Martini Mixology on QM2

[ultrawriter]

Had a good experience on QM2 recently (Oct. 24 NYC to UK) and thought I should mention one thing I enjoyed greatly but haven't seen mentioned among the more common favorite things or recommendations. The Commodore Club bar had a one-time martini mixology "class" seems like it was day four or five at sea. The samples served during the presentation may account for my inability to pin down the date.

 

Anyway it was really an unexpected delight. Paul, the bartender from Norway who did the demonstrations, was funny and classy and packed a ton of information into what may (~) have been an hour or little less, again a bit fuzzy. Space was limited and I signed up couple of days in advance. There was a $10 charge, a pittance really for the knowledge not to mention the four (five?) excellent sample cocktails served along the way. I have used some of the mixing tips to great reviews since returning home. Plus as others have noted there are many worse places on Earth than the Commodore Club to spend time doing anything, or nothing.

 

To top off (pun intended) this unanticipated gem, a nice instance of quality Cunard service followed: I had misplaced the handout sheet Paul provided with recipes for four or five martinis and week later on a whim e-mailed Cunard asking if a reprint could be had. It took a week but a tenacioius Cunard rep e-mailed the ship, got the one-page document faxed or scanned from the boat, and forwarded it to me via e-mail. I am not really much of a mixed drink lover, more into wine, but thought this little slice of one part of the activities onboard QM2 may be of interest to others. Best wishes to those of you approaching embarkation dates. Soon as I find some more money I will book again.

[travel-to-go]

UL,

I considered taking this course my January cruise. But I think 3 of the 5 samples were using Vodka. I am one of those stalwarts who believes that a proper martini, in order to BE a martini (anything else is just a drink) involves GIN! Oh, you might say the word vermouth (another "V" word) over the glass in the heat of passion, but it must not come anywhere near the main ingredient "V" word! I'm also one of those stuffy individuals who believe that The "V" stuff was invented for people who don't like the taste of REAL booze, and for high school kids trying to sneak drinks without anyone finding out- you know, because it's colorless, oderless and tasteless! (I'm sure the behavior exhibited post-indulgence would never be a tip-off to anyone!)

That said, I am certain that anything which involves Paul, once you got shoreside to email him (Ay- there's the rub!) Paul would be most hasty to make sure you got your information!

Indeed, I White Star Carded Paul from our January cruise. Alas, he was on holiday on our September jaunt.

 

I suppose, since you absoultely rave about this class, I will go next time.

the $10.00 doesn't bother me. I'll drink easily that much! They ought to charge me $20! <LOL>

 

Karie,

who still has not gotten to see Paul's Banana Dolphins!

[Highly Sociable]

I too went on this class when I was on the ship in October. I sat on the front row, whilst my husband sat in Churchills watching me have a great time. He spent far more on cigars in that hour than I did on Martini's!

 

Paul was really informative and his trick with orange peel at the end of the demonstration was a treat.

 

Would definately recommend that you book early.

[Joyfredsblondecruiser]

Thank you for posting this it sounds like something I would enjoy very much. Happy Sailing, Joy

[judy&steve]

I guess I am a novice in the Martini world. Steve loves his Bombay Sapphire straight up with olives. Me, I'm more of a Cosmopolitan type. I didn't particularly love the first Cosmo of our recent cruise so I tried the Bond 007 Martini from the menu. I drank it all week and really enjoyed it. I couldn't figure out what made it taste so much different that Steve's. I asked a bartender what was in it, and to my surprise, he replied Skye vodka. That was a "ahah" moment. I thought I had been drinking some sort of gin all week and was surprised when I found out it was vodka. See -- I told you I was a novice!

--judy

[fvernet]

Ultra - thanks for the review. This is going on my "short list" of things to do aboard. I have been fond of vodka martinis but was converted to gin martinis by Aussie and Brits friends who recently came by solely to violate my liquor cabinet. We prefer our martinis dry...very dry...dust on the olives. May have mentioned the V word once, but that's as far as it went.

 

Karie - What do mean by "I White Star Carded Paul from our January cruise. Alas..." :confused: Being a Cunard newby, I am at a loss. Is this a special recognition for service above and beyond?

[travel-to-go]

Ultra - thanks for the review. This is going on my "short list" of things to do aboard. I have been fond of vodka martinis but was converted to gin martinis by Aussie and Brits friends who recently came by solely to violate my liquor cabinet. We prefer our martinis dry...very dry...dust on the olives. May have mentioned the V word once, but that's as far as it went.

 

Karie - What do mean by "I White Star Carded Paul from our January cruise. Alas..." :confused: Being a Cunard newby, I am at a loss. Is this a special recognition for service above and beyond?

 

In your cabin, on the shelf under the sink, usually, you will find two cards- Black with a white star. You may ask for more at the purser's desk.

If you find that any Cunard employee, staff, or crew, has performed their duties in a more than exemplary manner, and you wish that they receive special recognition, you simply fill out one of these cards and hand it to them. It is possible to hand it to the purser's desk, but the preferred method is to give it to the person themselves. Cunard very strongly takes these cards into consideration when determining such things as promotions. WARNING: You need to have the person's first and LAST name, also. I did not realize this our first time, and ended up not handing them in. However, I got the last names from people who were on later cruises and turned them in on our next cruise, with an explanation (written on the card) as to why it was turned in nearly 8 months later! One of the gents had already received a promotion, and the other, I believe also did. Another recipient, a woman, has also received a promotion in that time frame! The fourth recipient has retired.

We also gave our Cabin Steward a card this last trip., as I had seen a bit of a falling off in standards across all cruise lines I have ventured on in recent years, and this gentleman, IMHO, represented a return to the old standards of service from days of yore. He has also served on the QE2, and was on when the ship ran into a rogue wave. it was fascinating hearing first hand what that was like.

We always try to get to know a little about the people who are serving us so admirably, and about the culture from which they hail. I find that treating people as you would wish to be treated, with respect, no matter what their station, goes a long way in this world. We were very pleased with how we were treated.

That is what the White Star Cards represent.

 

I hope that you, too, find need to recognize service above and beyond expectations!

 

Karie,

who recognizes that whoever we are, from wherever we hail, we are all cut of the same cloth, though our experiences make us delightfully different.

[Paul NH]

Ultrawriter,

 

I attended this class in April and really enjoyed it.

 

A lot of people were sort of annoyed at the beginning because the instructor's microphone was not turned up very loud, and it was cutting out for a microsecond once and a while, and that was combined with a noisy group that was meeting at the bar behind us (I think it was the F.O.D.). Someone yelled to the instructor that they could not hear. People were turning around and scowling at the group at the bar. Then someone yelled that they still could not hear because of all the noise at the bar (trying to send a loud hint to that group ... unsuccessfully). So there was this tension early on.

 

Well, by the end of the class, with all those martini samples consumed, everyone was in the best of spirits, laughing, and asking great questions. What a difference four or five martinis will make!

 

On a separate note, I too misplaced that sheet that they handed out. Did you get it electronically from Cunard? Would it be a bother to ask you to email it to me if they did?

 

Paul

[pnhmrk]

A lot of people were sort of annoyed at the beginning because the instructor's microphone was not turned up very loud, and it was cutting out for a microsecond once and a while, and that was combined with a noisy group that was meeting at the bar behind us (I think it was the F.O.D.).

 

Given that both the FOD party and the Martini class where promoted by Cunard I do wonder why they chose to schedule them at the same time in the same location?:rolleyes:

[Paul NH]

Given that both the FOD party and the Martini class where promoted by Cunard I do wonder why they chose to schedule them at the same time in the same location?:rolleyes:

Malcolm,

 

I wondered the same thing at the time. It probably would not have been a big deal if the seats in the martini class were laid out a little differently. Instead of being clustered around the instructor off to the side, he was almost in the wing area, and most seats were arranged two-to-a-row, for about a dozen or more rows along the forward windows, until the back row was just across from where the bar started. It was those seats in the rear that had a more difficult time hearing. Thankfully, I was closer to the instructor.

 

Paul

[ultrawriter]

Paul, I belatedly read your reply asking about the martini mixology recipe scan that Cunard sent me. I have found it but an attempt to e-mail to the address on your Web site came back undeliverable. Let me know a good address to use and I'll send the PDF. Thanks.

[Paul NH]

Paul, I belatedly read your reply asking about the martini mixology recipe scan that Cunard sent me. I have found it but an attempt to e-mail to the address on your Web site came back undeliverable. Let me know a good address to use and I'll send the PDF. Thanks.

Ultrawriter,

 

My email address is paul@gwi.net. Thanks in advance for sending it. I cannot wait to try some of the others out - especially the one where you squeeze an orange peel and light it on fire. I seem to recall that one was tasty, even though by that time my senses were becoming a bit blurred!

 

Paul