There are lots of great watering holes aboard Carnival Cruise Line's signature Fun Ships to suit every taste. You've no doubt heard of the brand's BlueIguana Tequila Bar and the RedFrog Rum Bar for poolside cocktails or the RedFrog Pub for a tasty beer break downstairs.
But are you familiar with its Alchemy Bar concept?
I was somewhat familiar with the venue from writing about it being added to a number of existing ships as well as being introduced on the fleet's newest. However, I had not tried it for myself until my wife and I boarded the Carnival Vista for our one-year wedding anniversary in the Caribbean.
So, we decided to give it a shot one night and see what all the fuss was about.
The atmosphere is not your typical bar by any means. In fact, the look is more an old school apothecary house with an added air of mystery. The back is lined with rows of pullout drawers and shelves scattered with books on subjects ranging from cocktails to bitters. It's perfect given the collection of the latter lining the forward available ingredients.
Even the bulk of backlit bottles aren't the typically branded varieties of Absolut or Wild Turkey. Most are nondescript clear containers letting only their colors shine through.
Only the most basic labels may read tangerine, guava, lavender, chipotle, pomegranate, coconut, spicy mango, etcetera-all giving you a sense of the flavors on call. Flanking either end are two larger dispensers filled with homemade fruit-infused vodkas-one strawberry and the other pineapple. Also dotting the background are fresh lemons, oranges and limes, as well as sprigs of rosemary.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Vista Review[/READMORE]
The entire scene is expertly themed, telling a greater story than any other bar before.
Fleshing out the narrative are the two "pharmacists," who are robed and ready to dispense elixirs of their making.
Admittedly, my wife and I were a bit confused as to what the protocol was when we first arrived, as no menus were present. Only later did we discover that the bar does indeed have a number of house drinks, but they were not listed at the time.
The menu ordinarily includes Forty Is the New Twenty described as, "A martini tastefully prepared for the young...and the young at heart. Pama Pomegranate Liqueur, Grey Goose Vodka, cranberry juice and citrus."
What's more, Passion Potions consist of drinks such as Martini Seduction made with Grey Goose L'Orange Vodka, red passion fruit nectar, freshly squeezed lime juice and a hint of orange. Zero proof elixirs are also available.
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However, as the menus were missing on our particular evening-a Be Your Own Mixologist variation, apparently-we were due fully customized cocktails.
So, our bartender simply began by asking us a few questions as to what our "mood" was and what we found "offensive." My wife only nixed basil and cucumber prompting a sweet concoction, and I spoke of the aforementioned pineapple vodka and mango as an ideal base.
Off she went to take the "orders" of several other "patients" before crafting each of us a unique beverage of about four to six ingredients each.
It was quite a spectacle to behold as she lined up half a dozen pint glasses and began pouring from a combination of bottles with appropriate fluid dexterity. Leaf crushing, tumbler shaking and even cinnamon burning proceeded to finish off our drinks lastly garnished with anything from raspberries to nutmeg.
Of course, the proof is in the pudding as they say, and-while neither one of us can exactly recall what was in each of our drinks because of the flurry of activity put into making them-we were pleased with the final results.
As you'd expect, you do pay a little bit more, but the experience was well worth the cost, especially for trying something entirely new outside of your usual.
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