean island. “Salud!”
The creation of the Margarita is shrouded in mystery but many believe this iconic cocktail, of tequila, orange liqueur and lime, was invented over Mexican land. You can be sure it will be served in an aptly named margarita glass, which is shaped like an upside down sombrero! For a romantic twist, order a Paloma, which in Spanish means dove. It’s still tequila-based but with pink grapefruit… I found it very refreshing in the Mexican heat, especially alongside those authentic smoky cheese enchiladas!
Whether you’re on holiday for a special occasion, like a birthday or wedding anniversary, or purely to indulge in a touch of luxury, popping a bottle of champagne promptly comes to mind! Why don’t you give those golden bubbles a bit of a twist (literally!) and add gin, lemon juice, sugar and to garnish, a strip of twisted lemon zest? Order a French 75, or ‘Soixante-quinze’ as the French call it, and celebrate in style! Invented in Paris during World War I, this lemony cocktail is now a worldwide favourite. “A votre santé!”
Let me make a special toast to you all… “Here’s to health, happiness and holidays that lift your spirits! Cheers to you!”
If you wish to ‘clink’ your drinks and dream destinations together, Sunny Heart Travel can shake up the best mix and spin the globe of adventure, so you can raise those glasses to holiday happiness. Let us know what’s top of your bucket list (or cocktail menu) at [email protected] and start to travel and taste your way around the atlas.
© Copyright Author Kathryn Glover Sunny Heart Travel Ltd. 2019 to present day. All rights reserved.
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