The Best Cocktails For The Ultimate Taste Of Vacation

Now is the time to travel by cocktail and make a happy hour drink that reminds us of the places we long to see again soon. The right cocktail has the power take you there so while we can’t be on a beach sipping a margarita, we can, for a moment, close our eyes and conjure the sun’s heat, sandy beaches, and the rustle of salty air in palm trees. The cocktails below are reflective of place and each recipe is designed to use taste and aroma to tap a cherished travel memory. And, any thorough travel drinking story must include a classic airplane cocktail to remind us of that marvelous anticipatory moment when the pilot announces our initial descent has begun. Start your travel by cocktail now.

Taste of the Caribbean/Virgin Gorda

Pain Killer from Rosewood Little Dix Bay (British Virgin Islands): An iconic Caribbean retreat, Rosewood Little Dix Bay, offers a classic take on the Pain Killer cocktail, which is a British Virgin Islands original.

1. 60ml Rum of choice
2. 30lm Orange juice
3. 60ml Pineapple juice
4. 30ml Coco Lopez
5. 30ml Coconut milk
6. Garnish with grated nutmeg

Method: Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Pour into a glass and garnish with nutmeg.

Taste of Venice

The Select Spritz: This is a quintessential Venetian cocktail made with SELECT Aperitivo—an herbal, slightly bittersweet aperitif that got its start in 1920’s Venice. According to Venetian tradition, the recipe was garnished with a large green olive to create the perfect blend of balance and flavor. It is still served this way today.

1. 3 Parts La Marca Prosecco,
2. 2 Parts Select Aperitivo,
3. 1 Splash Soda Water
4. Garnish with 1 Large Green Olive

Method: Pour Select, La Marca Prosecco, and soda water into a wine glass over ice. Top with a large green olive.

Taste of Scotland

Rob Roy from The Flying Stag at The Fife Arms (Braemar, Scotland). The iconic 19^th century coaching inn turned hotel celebrates Scotland’s finest liquor, whiskey, with the Macallan Rare Cask Rob Roy—on sip and you’ll immediately feel the zesty highland winds and smell the peat.

1. Macallan Rare Cask
2. 1 part Martini Rosso
3. One dash of Angostura Bitters
4. Lemon zest
5. Cubed ice
6. To garnish: A whole cherry

Method: Add ingredients to mixing glass. Gently stir. Pour over ice and garnish.

Taste of Travel

The Gin & Tonic at 30,000 Feet (Delta): The nod for the airline drink must go to Delta Airlines as they are leading the way forward on air travel during this crisis (they were the first airline to extend travel credits into 2022, and now they have rolled out a social distancing plan for flights by reducing the number of passengers per plane and blocking off middle seats. They were also the first to extend frequent flier status into next year. Cheers and wheels up everyone.

1. Airplane ice
2. Freshly opened tonic water
3. Miniature bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin

Method: Secure your seat belt, request a plastic glass filled with ice. Pour gin over ice, fill remaining glass with tonic. Insert headphones, start movie, and enjoy the ride.

Taste of Japan

TRUNK(KITCHEN) at TRUNK(HOUSE) “Getting TRUNK” cocktail: This alluring boutique Tokyo hotel is hyper-focused on local first—right down the the signature cocktail. This one uses local ingredients such as rum from Ogasawara Islands (technically a part of Tokyo) and local hojicha (roasted green tea). Served in the hotel’s signature coffee mugs which are made with recycled ceramic.

1. 20ml (2/3oz) Ogasawara Rum
2. 20ml (2/3oz) Amontillado Sherry
3. 30ml (1oz) Velvet Falernum
4. 60ml (2oz) Hojicha (roasted green tea)
5. 2 dashes Abbots Bitters
6. 1 dash Chocolate Bitters
7. 1 dash Absinthe
8. 15ml (1/2oz) Lemon Juice

Method: Mix all ingredients together and shake well, pour in a mug cup with ice, ground nutmeg and roasted star anise on top

Taste of Spain/Italy and The Mediterranean:

Blood Orange Vanilla Negroni with La Pivon Vermouth. Vermouth is Spain’s most popular fortified wine and these cocktails bring a taste of the classic Spanish ritual of La Hora del Vermut, “vermouth hour.”

1. 1 oz. Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin (or any gin)
2. .75 oz. La Pivón Rojo Vermouth
3. .75 oz. Luxardo Bitter Bianco infused with Blood Orange and Vanilla Beans

Method: Build gin, vermouth, bitter liqueur and vermouth in a cocktail mixing glass, stir about 20 revolutions with a mixing spoon. Strain with a Hawthorne strainer over a large ice cube in a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a slick of an orange peel and a piece of dried vanilla bean.

Negroni Bianco:

1.  1.5 oz. Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin
2. 1.5 oz. La Pivón Blanco Vermouth
3. .5 oz. Suze Liqueur

Method: Build gin, vermouth and liqueur in a cocktail mixing glass, stir about 20 revolutions with a mixing spoon. Strain with a Hawthorne strainer into a coupe or over a large ice cube in a double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Taste of California

The Kerotini (Keto-Friendly Cocktail) Served at Park Hyatt Aviara In true California style, a keto cocktail with turmeric for an added healthy boost.

1. 2 oz. Tito’s vodka
2. ½ oz. Domain de Canton
3. ½ oz. ginger syrup
4. 1 oz. carrot juice
5. ½ oz. lemon juice
6. Pinch cinnamon
7. Pinch turmeric
8. 2 dashes Angostura Orange bitters

Method:Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and strain. Garnish with a carrot stick.

Taste of Mexico’s Pacific Coast

Pacífico Michelada, Served at Punta Mita:  The Pacifico beer component of this drink lends a classic Mexican taste to the experience.

1. 1 bottle Pacífico beer
2. 4 oz Clamato
3. 4 oz pineapple juice
4. 2 oz lime juice
5. 3 dashes salsa mix
6. Salt

Method: Rim a beer mug with salt. Add ice. Pour the juices and sauce mix. Add a dash of salt and fill up with beer.

Taste of Ireland

Roe & Co Irish Coffee: Roe & Co Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery established in 2019.

1. 40ml Roe & Co malt whiskey
2. 60ml freshly brewed americano coffee
3. 10ml porter syrup/sugar syrup
4. 15ml fresh lightly whipped cream
5. grated nutmeg & 3 coffee beans

Method: Heat the Irish coffee glass with boiling water. Once heated empty the water out and add 60ml of freshly brewed hot coffee and in the syrup. Stir lightly. Pour in 40ml of Roe & Co and layer lightly whipped fresh cream on top. Garnish with 3 coffee beans and a light dusting of grated nutmeg.

Taste of Mexico

Margarita Al Pastor: Created by Mica Rousseau of Mexico City and made with Tequila Don Julio—this particular margarita recipe pays homage to Tequila Don Julio’s heritage, utilizing the vibrant, authentic flavors of Mexico for a truly transporting taste.

1. ·        1 1/2 oz Tequila Don Julio Blanco
2. ·        2/3 oz Orange Liqueur
3. ·        2/3 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
4. ·        2 oz Cooked Pineapple Juice
5. ·        5 sprigs Cilantro
6. ·        Hibiscus Salt*

Method: Combine Tequila Don Julio Blanco, orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and cooked pineapple juice into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain contents into a double old-fashioned glass with hibiscus salt rim over fresh ice. Garnish with cilantro.

 *Hibiscus Salt: 2 parts dried Hibiscus flowers, 1 part fine salt, 1 part white sugar, 1/2 part confectioner’s sugar