One of the best things about traveling is having new experiences, but after 30 cruises (sometimes more than once on the same ship) it’s becoming harder to find new things to try. That’s why I was excited to discover before our Victory cruise that during dry dock last year, Carnival had added an Alchemy Bar. The Alchemy Bar is a specialty cocktail and martini bar with a vintage-pharmacy theme. Mixologists wear white pharmacy coats, and the drinks have names like “The Remedy”, “The Quick Fix” or “The Antioxidant”. Everything is handcrafted with fresh fruit, herbs and juices. You won’t find any mixes at the Alchemy Bar. (No beer either but you can always go to the sports bar for that.)
This was my first ship with an Alchemy Bar so my goal for the cruise was to order as many different drinks as possible. With only three days, there was no way I could try everything on the menu but between Ron and me, we managed to cover a pretty good portion of it. :-) I like citrus so I really enjoyed the Antioxidant (grapefruit vodka, Aperol, tangerine, fresh lime juice and a dash of orange juice). But I was also surprised how much I liked the Cucumber Sunrise. It had vodka, watermelon nectar and just enough cucumber to add a little spice. It was really refreshing.
We weren't limited to the menu either. One of my favorite things about the bar was that I could tell the mixologists what I liked, and they would make up a drink just for me. My favorite was my kicked up version of “The Deal Closer”, kind of like a chocolate martini but with habanero vodka. Yum!
The Alchemy Bar was the perfect spot for a drink before or after dinner, and we ended up there every night. I can't wait to try it again on our next Carnival cruise. Some experiences are worth repeating.
Click here for the Alchemy Bar menu
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| The Antioxidant |
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| The Perfect Storm and French Kiss |
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| Martini Seduction and Cucumber Sunrise |
Travel Tips: The Alchemy Bar can be found on Carnival Conquest, Freedom, Glory, Inspiration, Liberty, Magic, Miracle, Pride, Sunshine, Triumph, Victory and Vista. Currently, drinks cost $10.50 (or $5.95 for zero-proof versions). You can also order a Mini-Martini Flight, your choice of four smaller cocktails, for $19.95. Check out the “Today’s Rx” board for daily specials.
Ooh that sounds delicious. My favorite these days is spicy margaritas made with jalapeños. I bet they could make a good one.
ReplyDeleteThen you would have loved the Fiery Tropical Passion Martini (Patron Silver Tequila, Patron Citronge, spicy mango puree and fresh citrus). It reminded me a little of Chili's El Nino margarita but with a kick.
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