NEW WAVE NO ALCOHOL COCKTAILS

[Swingdancefan]

When DH and I were on Soujourn in early July,  we dined one night with one of the cruise sales staff. She asked us to compare our experiences on Seabourn with our experiences on Holland America,  and we told her that the one place HAL exceeded Seabourn was in their menu of mocktails and lemonades, even though we had to pay for those beverages on HAL. The following day Sean, the bar manager, found us, apologized profusely,  and assured us that the oversight would be remedied. From there on out, it seemed as if every time we sat down in a oublic space someone would appear at our elbows with a new concoction to try. I'd like to think that maybe we started something?

[homeatlast]

On 10/30/2019 at 7:45 PM, Able Seaman H said:

Seedlip and a good tonic like Fever tree would be be a very welcome addition. I have a bottle of Spice 94 on the go at present. A "grown up" alcohol free drink.

 

Henry 🙂

 

I would also like to see that.  Does Seabourn have smoothies and fresh squeezed juices available?  We would be new to Seabourn, and I do not drink alcohol.

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by homeatlast
typo

[sfvoyage]

We've tried out a few Seedlip-based non-alcoholic mocktails on the Sojourn the past few nights.  (Seedlip products are not normally available on board; we had placed a special request with Seattle in advance of this cruise.)

 

Well, we are not a fan at all.  The product tastes awful on its own.  We tried various versions:  mixed with tonic water and lemon, which was so-so but too sweet and tonic-ky; mixed in a light cucumber-themed cocktail, which was thin and watery and not interesting at all - much prefer those "spa" waters simply infused with fruit and/or cucumber slices, and/or fresh herbs; mixed with apricot juice in another cocktail, which was dominated by the sugary juice... might as well have the plain juice.

 

I spoke with the corporate gentlemen in charge of beverages.  He said Seabourn had considered stocking Seedlip but then held off after reading negative reviews and realizing that it is not a gin substitute.

 

IMHO, Seedlip is a fraud at around $36 a bottle in the US.  I had high hopes for it and was prepared to love it and become an instant convert, but now I'm glad I had a chance to experience it on Seabourn and not have had wasted money buying it at home.

Edited December 16, 2019 by sfvoyage

[SLSD]

Recently, we had some wonderful non alcohol cocktails at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Tx.  I have no idea if they were using a mix or making them from scratch.  Next time we are there,  I will ask --out of curiosity.  The non alcohol cocktails are offered on the bar menu and there are a number of them.  I like the idea and hope that SB will figure out how to do them well.  

[jenidallas]

I had a lovely stay at The Chatwal in NYC last week.  Geoffrey Zacharian oversees the hotel bar and restaurant and has a lovely selection of nonalcoholic cocktails (Including some Seedlip) and German NA beers.  I’ve quite enjoyed all of the Seedlip cocktails I’ve tried but would not dare to try the stuff straight... even the producer advises against it!

[jenidallas]

Bumping... does anyone have any more current information on the availability of Seedlip onboard?

 

I like it and was going to see if it was an available request for my in-room bar set up in April.  At the very least, it would be nice to have for NA cocktails in the primary venues.

[SLSD]

1 hour ago, jenidallas said:

Bumping... does anyone have any more current information on the availability of Seedlip onboard?

 

I like it and was going to see if it was an available request for my in-room bar set up in April.  At the very least, it would be nice to have for NA cocktails in the primary venues.

Jenidallas, I agree with you.  Even though we drink alcoholic drinks, I would love the option of ordering something without alcohol.  I think I've mentioned this before, but the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas has non alcoholic drinks on the bar menu.  I've tried them and they were superb.  

 

[koalapanda]

On 10/25/2019 at 4:00 PM, koalapanda said:

We have just received our new copy of the HERALD. One of the interesting articles is headed as "New Wave No Alcohol Cocktails. New distilled no alcohol spirits, it is a most intriguing article. Whilst I enjoy a tipple the description of taste and enjoyment of these new bevarages sound very appealing.

Have any recent Seabourn Cruisers tasted these cocktails?

Now 3.5 months later there has been much interest in this topic. Some Seabourn friends have now tasted and enjoyed these new distilled non alcoholic brews on shore. As far as I have read there has still been no distilled non alcoholic drinks served on Seabourn ships despite advertising this would be so in the Herald.

I am afraid "mocktails" do not set my taste buds soaring . 

I would be interested if anyone has requested pre cruise Seed Lip etc for their Suite Bar as there definitely seems to be an interest in these drinks. 

[Able Seaman H]

I find it interesting reading people's thoughts on Seedlip. 

 

I have their Grove 42, Spice 94 and Garden 108 at home which I pair with different Fever Tree tonic waters, usually Aromatic and Cucumber.

 

They each have a unique flavour, it's subtle as with different Gins rather than a cordial type mixer which is sickly and powerful. The result is a delicate and refreshing drink served on ice which happens to be low calorie and of course alcohol free.

 

I'm convinced much of the resistance to Seedlip stems from the lack of alcohol. We live in a society which revolves around booze and normally balanced adults have an almost childlike obsession with the stuff. 

 

Ultimately you guys do what you want and I'll gladly join you in the bars for sparkling conversation but I don't drink alcohol. So with that in mind I seek out something other than Diet Coke or acidic fruit juices and Seedlip fits the bill perfectly.

 

Why is it a rip off any more than a bottle of gin is? It's produced on a far smaller scale than your favourite gin, still distilled, and removing alcohol without impairing subtle flavours is quite a difficult process to master with several patents and very expensive hardware to invest in.

 

imagine you don't drink booze. A vast swathe of Seabourn's reason d'etre has just been stripped away. No bottles of champagne, no deciding which spirit to have in the mini bar, no drinks in the Sky Bar or Observation pre-dinner cocktails. No wine pairing at dinner and no relaxing with a nice Brandy or Cognac.

 

if Seabourn have been swayed by alcohol drinking experts commenting on a product designed for tee totallers then that's a shame. I wonder if they do the same with their vegetarian or specialist foods, "nah, not as good as pork chops and some crackling". Well some people don't eat pork my friend.....

 

i pay between £20 and just under £30 for a bottle of Seedlip and I pay a premium for the Fever Tree tonics. So the added value to me of having them on board would be quantifiable. One hopes that the mighty Carnival buying team will be able to negotiate hard but I will value each drink as I would do in a venue on land and yes, ever more forward thinking venues are choosing to get on board.

 

I could ask head office to get it on board when we next cruise but I'm afraid I don't have a lot of faith in head office. The ship's crew work miracles, head office don't. Our next cruise isn't with Seabourn. We've decided to spread our wings a little. The price tag for 3 passengers just tipped over the line when balanced against that lack of opportunity in the bars. A bit like the the people posting on here asking if their favourite brand is carried. 

 

Would Seedlip and some Fever Tree really make a difference when pulling a £20k trigger? Yes, I think it just might.....

 

Henry

Edited February 4, 2020 by Able Seaman H

[buchhalm]

I will Google those products. They sound interesting.

A few years ago, at a trade fair,  I looked at a (French?) company that claimed that they could REMOVE THE ALCOHOL from wines. Not make grape juice, but actually take out the alcohol from existing wine.

They were targeting "Halal " airline's premium classes. Wanted to take out the booze of, say, a nice bottle of Krug.

Result was foul!

[SLSD]

On 2/3/2020 at 8:44 PM, Able Seaman H said:

 

 

Would Seedlip and some Fever Tree really make a difference when pulling a £20k trigger? Yes, I think it just might.....

 

Henry

Henry, I think you could change your post into a letter written to the head beverage person at headquarters.  You state your position very eloquently and persuasiveness.  While I do consume alcohol, I like to keep it at two drinks a day on a cruise and would welcome low calorie non-alcoholic choices.  

[Able Seaman H]

5 hours ago, SLSD said:

Henry, I think you could change your post into a letter written to the head beverage person at headquarters.  You state your position very eloquently and persuasiveness.  While I do consume alcohol, I like to keep it at two drinks a day on a cruise and would welcome low calorie non-alcoholic choices.  

When all’s said and done it’s Carnival’s toy and not for me to tell them how to use it. If they’ve got any sense they would keep an eye out on here. It’s not the most active forum on the web so doesn’t require a massive amount of resource.

 

I’m afraid I don’t have huge faith in the shore side team. We’ve had a few heated words over third person fare implementation and whilst eventually they see sense it’s like drawing teeth.

 

Ship side, a totally different story and you can have really constructive time with senior officers and crew who are for the most really switched on particularly when you praise as well as discuss less optimal experiences.

 

Industry wide non alcoholic drinks are a huge growth as is avoiding waste, environmental considerations and healthy eating. The days of swimming in champagne whilst feasting on the midnight buffet are numbered. 
 

Remember when people used to smoke cigars whilst relaxing in a bar or lounge......

 

Henry  

[2SailingNomads]

This is one area that Crystal has done, IMO, a very good job in - although I myself never tried any of them so can't comment on how they taste.  They have a rather extensive cocktail list, with a full page of low and alcohol-free cocktails.  That said, they charge a lot of money for some beers that I can buy at home for 1/3 the price... So good & bad I guess.  Time to go make a pre-dinner cocktail 😉

[jenidallas]

Bumping this older thread based on an article that Silversea sent me last week about non-alcoholic cocktails and their S.A.L.T. program.  

How Do You Serve Travelers Who Don't Drink Alcohol? It's Easier Than You Think. - Discover by Silversea

 

I have not been back on Seabourn since I decided to take a break from the "leaded" stuff 32+ months ago, but I'm curious what might be new with NA beverages on Seabourn since we last discussed this two years ago?  There are so many more NA spirit companies that have expanded (some with major beverage conglomerate investment) like Ritual, Lyres, Monday, and Spiritless that I'm sure that the cruise lines may have advanced too, right?

[travelwell]

My DH and I have given up alcohol  for health reasons. We have a 30 day cruise next winter. I would hope they had non alcoholic liquors such as Monday and non alcoholic wines. We are social and appreciate having a Non- alcoholic cocktail pre supper and a glass of non alcoholic wine at dinner. I would love to hear from those on board. Is there a non alcoholic drink menu? Can the bartenders can handle a mock-tail request?

Edited May 21, 2022 by travelwell