Martini Selections

[CruiseFever]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Chris tell the BarTender Wendy said water and you will get water in a martini glass - no ice - shaken not stirred.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Happy Cruising

 

Chris

 

www.LifeIsCruising.com

 

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Caribbean Princess 06/26/04

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Carnival Miracle 03/13/05

 

[llandaff]

Can someone tell me what the difference is between a 'martini' and a regular cocktail?

 

I'm not much of a drinker but in Britain, I thought a Martini was a specific drink in itself....vermouth?

 

Sorry if I'm asking a stupid question here!

 

Vicki.

[jemingway]

llandaff, a martini is cold vodka, usually with no ice in a special glass. A small amount of sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, or a combination of the 2 may be added. A dry martini is with dry, a perfect with both, etc. With the recent popularity of martinis, new variants have been created. Most are colorful and sweet, so that the martini is not as intense as 2 shots of vodka straight. New names have been given to these drinks and the old definitions of martini are changing, or at least are blurred(kind of like your vision after a martini or 2).

 

JV The 4 stages of cruising: planning, anticipation, experience and reflection.

[K32682]

Let's be clear, a martini is made with either vodka or gin with varying amounts of dry vermouth to taste. The drier the martini the less vermouth involved. It is garnished with either a lemon twist or olive and should be served straight up but on the rocks is acceptable. The drink is named a martini after Martini vermouth.

 

If it does not mean the above definied criteria it may be a delightful adult beverage but IT IS NOT A MARTINI.

 

For example, if you replace the martini garnish with a pickled onion the drink is called a Gibson. So if merely changing the garnish changes the name of the drink to be certain adding anything other than gin, vodka or vermouth means it is no longer a martini. The only grey areas might be the "dirty" martini where olive juice is dribbled in or if a bartender squeezed a lemon into the glass. Both are objectionable but would fall within the guidelines.

 

This is of course not the issue upon which great history is made but then neither is the definition of formal dress at dinner on a cruise ship.

[Tania]

Jodie

 

If you like coffee, try this martini as a desssert. We've modified the Las Vegas Red Square version (at Mandalay Bay) just a bit:

 

Espresso Martini

 

1 part Vanilla Vodka

1 part Kahlua

1 part Bailey's

1 part chilled expresso

1/2 part cream or milk

 

Diamond Princess 03/04

Sun Princess 12/03

Grand Princess 12/02

Royal Princess 08/02

Ocean Princess 08/01

Pacific Princess 12/00

Carla C. 03/83

[Patrick A]

I had a good laugh with a hotel bartender recently over the way the bar's cash register had been programmed. Evidently, there was a choice for a "virgin martini." As near as we could fathom, you'd get a glass with olives (up or on the rocks, your choice). I think it was priced at $6.50.

 

Naturally, I aked for a double.

 

Pat.

 

Crown Princess '93

Crown Princess '02

Star Princess '03

[jemingway]

Yes, I guess a virgin martini would be an empty glass with a few olives.

 

JV The 4 stages of cruising: planning, anticipation, experience and reflection.

[jfishe]

Tania - I love Red Square ! One of my fav places to hang out in Vegas - another good place for a vodka drink is Nine at the Palms !

 

*** Jodie ***

"is it happy hour yet ?"

[llandaff]

Thanks for the education!

 

I might have to spend my onboard credit getting some 'practical' lessons now that I know the theory.

 

Vicki.

[jemingway]

llandaff, my suggestion is you try every different martini they have.

 

JV The 4 stages of cruising: planning, anticipation, experience and reflection.

[cactusrose]

OH JODY. . .Grey Goose, yummy. My favorite too. The first thing I do when I board is ask room service to bring a bottle of Grey Goose so I can have a cocktail while getting dressed for dinner each night. I even like it better than Voxx.

 

1952 - Excalibur (freighter)

1972 - Song of Norway, Caribbean

1980 - Hawaii American Curise line, Tahiti

09/01/2002 - Veendam, Alaska

05/29/2003 - Pacific Princess, Alaska

11/26/2003 - Star Princess, Australia/New Zealand

 

5/28/2004 - Star Princess, Venice to Barcelona

 

11/06/2004 - Diamond Princess, Mexican Riviera

[roe2ship]

You think if I drink all of these in one day that the septic smell on my aft balcony won't bother me?

 

Caribbean Princess 7/03/04

 

 

[NancyK]

roe2ship - I think if we have a few of these drinks - we won't be smelling much of anything..We are with you on your sailing - we are in D728 - D718 - plus we have one inside which I can't think of the cabin right now - where are you???????See you in July..NancyK

[Tania]

Jodie,

 

We've also spent a lot of time at the bar at Red Square...the bartenders are great to talk to!!!

 

If your cruise hosts a martini workshop, my husband says to go. You get to drink some of the spoils. He also came back with a deck of cards that had 52 martinis different recipes , one on each card. They sell them on board.

 

Tania

 

* Star Princess 07/04 *

Diamond Princess 03/04

Sun Princess 12/03

Grand Princess 12/02

Royal Princess 08/02

Ocean Princess 08/01

Pacific Princess 12/00

Carla C. 03/83

[lindnet]

So do all the Princess ships have a martini bar?

[verwirrt]

Question for you martini fans. Is it still a martini if it has anything besides gin and vermouth? Or maybe vodka? Curous.

[beachnative]

Besides using vodka or gin, the "martini" bar at Crooner's also makes them with the following:

Jim Beam and Sweet Vermouth
Canadian Club and Sweet Vermouth
Johnnie Walker Red and Sweet Vermouth
Seagrams 7 and Sweet Vermouth
Glendfiddich and Sweet Vermouth
J&B Rare and Sweet Vermouth
Jameson Irish Whisky and Sweet Vermouth
Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum, Coconut Rum , and Creme de Banana
Gold Tequila, Cointreau and Lime Juice

They have names for all of these, but we tried none of them...tried only the vodka based one.

They have 11 varieties listed in their Chocolate section.

(And I thought I had wasted my time when I took notes on the above information!!!)

[lawofraven]

I've been reading this thread to DH as he is a huge martini lover. His preference - Bombay Sapphire up with olives. According to him it is not a martini if made with anything other than gin. I of course disagree with him. I happen to enjoy vodka martinis every now and again. Anything else added makes it another drink. They call them martini's but they really aren't. They just sell better with fancy names. Please don't slam me too much but, martini's were "thought" of as strictly a man's drink, add sweetness and cute names and sell them to women. Brilliant. Wish I had thought of it.
BTW When I'm swaying down the hallway after imbibing in several martini's, can I blame it on the ship?
Angie

[CruiserGreg]

Chris,

I always have the bartenders mix me a Cosmo Martini using Grey Goose Orange. My wife likes them as well and she doesn't usually like hard liquor. I think they were called the "Rickey Martin Martini" on the Coral Princess.

Greg

[CruisinChris]

The drinks above with scotch base are Rob Roys, with bourbon or whiskey its a Manhattan. These are not martinis - they're other older, traditional cocktails.

[slackerlida]

JDL2--Try the Sky Vanilla with Ginger Ale or 7 up or Coke, all are good. Or here are some other recipes, since you have A LOT of vodka to go through.
[font=Arial][size=2]1 oz. Burnett's Vanilla Vodka
1 oz. lemon-lime soda
Splash of cola[/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=2]Stir with ice and serve straight up.

[/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=2][b]Boston Cream Pie[/b]
1/2 oz. Burnett's Vanilla Vodka
1/2 oz. O'Mara's Irish Cream
1/2 oz. Dark Crème de Curacao[/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=2]Pour over ice, shake and strain into shot glass. Top with whipped cream.

[/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=2][b]Key Lime Pie[/b]
2 oz. Burnett's Vanilla Vodka
1 oz. Rose's Lime Juice[/size][/font]

[font=Arial][size=2]Chill ingredients and serve.
[/size][/font]

[KKB]

I LOVE flavored martinis--I realize you purists here say they aren't martinis, but generally they do rival the alcolhol level and are served smartly in a martini glass. (Cosmos are vodka and Chambord also, though many places just use vodka and cranberry juice)
DH drinks beer only--generally Bud Light, but occasionally Corona or Amstel in a pinch. NO martinis of any kind for him.
SOOOO if you are feeling adventurous, hang w/ me for a bit and I will show you around the town of flavored martinis. If you aren't into flavored drinks, then stick w/ my dh (Dan), and beer it up!
Kristin
PS Absolut fav vodka, Skyy second
PSS LOVE Red Square at Mandalay Bay--biggest disappointment was that it is almost an afterthought tucked in the corner of the restaurant. Would like it better if it was truly a separate bar area!

[auntienance]

Aha! Now here's a subject I know something about . . . great advice about the vodka. Cheap stuff just isn't the same -- there is even a tremendous difference in your cocktail between fairly good stuff like Absolut and Skyy which don't compare IMHO to Grey Goose. My current favorite "martini" is a Sea Breeze -- grapefruit juice (fresh is best), cranberry juice and and lime juice. Oh -- and don't forget the Grey Goose.

Cheers!

[beachnative]

We would like to share a receipe our social group uses for parties: equal parts vodka (yes, something decent, but not necessarily Grey Goose) and orange flavored rum (maybe Cruzan). Shake with ice and strain into glasses with a slice of orange. It's a killer. We wiped out half a social gathering in 45 minutes by serving them.

[randyat1001]

[quote name='jemingway']My wife goes for the Cosmos, but, like Chris, I need Heineken. Oh well, there's always Corona...well, not exactly [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]...sounds like a red wine cruise to me.

JV The 4 stages of cruising: planning, anticipation, experience and reflection.[/QUOTE]
On the Coral Princess in March they had dropped Corona for DOS XX