Why premium alcohol and mixology classes are now a focus
There was a time when the cartoon version of cruising involved someone enjoying a fruity drink on the pool deck with cherries and a pink cocktail umbrella.
The quality of the spirits in the drink didn’t matter because all you could taste was pineapple and coconut juice. Your toughest choice was between rum or vodka.
Now that cruise lines offer much more sophisticated drinks and a much wider selection of labels, happy days are more likely than happy hours. Scenic’s ocean liners are a perfect example: They carry 100 fine wine and 130 whiskey labels.
Not only that, guest interaction with invited wine experts and celebrity mixologists has also become commonplace, and cruise ships also feature private bars. If you want to enjoy interesting drinks at sea, there’s no better time than now.
The result is win-win. Collaborations with premium alcohol brands add vitality to cruise brands, and sourcing beverages from smaller producers provides better profit margins.
Travelers are pleased because a broader trend towards craft beverages on land has created an appreciation for niche beers, wines and spirits, and our palates have become more demanding.
This trend has been around for a while. For example, in 2016, Carnival Cruise Line first launched RedFrog, an onboard brewery, and it is now operating on many ships.
Carnival Cruise Line has a decade-old relationship with Sydney’s Lord Nelson Brewery and a more recent one with Australian gin producer Four Pillars. Norwegian Cruise Line has its own brand of gin, pilsner and prosecco, and Royal Caribbean has its own brand of Chilla Thrilla tropical beer.
But the tipping point appears to be 2023, when many companies are releasing special drinks to celebrate anniversaries, new ship launches, or just because they can.
For Dutch America it was a special De Lijn gin and for the new company Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection it was Candela Mamajuana, a premium rum from the Dominican Republic. Cunard has produced a special edition gin for the launch of the new ship Queen Anne under its Cunard 4 Queens gin series.
Oceania has opened a special cask whiskey aged 20 years to Chapter 7. He has also introduced rum and whiskey programs on his ships, which include mixology classes and chocolate and tea pairings with The Macallan and Brugal 1888 Doblemente Anejado rum, one of the most expensive malt whiskeys in the world.
This year, Princess Cruises added MEILI vodka, created by actor Jason Momoa, to its roster of unique spirits from well-known figures, including Matthew McConaughey’s tequila, Liev Schreiber’s Irish whiskey and Kylie Minogue’s non-alcoholic sparkling rosé.
The trend towards more focused built-in bars is also growing. MSC’s new launch ship, MSC World America, includes three of these. Elixy Bar specializes in bourbon and bourbon-based cocktails; The Gin Project focuses on American and Canadian gins, and the British-style pub has its own microbrewery. Cheers.
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Brian Johnston seemed destined to be a travel writer: an Irish man born in Nigeria, raised in Switzerland, lived in Britain and China, and now calls Australia home.
