If you’re not familiar with the format of a European-style Christmas market, I highly recommend acquainting yourself. They’re usually found outdoors in city plazas, winding through narrow old city streets, or occasionally indoors in major train stations. They feature anywhere from a few to dozens of wooden stalls selling food, local crafts, and drinks — notably glühwein, the German term for mulled wine — served in souvenir mugs that you can either return for a refund or take home as a souvenir.

This year marked my third time in Vienna during the Christmas market season, and each time I’ve made it my goal to drop by as many markets as I can find. What follows is my review of the nine markets we visited, including all the markets in the city center.

Rathausplatz

• Location: Rathausplatz, 1010 Wien, Austria

• Rating: 4/5

Let’s start off with the mother of all Vienna Christmas markets: Rathausplatz. Built within a massive plaza outside the Rathaus (city hall), it includes a vast array of food and drink stalls, shops, musical performances, and a lazy river-like ice skating experience where you can skate in loops through branching ice paths that stretch across half the park. All of this takes place in front of a beautiful 19th century building with exquisitely detailed lighting at night.

The massive scale of this market makes it a must-see, but also lends it something of a commercial feel compared to smaller markets that feature more independent vendors and craftspeople offering more unique goods. Nevertheless, you can have an excellent time here simply by grabbing a glühwein and a comfy spot to watch the skaters go by.

Campus der Universität Wien

• Location: Spitalgasse 2, 1090 Wien, Austria

• Rating: 3/5

Only a short walk from the Rathausplatz is the Campus der Universität Wien (Vienna University Campus), which hosts its own Christmas market tucked inside one of the University’s courtyards. In addition to the usual outdoor stalls, this market offers a surprisingly robust set of temporary indoor spaces that includes a full bar and fondue chalet. While I do believe standing outside in the cold is an important part of the Christmas market experience, it’s also nice to have the option to duck into these heated spaces for some rest and warmth. When you do venture out into the cold, you’ll find a solid array of food and drink stalls, plus a section of carnival rides for the kids.

Altwiener

• Location: Freyungplatz, 1010 Vienna, Austria

• Rating: 3/5

Nestled within the Freyung plaza on the footsteps of the Schottenkirche (“Scots Church”, actually an Irish Catholic monastery) is Altwiener, an endearing little market. What is lacks in scale it makes up for in quality, with great food options (including delicious raclette), tasty glühwein, and sturdy souvenir mugs. The only bummer is that it’s fairly small and split into two pieces across a street that remains open to vehicular traffic. While the cars usually drive slowly, it still detracts a bit from the cozy market feel.

Am Hof

• Location: Am Hof, 1010 Vienna, Austria

• Rating: 3/5

Just two blocks down the street from Altwiener is Am Hof, titled after the plaza of the same name. This market features a few rows of food, drink, and craft vendors, although it’s on the smaller side and can get crowded. The main attraction is an open-air sit-down bar offering a variety of wine and Champagne.

As an aside, I’m consistently impressed by how European markets manage to offer real glassware (in this case real wine glasses) in their outdoor markets via a glass deposit system where you get a few Euros back when you return the glass, similar to how the souvenir mugs work. The real glassware makes such a huge difference — both oenophilically and environmentally — over the typical plastic cups I’d expect at a temporary outdoor event.

Stephansplatz

• Location: Stephansplatz, 1010 Vienna, Austria

• Rating: 2/5

Yet another short walk from Am Hof is the Stephansplatz market, splayed out around the base of the Domkirche St. Stephan (St. Stephen’s Cathedral). The setting is majestic, as the cathedral’s gothic architecture is beautifully lit at night and the entrance features a gigantic lighted tree.

However, this market is situated amidst a tourist-filled central shopping district and I think it suffers as a result. Many of the stands here feel more commercial and the souvenir mugs are made of plastic, a rare and unwelcome contrast to the typical ceramic. While this market is still worth seeing, I wouldn’t plan to spend a lot of time here.

ART ADVENT

• Location: Karlsplatz 13, 1040 Wien, Austria

• Rating: 5/5

Among the pleasant greenery of the Resselpark at Karlsplatz is one of my favorite Christmas markets: ART ADVENT. The magic of this market is its constraints: all the merchandise stalls are operated by local independent craftspeople, and all the food is organic. This back-to-basics approach is capped off with a bicycle-powered merry-go-round where you can watch adults pedal furiously to spin a small child on a horse in circles.

Among the food and drink options at ART ADVENT is a full wine bar serving by-the-glass pours (again in real glassware), a wood-fired flatbread maker, and of course plenty of good glühwein. And speaking of glühwein, ART ADVENT features some of the best souvenir mugs you’ll find anywhere; they’re sturdy, beautifully patterned, and attractively colored in bright pastels.

Spittelberg

• Location: Spittelberggasse 20/1, 1070 Wien, Austria

• Rating: 5/5

Full of winding cobbled backstreets, the charming Spittelberg village is the perfect setting for a Christmas market. Stalls are arranged throughout a network of fully pedestrianized streets, and finding your way through to see all of them feels like a fun treasure hunt. The setting is beautiful, and I particularly enjoy the plentiful sections of high-top tables where you can stand and enjoy the atmosphere without feeling over-crowded.

The food, drink, and crafts seem more consistently unique and independently operated than at the larger markets, plus everyone is super friendly. One time I found a vendor (pictured above) who offered an open game of chess to any passerby that wanted to play. This is a market I would certainly recommend blocking off a good amount of time to explore at a leisurely pace.

Belvedere Palace

• Location: Belvedere, Prinz-Eugen-Straße 27, 1030 Wien, Austria

• Rating: 4/5

The last two markets on this list are both situated on palace grounds, which gives them an automatic leg up over most Christmas markets in the world. We’ll start with the Belvedere Palace, which hosts a small but scenic market in its back garden with views of the Große Bassin fountain.

The Belvedere itself includes multiple art museums with same-day tickets available onsite, plus dozens of gorgeous rooms to explore. While you’re waiting for your admission time slot you can take a glühwein-accompanied stroll through the castle gardens (photo above) or the neighboring Botanischer Garten der Universität Wien (University of Vienna Botanical Garden).

Schönbrunn Palace

• Location: Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, 1130 Wien, Austria

• Rating: 5/5

Our other palace venue and the last market on the list is the iconic Schönbrunn Palace. Built principally in the 18th century by empress Maria Theresa, Schönbrunn has a Versailles-like feel, featuring 1,441 ornately designed rooms surrounded by endless maze-like gardens. During the holidays its sizable Christmas market takes up most of the front courtyard, offering an array of food, drink, crafts, and even curling lanes. And while it’s a bit outside the city center, it’s still easily accessible by train via its own dedicated stop on the U4 line.

Schönbrunn was where we found the best version of Kartoffelpuffer, a German potato pancake that is ubiquitous at Viennese Christmas markets. Just look for the chestnut roasters with large black barrel stoves, who almost always offer Kartoffelpuffer as well. You can think of them like a fresher, tastier version of McDonald’s hashbrowns, and they come in a similar grab-and-go format which makes them easy to snack on while walking around a market.

One of my favorite things to do at Schönbrunn is to grab a hot mug of glühwein and explore the gardens. If you walk all the way up to the Gloriette (a mini palace at the top of the hill), you’re rewarded with a scenic café and glühwein stand where you can refresh your drink, take in panoramic views of Vienna, and plan your next route through the grounds. Even after multiple visits I still love finding new sculptures, fountains, and monuments amidst the hundreds of scenic walking paths.

Closing thoughts

If you love exploring Christmas markets, I really recommend spending a few days in Vienna during late November or early December. With such an incredible density and variety of high-quality markets, you’ll be stumbling on a new and unique one practically every few blocks. If you’re tight on time I’d start with Schönbrunn Palace, Spittelberg, and ART ADVENT for a varied sample of the absolute best. Oh, and don’t forget to leave space in your luggage for all those souvenir mugs!

If you’ve never been to Nomad Lounge, you’re missing out on one of Walt Disney World’s not-so-hidden gems. Nomad Lounge is an oasis of refreshing cocktails, novel wine selections, and delicious charcuterie. It’s the perfect place to spend an hour or two chilling and recuperating.

What follows is my attempt to build at-home formulations for all the cocktails currently on the menu. In some cases I was able to lean on one or more existing formulations already posted online, but for many of the drinks I had to guess based on Disney’s official menu descriptions. Fortunately their descriptions are pretty specific, always including every ingredient and often citing the specific brand of spirit.

If you’re following along at home, make sure to queue up the Nomad Lounge BGM Loop and let’s get to it…

The Cocktails

Lamu Libation

Official description: Starr African Rum, Cruzan Banana Rum, and Guava Purée with Orange, Lime, and Pineapple Juices topped with Gosling's 151 Rum ($16.50)

This drink calls for four different fruit juices (guava, orange, lime, pineapple), which seemed especially excessive given the recipes I could find online recommended 1 oz each. I assumed that would be too sweet and initially halved the quantities, but that made for far too small of a drink and so I ended up increasing the quantities. I did opt for a flash blend instead of a shake, though, in order to achieve a creamier texture.

The resulting cocktail was pretty good! It was surprisingly not overly sweet and very refreshing.

The Sunken Galley Lamu Libation

• 1½ oz white rum (prefer Hamilton White ‘Stache)

• ½ oz banana liqueur (prefer Giffard Banane du Brésil)

• ½ oz guava purée

• 1 oz orange juice

• 1 oz lime juice

• 1 oz pineapple juice

• 1 oz overproof rum float (prefer Hamilton 151)

Flash blend all ingredients except the overproof rum with crushed ice. Pour unstrained into a highball glass. Top with more crushed ice if necessary and float overproof rum. Garnish with a pineapple or lime wedge.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Other sources: Crescent Lake Club, TraderShan on Reddit

Spice Trader Classic

Official description: Hayman's Old Tom Gin, Dolin Vermouth Blanc, Lemon Juice, and Strawberries topped with Soda Water ($15.50)

I couldn’t find a recipe for this one online, although I did find a rather negative review of it. It’s very good of Disney to specify Old Tom Gin, since the difference between it and a more common dry gin is quite significant. I went with a 4:1 gin-to-vermouth ratio since I’m not a huge fan of blanc vermouth, but you may want to try increasing the vermouth to 1 oz if you’re not similarly averse.

The Sunken Galley Spice Trader Classic

• 2 oz Old Tom gin

• ½ oz blanc vermouth

• 1 oz lemon juice

• handful of fresh strawberries

• 1 oz soda water

Shake all ingredients except soda water with ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with lemon wheel and/or strawberry leaf.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Annapurna Zing

Official description: Bombay Sapphire Gin, Passion Fruit Purée, Mint, Simple Syrup, and Lime Juice topped with Ginger Beer and a glowing Lotus Flower ($18.50)

This was the first truly great cocktail on the list. The only recipe I found recommended passion fruit syrup, but I really encourage you to seek out some passion fruit purée, which will deliver more fresh fruitiness and less sickly sweetness. The signature touch on this drink at Nomad Lounge is a battery-powered glowing lotus flower, but if you don’t happen to have one of those on-hand then I actually think a fresh flower can be even better.

The Sunken Galley Annapurna Zing

• 1½ oz London dry gin (prefer Fords)

• 1 oz passion fruit purée

• ½ oz mint syrup

• ½ oz lime juice

• 2 oz ginger beer

Shake all ingredients except ginger beer with ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a glowing lotus, or any other available flower.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Other sources: TraderShan on Reddit

Dalang’s Delight

Official description: Starr African Rum, Batavia-Arrack van Oosten, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur, Mountain Berry Tea, Simple Syrup, and Lemon Juice ($16.50)

This was another cocktail I couldn’t find any existing recipes for, so I winged it. I didn’t have any arrack on-hand, but I substituted a pot still white rum which I thought could add a similar amount of funky molasses flavor. It turned out pretty well — very refreshing with some nice depth and subtle bitterness added by the pot still rum and tea.

The Sunken Galley Dalang’s Delight

• 1½ oz white rum (prefer Hamilton White ‘Stache)

• ½ oz arrack, or substitute pot still white rum

• ½ oz tangerine liqueur

• 2 oz herbal tea

• ½ oz simple syrup

• ½ lemon juice

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Tempting Tigress

Official description: Russell's Reserve 10yr Bourbon, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, Tamarind Syrup, and Lime Juice ($17.50)

I love how simple this cocktail is, with the exception of the tamarind syrup. Not having any on hand, I substituted with a blend of vanilla syrup and bitters. It was OK, but if I manage to get my hands on some tamarind syrup or extract I’ll likely try this again with the real deal.

The Sunken Galley Tempting Tigress

• 2 oz bourbon (prefer Russell’s Reserve)

• ½ oz allspice dram

• ½ oz tamarind syrup

• ½ oz lime juice

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Other sources: Make and Drink on YouTube, Bevvy, Thirty-One Whiskey

Night Monkey

Official description: Plantation Original Dark Rum, Guava Purée, Coffee Simple Syrup, and Lime Juice with a hint of Cilantro ($15.50)

This is a very fun cocktail! The combination of guava and coffee flavors is excellent, and I love how the simple but unique ground coffee garnish ensures you get a healthy whiff of coffee with every sip. I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

The Sunken Galley Night Monkey

• 2 oz dark rum

• ½ oz guava purée

• 1 oz coffee liqueur

• 1 oz lime juice

• dash cilantro lime or celery bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of ground coffee beans.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Other sources: Will There Be Cocktails? podcast, Vince_stormbane on Reddit

Mustang Coffee

Official description: Crown Royal, Brown Sugar, and Butter with hot Coffee ($15.50)

While the Night Monkey made creative use of coffee flavor, the Mustang Coffee is just a straight up cup of enhanced coffee. It’s quite tasty, and a perfect pick-me-up in the middle of attempting to make every drink on the Nomad Lounge menu. The official specs call for Crown Royal, but I’d recommend reaching for any lightly aged blended whiskey of your choice.

The Sunken Galley Mustang Coffee

• 1½ oz lightly aged blended whiskey

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 10 oz hot coffee

Add ingredients to a coffee mug and stir well to combine.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Other sources: garybg on Reddit

Leaping Lizard

Official description: Malibu Pineapple Rum and Leblon Cachaça with Orange, Passion Fruit, and Mango Juices ($17.50)

I’m usually not a fan of cachaça. Like agricole rum, it’s often just too funky with not enough redeeming qualities for my taste. However, this cocktail is legitimately the best use of cachaça I’ve experienced — yes, even better than a caipirinha. The tropical juices really complement the funky cachaça and yield a well-balanced, enjoyable whole.

The Sunken Galley Leaping Lizard

• 1 oz pineapple rum

• 1 oz cachaça

• 1 oz orange juice

• 1 oz passion fruit purée

• 1 oz mango purée

Flash blend all ingredients with nugget or crushed ice. Pour into a highball glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and/or two maraschino cherries arranged like lizard eyes.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Sinaloa Sangria

Official description: A South American Sangria made with Susana Balbo 'Crios' Rosé, Barsol Quebranta Pisco, and Fresh Fruit ($15.00)

This was perhaps the most difficult official description to interpret. “Fresh Fruit” is not particularly helpful, so I just used what I had on-hand: oranges and lemons. It’s tough to mess up sangria — at worst it’s still a solid glass of wine — so I think this worked, even if it’s not the most complex or exciting sangria.

The Sunken Galley Sinaloa Sangria

• 8 oz dry rosé wine

• 1½ oz pisco

• 1 orange wheel

• 1 lemon wheel

Combine all ingredients in a stemless wine glass. Let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours. Remove orange and lemon wheels. Add ice, stir, and garnish with two maraschino cherries.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Boto-Rita

Official description: Los Siete Misterios Mezcal, Combier Grapefruit Rose, Guava Purée, and Lime Juice garnished with Pink Peppercorns ($16.50)

This was another one of my favorite cocktails on the menu, as I’m a sucker for any mezcal-based drink. The guava is really a nice complement to the smoky mezcal, and the sprinkle of peppercorns is an easy but unique garnish that makes it stand out.

The Sunken Galley Boto-Rita

• 2 oz mezcal

• ½ oz grapefruit liqueur

• ½ oz guava purée

• 1 oz lime juice

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with a sprinkle of peppercorns.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Hightower Rocks

Official description: Casa Dragones Blanco Tequila, Watermelon, Sweet-and-Sour, and Lime Juice ($17.50)

Phew, only three drinks to go! The Hightower Rocks is unfortunately pretty forgettable, though. Seeing “Sweet-and-Sour” in the ingredients list was something of a red flag too; I substituted it for fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.

The Sunken Galley Hightower Rocks

• 1½ oz blanco tequila

• 1½ oz watermelon juice

• ¾ oz lemon juice

• ¾ oz simple syrup

• ¾ oz lime juice

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Other sources: TraderShan on Reddit, Tastes Like Disney on YouTube

Snow Leopard Salvation

Official description: Vusa Vodka, Belle de Brillet Pear Liqueur, Mint, Lime Juice, and Ginger Beer ($17.50)

This is a solid riff on a Moscow Mule, with muddled mint and pear adding a nice freshness. Per official and fan photos, it is definitely served in a highball glass rather than a traditional copper mule mug, so I stuck with that here.

The Sunken Galley Snow Leopard Salvation

• 5-10 mint leaves

• 1 oz vodka

• 1 oz pear liqueur

• ½ oz lime juice

• 3 oz ginger beer

Muddle the mint leaves in the vodka. Add pear liqueur and lime juice. Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wheel and sprig of mint.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Other sources: The Castle Run, Magical Recipes

Jenn’s Tattoo

Official description: Ketel One Vodka, Watermelon, Hibiscus, and Lime Juice ($15.50)

We’ve reached the final cocktail! It’s another vodka drink, but I found this to be a pretty refreshing summer cooler, with added complexity from the hibiscus. I always like to keep some Sorel on hand for sipping over rocks, so I was pleased to be able to use it here.

The Sunken Galley Jenn’s Tattoo

• 2 oz vodka

• 1 oz watermelon juice

• ¾ oz hibiscus liqueur (prefer Sorel)

• ¾ oz lime juice

Shake all ingredients with ice. Pour into a highball glass. Garnish with a lime round.
☞ Adapted from Disney’s Nomad Lounge

Other sources: whiskey_witch on Instagram, HughesAndBrews on YouTube

Bringing the Nomad Lounge home

Thirteen cocktails later you may be asking “was it worth it?” and also possibly “did you really drink all of these in one day?” The answer to both question is “yes”, although I will note that a fair amount of each drink went unconsumed — sacrificed for the sake of science and Substack.

My favorite drink recreations were the Annapurna Zing, Night Monkey, and Boto-Rita. I could see any of these becoming a staple on The Sunken Galley menu, although the overhead of keeping the necessary fruit purées on hand might be a bit much. Among the three, I also remember really enjoying the Boto-Rita in-person from Nomad Lounge, having ordered it to-go as an accompaniment for the long wait in the queue for Na'vi River Journey.

If you can’t get to the actual Nomad Lounge, I hope these recipes inspire you to try your own recreations at home. And if you can’t or don’t want to try these recipes, then might I suggest at least throwing on a Nomad Lounge music playlist and relaxing with your spirit or cocktail of choice.

Santa Barbara is a magical place. It has perhaps the most consistently perfect weather of any place on the planet, together with one of the best local food and drink scenes in California. It’s permeated by a relaxed and infectious New Orleans-level easiness that just makes you want to sit in the shade, sip local craft beer or wine, and chill out.

Fortunately, Santa Barbara is full of venues to accommodate this chilling. Most of them have outdoor patios and relaxed bar-style service that encourage sitting and sipping for hours on end, and all of the ones I’m about to recommend are within easy walking distance of each other, near the trendy and central “Funk Zone” district. Get your best walking shoes on, because I’m going to take you on a tour of my favorites.

Dart Coffee Co.

Every morning in Santa Barbara should start with a delicious cup of well-made coffee. Dart Coffee Co. (121 E Yanonali St, Santa Barbara) reliably fits the bill, with coffee made from beans roasted onsite and a rotating offering of creative seasonal lattes if you’re looking for something different. They also have a delightfully comfortable space, perfect for sitting and chilling while watching the world go by outside the open-air windows.

Lucky Penny

Just around the corner from Dart is the imminently recommendable pizza stand Lucky Penny (127 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara). They makes fresh and crispy pizza napoletana including seasonally tuned specialties like the Farmers Market Pizza — onion jam, French butter pears, prosciutto, and arugula. It’s also situated right next to an adorable open-air garden, which is a pleasant and peaceful place to spend an hour or two of quality time with pizza and a beer.

Taquería Rincón Alteño

You shouldn’t leave Santa Barbara without getting some tacos, and while many people might point you to the famously Julia Child-recommended La Super-Rica Taqueria (622 N Milpas St, Santa Barbara), I come bearing an alternative proposal. I highly suggest you walk just a few blocks away from the Funk Zone to Taquería Rincón Alteño (115 E Haley St, Santa Barbara) to get some of the best tacos you’ll find anywhere, including México.

At Rincón Alteño, the tacos are all delicious, but make sure you try the al pastor, and make sure to bring cash (it’s cash-only). You can enjoy your tacos on a pleasantly sunny back patio with views of a neighboring park complex that’s maintained and very actively used by the Santa Barbara Trapeze Co., so you’re likely to get an acrobatics show together with your meal.

Third Window Brewing

Hands-down one of the best places to hang out in Santa Barbara is Third Window Brewing (406 E Haley St #3, Santa Barbara). In fact, Third Window is where I’m typing this article as I sip their namesake Third Window Dubbel — a rich but surprisingly easy-drinking abbey-style ale. They also make great hazy and west coast-style IPAs and some fantastic stouts.

Third Window has a massive, lovely patio space with ample sun and shade in equal parts. They also have a mouth-watering array of food options, including smash burgers, pizza, sourdough pretzels (weekends only), and a Saturday morning barbecue (11 AM until sold out). You will never want to leave.

Night Lizard Brewing Company

If you do manage to leave Third Window, I recommend taking a short walk to Night Lizard Brewing Company (607 State St, Santa Barbara). While Night Lizard is located directly on the bustling State St, it still feels like an oasis of calm comfort. It’s a great place to post up for a few hours, with a variety of indoor and outdoor seating, huge board game library, and very friendly and helpful staff. They also host live music here on weekends; when we were there the klezmer band Kalinka was playing to an occasionally line-dancing crowd of joyous fans.

Night Lizard has a reliable range of core tap offerings, together with an always-changing list of experimental brews. Most recently I tried the S’mores Stout, brewed with graham crackers, vanilla, and cocoa, and served with a freshly toasted marshmallow — a really fun and tasty creation. They also offer a Girl Scout Cookie pairing flight, which includes a taster pour of four different beers together with a matching cookie.

Test Pilot

As the day winds down, you find yourself in the mood for a slower-sipping craft cocktail. This is when Test Pilot (211 Helena Ave, Santa Barbara) may fit the bill. While it’s certainly designed to be a tiki bar, I think it’s better to consider Test Pilot as a solid craft cocktail bar with a tropical drink-focused menu. This is because it doesn’t quite nail the tiki bar experience — mainly due to its lack of theme-appropriate music and sometimes club-leaning crowd on busy nights.

However, when you think of Test Pilot as just a cocktail bar it manages to be a solid one, with snappy service, well-made drinks, and a pleasantly decorated indoor space and outdoor patio. If you find yourself there during the day, I’d recommend a refreshing Ube Piña Colada or Thai Iced Tiki. If you find yourself there late at night, the Rum Hot Toddy is a great way to stay warm.

Hotel Californian

Finally, an honorable mention goes to the venerable Hotel Californian (36 State St, Santa Barbara). It’s supremely well-located, right in the heart of the Funk Zone area, and its rooms and common spaces provide supplementary spots to chill for a bit. If you can get a room with a balcony, I recommend taking in the evening ambience of Santa Barbara from your room with a bottle of wine sourced from the Santa Barbara Wine Collective (131 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara) just around the block.

Regardless of where you choose to sit and sip in Santa Barbara, you can’t go too wrong, as it seems like around every corner there’s another relaxed and charming spot to spend an afternoon. These have been a few of my favorites, but if you go walking around the Funk Zone or State St. area, I’m sure you’ll find your own as well.

Tony Scaduto, the sales manager? I thought he was in Mexico.

The film Cocktail (1988) has more depth than you might think — so much more, in fact, that I co-hosted a 21-episode podcast dissecting it in excessive detail. One such detail is the easily overlooked and wholly unseen character Tony Scaduto. Tony works as a sales manager for Bonnie (Lisa Banes), the wealthy New York business magnate who is courted by main character Brian Flanagan (Tom Cruise) in an attempt to land a sales job at her firm.

One morning, Brian wakes up to a request from Bonnie to fetch her carrot juice from the refrigerator, but he’s more interested in who she’s chatting with on the phone: the legendary sales manager Tony Scaduto. Tony got back on Friday from Mexico and is hard at work dispatching salesman Harvey to Dallas to secure an at-risk deal. As we learn, Brian would love to get in on this action with his marketing ideas, but Bonnie is keeping him at arm’s length from the business to avoid “shoving my boyfriend down their throat”.

In creating a cocktail inspired by everyone’s favorite sales manager, my co-host Hervey and I aimed to capture both Tony’s Mexican sojourn (tequila, lime) and Bonnie’s early-morning health routine (carrot juice). We polished it off with the flavor of the tropics (where Brian and Bonnie met) represented with pineapple preserves, and Himalayan pink salt to evoke the gauzy pink decor in Bonnie’s apartment. What we created could be considered an instant modern classic cocktail: simple, perfect, timeless.

Here’s what Hervey had to say about it:

Perfect.

This is a perfect cocktail; a historic moment has been realized on-air, easily tantamount to the mythical coupling of gin and vermouth in Martinez, CA. The Tony Scaduto is one of the four or five most important cocktails ever created.

Notes on acquisition: unlike Bonnie's 1980s, it's hard to find carrot juices these days; the large local supermarket only had one in stock. The pineapple preserves had to be bought in bulk (it isn't the easiest ingredient to deal with, a sticky ball of goo, and as a small nit, it leaves a bit of preserve residue at the end.)

The Tony Scaduto opens with a deep carrot nose, bristly and rooty. This begins something of a back-to-the-soil narrative: in the Scaduto, an inverted daquiri of sorts, we see the crisp wistfulness of Havana bars transformed into the rustic, vegetables replacing fruit. The masculine drink of Hemingway's day transformed into the pastel feminine shades of Bonnie's 1980s NYC apartment.

The drink gains width into arena of lime, balanced against brackish rim, furthering widening into earthy carrot and agave, wow. Widening further and further, almost to excess, it's a peaceful lazy river sort of vibe, delicate and with an elegant haiku bliss.

Like all the best cocktails, the Tony Scaduto feels weightless.

Perfect.

And here’s what I had to say about it:

This is a good drink. It feels basic and elementary, like it should be a standard staple at every bar in the world. The earthiness of the carrot juice balanced well with the lime and tequila, creating something pleasant and not too sweet. The world may one day come to love the Tony Scaduto.

The Tony Scaduto

• 1½ oz tequila

• 1 oz carrot juice

• 1 tbsp pineapple preserves

• ½ oz lime juice

Shake with ice. Strain into large cocktail glass rimmed with Himalayan pink salt. Garnish with lime slice.
☞ Alan Joyce & Mark Mollineaux / An Earful of Cocktail

I’ve just returned from a week at Walt Disney World Resort, where we made EPCOT a priority, spending two days there and one day at each of the three other parks. With two days to work with, I was excited to make a relaxed attempt at the “drink around the world” challenge (have one or more drinks at each of the eleven World Showcase country pavilions), which I’ve been told is no small feat to attempt in a single day. It turned out to be a fun way to explore the park and survey the food and drink offerings of each pavilion.

What follows is my experience drinking around the world, together with some possible drink suggestions for each country.

Mexico

Featured drink: Hercules Lágermaiz
Drink rating: 10/10

Mexico was our first stop, and ended up being my favorite pavilion overall. It has a beautiful indoor market area with a tequila bar, and boasts multiple excellent food options. The highlight here was Hercules Lágermaiz ($13), a beer brewed with Mexican corn, which was so good I ordered it twice. The first time was at Choza de Margarita, paired with a deliciously crispy and decadent Pastor Quesadilla ($13.25). The second time was at La Cantina de San Angel, accompanying a dockside dinner of Nachos with Guacamole ($18.50) and Empanadas con Queso ($14.75).

After dinner, we indulged in Spiked Horchata ($20.24), also from Choza de Margarita. This seasonal special had a surprisingly strong kick of smoky agave, thanks to what must be a generous amount of Ilegal Mezcal Reposado, blended together with rum, horchata, and cinnamon. I’ve also heard that the tequila bar (La Cava del Tequila) is excellent and usually has a barrel-aged cocktail available, but we didn’t make it there this trip.

Norway

Featured drink: Viking Coffee
Drink rating: 3/10

Next up was Norway, the land of vikings and Frozen. While charming, this pavilion felt a bit thin compared to the others, with the only real option for food and drink being the Kingla Bakeri Og Kafe bakery. We tried the Viking Coffee ($15.50), a mix of Bailey’s Irish Cream and Kamora Mexican Coffee Liqueur, together with Lefse ($3.79), a bread wrap with cinnamon and butter.

While the Viking Coffee was nice and hot, and a welcome alternative to more beer, it had zero real connection to Norway. I regretted not trying one of the more authentic draft beer options, which included Norsk Jordbærkrem Strawberry Cream Ale, Kornøl Farmhouse Ale, and Juniper Pilsner. In fact, throughout the World Showcase I found that the beer options were consistently the most reliably high-quality and authentic, while the cocktails were often pretty questionable (and also more expensive). It makes sense that regionally appropriate craft beer is easier to execute at Disney parks scale than craft cocktails, but it still seems like a missed opportunity.

China

Featured drink: Plum Wine
Drink rating: 5/10

After Norway, the China pavilion certainly felt deeper, with multiple dining options and the endearingly dated Reflections of China Circle-Vision show — apparently due to be replaced soon with an updated film. We tried the Plum Wine ($9.75) with Pork Egg Rolls ($5.75) from the Lotus Blossom Café, which were both fine, albeit nothing special. As my 21-year-old grocery store liquor buying past self can confirm, it’s hard to mess up plum wine — even the cheapest stuff tastes good, and perhaps the same could be said of egg rolls.

Germany

Featured drink: German Beer Flight
Drink rating: 8/10

Ah, Germany! We have reached a land of abundant food, drink, and drinking food. When it comes to immersion in the World Showcase, the Biergarten Restaurant is hard to beat. While it requires either a reservation or some waiting time for a walk-up, it’s well worth it. We were treated to a musical revue in an indoor fake-outdoor biergarten with impeccable ambience, delicious sausages, and tasty German beers.

If you end up dining at Biergarten ($49 per person), I can recommend the German Beer Flight ($17.75) along with your buffet. Our flight included Beck’s Pilsner, Warsteiner Dunkel, König Ludwig Weissbier, and Schöfferhofer Grapefruit Hefeweizen. The menu implies you’re supposed to work your way from the Pilsner to the Hefeweizen, but our waiter suggested starting with the (rather sweet and fruity) Hefeweizen and working our way from there, which was the right call. The Dunkel was the best of the flight, but all four were enjoyable to sample along with bratwurst and sauerkraut.

Italy

Featured drink: Massolino Langhe Nebbiolo
Drink rating: 7/10

Next up is Italy, which was mostly centered around il vino. To accompany the nightly EPCOT fireworks show, we sipped Gaja Promis Toscana ($15) from Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar. The Cellar boasts a surprisingly large selection with 200+ bottles of Italian wine, although sipping a tiny 4oz pour of wine out of a miniature plastic cup wasn’t the ideal tasting experience. We had dinner later in the trip at Tutto Italia Ristorante, where we paired a Massolino Langhe Nebbiolo ($22) in a real wine glass with Lasagne alla Bolognese ($29) to great success, before moving on to a decadent Limoncello Flight ($24) with Tiramisù ($14).

The American Adventure

Featured drink: Joffrey’s Coffee
Drink rating: 3/10

Our stop in The American Adventure was, I’ll admit, a bit of a cop-out. It’s important to pace yourself when drinking around the world, and that includes staying caffeinated when necessary. Thus, America’s bounty provided in the form of Walt Disney World Resort Blend Coffee ($3.69) from Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company. The Joffrey’s brand is odd in that it appears to exist primarily to serve the needs of Walt Disney World Resort and Disney fans, but it’s not owned or operated by Disney. Regardless, Joffrey’s is a Florida-based coffee roaster, so it serves as a passable American Adventure drink. While I’m sure Joffrey’s is capable of producing decent coffee, the blend they serve as drip coffee in the park is not very good, lacking much flavor beyond a mild bitterness. At least some coffee is better than no coffee.

Japan

Featured drink: Hot Sake
Drink rating: 7/10

Japan was one of the pavilions we visited on the second day, by which point the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts was in full swing. We tried the Yuzu IPA ($9.75) and Wagyu Bun ($9.75) from the Goshiki festival cart, both of which were solid, although the Wagyu Bun was pretty expensive for a single bao bun. The prize overall here went to Hot Sake ($9) from Kabuki Cafe, a simple but enjoyable drink on a cold, peaceful morning watching the plants and koi in the Japanese water garden.

Morocco

Featured drink: Moroccan Hot Tea Service
Drink rating: 7/10

Morocco was one of the last pavilions we drank at, and given it’s not a country known for its alcohol production or consumption I thought tea would be a more fitting choice. The Spice Road Table has a full bar with plenty of cocktail options, but I went with the Moroccan Hot Tea Service ($4.79), a mint tea garnished with a fresh mint leaf. While a bit overly sweet, it was quite tasty and an ideal option given the freezing temperatures on the restaurant’s patio at night. It paired well with the Spiced Lamb Kefta ($13), a trio of juicy and delicious lamb kebabs. I left wishing I’d spent more time here and explored the bar options a bit more, perhaps in less freezing weather.

France

Featured drink: Kir Royal
Drink rating: 8/10

Like Italy, the France pavilion includes a wine shop (Les Vins de France) with tasting and by-the-glass options, but I opted for a Kir Royal ($22.95). Traditionally a Kir would be made with sparkling white wine and cassis (blackcurrant liqueur), but the Walt Disney World versions of both the Kir Royal and the non-sparkling Kir are made with Chambord, a French raspberry/blackberry liqueur. Fortunately the Cast Member making it asked whether I’d prefer it on the dry or sweet side, and offered to reduce the amount of Chambord to keep it drier, which I appreciated. The result was a refreshing sparkling cocktail, and an ideal palate cleanser.

United Kingdom

Featured drink: Guinness Stout
Drink rating: 7/10

The UK pavilion hosts perhaps the most legitimate drinking establishment in all of EPCOT: the Rose & Crown Pub. It’s very much a full bar, with everything from UK & Ireland beers on tap to neat pours of whisky — yes, neat pours in a Disney park! It also has no line, no reservations, and no wait list; you just walk in and work your way through the crowd to order at the bar. Unfortunately this format does attract some guests who seem to be mostly interested in consuming alcohol as efficiently as possible, but I commend Disney for putting up with this in order to offer a more realistic pub experience.

The Rose & Crown was absolutely slammed each time we visited, so I kept things simple and ordered a Strongbow Hard Cider and Guinness Stout ($11.50 each). Both were poured as proper 20oz imperial pints and the Guinness even had a perfect shamrock shape indented into the foam head. While the cider and beer were great, after listening to Erick Castro’s podcast interview with Rose & Crown bartender Pete Hannah, I’d really like to come back on a less busy day and order some cocktails.

Canada

Featured drink: Whole Hog Brewery Raspberry Chéret Double Radler
Drink rating: 6/10

Last up is the Canada pavilion, home to the gorgeously scenic Canada Far and Wide Circle-Vision presentation, as well as a popcorn cart that makes the entire area smell like maple syrup. The drinking options here are a bit limited, although I did enjoy finding a hidden refreshment stand at the back of a gift shop that sells Canadian beer. Fortunately the Festival of the Arts brought with it the Gourmet Landscapes cart, where we ordered a Whole Hog Brewery Raspberry Chéret Double Radler ($9.75) and Wild Mushroom Risotto ($9.75). The Radler wasn’t actually Canadian (it’s brewed in Wisconsin), but it was darkly fruity and hearty, making it feel at home against the backdrop of a Canadian mountain landscape.

Closing thoughts

Whether it’s your first time or you’re a regular, drinking around the world is a fun way to experience EPCOT, but I recommend keeping things flexible and not attempting to do every country in order or in the same day. If you’re prioritizing completing the challenge over having a fun day in the park, you’re doing it wrong.

Overall, my highlight was discovering Hercules Lágermaiz (Mexico), which I am absolutely going to seek out a case of. My lowlight was probably Viking Coffee (Norway), which was neither a viking drink nor a coffee drink. I wish good cocktails were an option in more of the pavilions, but the plentiful availability of high-quality beer and wine was still very impressive. I’m sure I’ll come back again, and I can’t wait to take another tour around the world when I do.

Last month, Ruey and I took advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday to spend a week in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. We enjoyed a cavalcade of excellent food and drinks, in equal amounts, but I’m going to focus here on the cocktails, spirits, and wine to keep the scope manageable. Grab yourself a Mai Tai and let’s dig in.

Waikīkī

Waikīkī was home base, as we stayed right in the middle of it at the imminently recommendable Halepuna (2233 Helumoa Rd, Honolulu). While the area is expectedly buzzy and touristy, I was impressed with how easy it was to get around on foot, and how densely packed nearly every block was with bars and restaurants.

Mai Tai Bar

With dozens of bars within walking distance in Waikīkī, there was plenty to choose from, but typically by the end of the night we found ourselves right back at Mai Tai Bar in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (2259 Kalākaua Avenue, Honolulu). Our first experience here was wandering in right around 5:30 PM on the night we arrived and being immediately entranced by the warm kaleidoscope of colors that is a Honolulu sunset. For the rest of the trip, we took every opportunity to come back and take in some live music and the Waikīkī evening from a beachside table bathed in the glow of the bar’s signature pink lamps.

While the cocktails are a bit secondary to the ambience at Mai Tai Bar, they still showed well. I made a point of trying nearly every Mai Tai on the menu (Vic’s 44, Royal Hawaiian, White Wash, and the Ali’i). I was consistently pleased; they’re made properly, with real juice and no triple sec. However, the standout was the Piña Colada — rich, creamy, and refreshing without being sickly sweet.

Monkeypod Kitchen

For the record, it is possible to walk up the beach from Mai Tai Bar to Monkeypod Kitchen (2169 Kālia Rd, Honolulu), but I wouldn’t recommend it. What looks on Google Maps like a perfectly good walking route is, in reality, a series of disjointed and partially maintained paths around the edge of resorts that includes a waterlogged stairway climb through a drainage outlet. I suggest taking the inland route instead.

Once you make it to Monkeypod, I highly recommend ordering a Monkeypod Mai Tai. The key ingredients are macadamia nut-infused orgeat and liliko’i-honey foam, which lend a depth and decadence that sets it apart. We learned later in the trip that you can also get this Mai Tai at Merriman’s (1108 Auahi Street, Honolulu), which is part of the same restaurant group.

The lowlight at Monkeypod for me was the ambience. It’s trapped inside the Outrigger Resort, which features blindingly bright hallways (think “bright white”, not “warm white”) that contribute to a Vegas-like party atmosphere and make it hard to see the beach or ocean at night. They also had a performer playing country music covers, which were fun and competently played, but just aren’t what I’m looking for in my Mai Tai sipping environment.

House Without a Key

Tucked inside the historic Halekulani hotel is the equally historic House Without a Key (2199 Kālia Rd, Honolulu). The oceanfront dinner-and-a-show establishment was a frequent hangout for Ernest Hemingway, who certainly knew how to pick a good cocktail spot. From our room at the Halepuna sister hotel across the street, we were able to catch a glimpse of the nightly shows at House Without a Key, visible as a patch of light against the backdrop of a majestically crooked 130-year-old kiawe tree.

Reservations at House Without a Key can be tricky to come by, but fortunately we secured a table for our last night in Honolulu. When we sat down, we were presented with a cocktail menu that details the history behind each drink — a nice touch. I had to start with an Earl’s Daiquiri, as I imagine Hemingway probably would have had one or two (or ten) daiquiris when he visited. It was a well-made, refreshing daiquiri, but I found myself quickly drawn to the Hau Blossom that Ruey had ordered. It’s an ambitious balance of sweet (guava and agave), sour (lemon), salty (saline), spicy (cayenne), and umami (sesame oil) that totally works.

For a second round, I tried the Yellow Umbrella, a reference to the hotel’s single yellow-colored umbrella — meant to stand out among a sea of white umbrellas and welcome you back to the Halekulani. With tequila, mezcal, liliko’i, and coconut matcha syrup, it was a refreshing collection of tropical-leaning flavors.

Sunsets by Kirkland Signature™

An honorable mention in the Waikīkī area goes to cocktail hour and gorgeous sunsets on our room’s lānai. Early in the trip we secured a half-case of wine from Costco Wholesale (525 Alakawa St, Honolulu), which stretched the hotel mini fridge to its limits and provided liquid accompaniment to Honolulu’s nightly natural light show. A standout among the Costco haul was the Kirkland Signature Premier Cru Chablis, an absolute steal at $19. It was crisp and clean with nice acidity, lemon, and stone fruit. Less compelling was the Kirkland Signature Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($12), which was watery and lacked depth.

Chinatown

Apparently Honolulu’s Chinatown district is going through something of a renaissance, because it’s hands-down the best place to go for great restaurants and craft cocktail bars, even if it does sometimes feel a bit sketchy at night.

Skull & Crown Trading Co.

A standout not just among Honolulu bars, but among tiki bars worldwide, Skull & Crown Trading Co. (62 N. Hotel Street, Honolulu) delivered on all fronts — creative, well-crafted drinks; immersive ambience and decor; friendly, attentive service; and delicious food. It’s just a lovely spot to be in and drink in. We liked it so much, we went back a second time during the trip.

Cocktails I tried at Skull & Crown included the Dagger Mai Tai (a secret recipe, and quite good), Crystal Skull (a clarified zombie, so good I got it twice), Bird of Paradise (a coffee-tinged Jungle Bird riff), and the Kōloa Colada (a piña colada made from local rums).

We also did the Hawaiian rum flight, featuring Kuleana Hawaiian Rum Agricole, Kō Hana Kea, Kō Hana Koho, Kōloa Kauaʻi Reserve Aged Rum, and Kōloa Kauaʻi Coffee Rum. While I found the Kuleana Agricole and Kō Hana Kea a bit too funky for my taste (as with most agricole rums), they were complex and interesting to sample. The Kōloa Kauaʻi Reserve was excellent, with warm and inviting toasted caramel notes, and the Kōloa Kauaʻi Coffee was a very tasty dessert-like finisher.

EP Bar

The concept for EP Bar (1150 Nuuanu Ave Unit A, Honolulu) is painfully hip: they serve highballs and play nothing but vinyl records on an old-school sound system. However, I can’t deny that I am 100% here for it. When we wandered in on a Monday night, they were spinning vinyl exclusively from local Hawaiian artists and the crowd seemed to be mostly people from the local bar and restaurant industry.

Easily the most memorable drink of the night was the Pho Us By Us, a pho-flavored (yes, you read that right) highball made with green chile vodka, sake, pho spice, lemon, and soda. It managed to both taste absolutely like pho and be an enjoyable highball, which seems like no small feat. Aside from that, I also enjoyed the EP Highball (Japanese whiskey, lemongrass, yuzu, club soda) and Kyoho Highball (Glenmorangie scotch, grape, elderflower, club soda).

On the non-highball front, the Big Body Buttery (brown butter fat washed bourbon, toasted almond, aquafaba, lemon) was a decadent dessert cocktail and a great way to end the night. Also, the Beef Jerky Chips from Wu-Tang Jerky were mind-blowing. Made by a local ramen shop, this was the thinnest, crispiest, airiest, melt-in-your-mouth jerky I’ve ever tried.

Fête

A not-so-hidden gem in Chinatown, Fête (2 N. Hotel Street, Honolulu) serves creative, delicious New American fusion cuisine, and they also happen to have a killer cocktail program. We tried the Spicy Kitty, which came in a cute cat-shaped mug and included vodka, yuzu liqueur, chili infused oleo saccharum (a citrusy sugar oil), lemon, shiso leaf, and club soda. It also included a lick-off patch of shichimi togarashi (a seaweed and spice mix) on the cat’s ear to pair with each sip. We also had the Cool Runnings, a sorrel (red hibiscus-based drink) cocktail with galangal-infused rum, lime, lemon, and pineapple. Both cocktails were delicious and demonstrated impressive creativity and boldness, especially for a restaurant drinks program.

Elsewhere

La Mariana Sailing Club

Finally, we had to pay a visit to the legendary La Mariana Sailing Club (50 Sand Island Access Rd, Honolulu). While this bar is a bit out of the way, there’s a good reason for that: it continues to be an active sailing club. It’s surrounded by waterside foliage, with docks extending outward onto the water and a lot of the clientele apparently coming in for a drink after a day working boats.

The prices are low enough to approach dive bar territory (at least by Honolulu standards), but the service is exceptional. I was blown away by how friendly, attentive, and seemingly psychic the waitstaff were. We spent about an hour there before dinner and had a Mai Tai, a Painkiller, and a Singapore Sling. While none of them were mind-blowing, they were solid for the price ($10-12 per drink) and a pleasure to sip while watching the sunset over the docks.

Closing Thoughts

Honolulu is full of great bars, excellent restaurants, and stunning natural beauty. It’s a dense urban city situated in one of the best climates in the world, packed with so much to do, and within minutes of several stunning and spacious beaches. While we ate and drank as much as we could fit in within a week, I know there’s so much more to see and I can’t wait to go back.

Among the Thanksgiving traditions of my family, one in particular has stood the test of time: on Thanksgiving Day, while waiting for the food to cook, we drink Brandy Alexanders. Traditionally an after-dinner drink, the Brandy Alexander is a simple blend of vanilla ice cream, crème de cacao, and brandy. It’s heavy, fairly potent, and unabashedly decadent.

I’m not here to tell you to drink Brandy Alexanders after dinner, though. I’m here to tell you to drink them in the afternoon. The magic of this approach is that the heaviness of the drink provides some stomach fortification, both quelling hunger and mitigating the effects of alcohol hitting your empty stomach. It’s a superior option to lunch on a day like Thanksgiving where there is a large, early dinner coming.

As further evidence of this utility, the family recipe includes this note:

Eliminates all anxieties
And hunger pains waiting for food to cook
Some assembly reqd

The primary consideration when making a great Brandy Alexander is the ice cream. You want to get high-quality stuff — Häagen-Dasz or better — because it’s the main thing you’re going to be tasting. Next, you’ll want some good authentic crème de cacao (such as Tempus Fugit) and some solid mixing brandy.

For reasons I don’t entirely understand, the family recipe prohibits the use of vanilla bean ice cream (you know, the stuff with the tiny black bean particles in it). I’ve never experimented with this variable, but you might as well stay on the safe side and go with non-bean vanilla ice cream.

In terms of variables I have experimented with, I prefer to go a bit heavier on the brandy than the original recipe, and I avoid adding any extra milk on top of the ice cream. Also, recently in a pinch I substituted Buffalo Trace bourbon for the brandy and I will say it worked out quite well, so there might be some merit to switching things up with a Bourbon Alexander on occasion as well.

Finally, the family recipe demands the use of a “jigger” as a measuring unit, which is highly open to interpretation. I tend to interpret it as 2 ounces, and that’s worked out just fine.

Brandy Alexander

Here’s the original family recipe in all its glory (credit, Uncle Terry):

1 qt vanilla ice cream 
2 jiggers brandy 
2 jiggers Creme de cacao
Some milk to get milkshake consistency 

Eliminates all anxieties
And hunger pains waiting for food to cook
Some assembly reqd 
Use only plain vanilla ice cream
Not French, bean, creamy etc

And here’s my slightly modified revision of it...

Brandy Alexander

• 1 qt vanilla ice cream

• 6 oz brandy

• 4 oz crème de cacao

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and fluffy. Pour into a rocks glass.
☞ Alan Joyce / The Sunken Galley

Through a series of unpredictable circumstances — getting into pinball, then getting into 007 pinball, then purchasing a 007 pinball machine, and then deciding to watch all the James Bond films — I have found myself once again in need of a proper Vesper.

The Vesper is a cocktail invented by Ivar Bryce, a friend of Sir Ian Fleming, and featured in the novel and film adaptation of Casino Royale. In both the novel and the film, Bond conveys this recipe to the bartender:

Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel.

There are a few problems with trying to make this recipe today. As David Wondrich notes, Gordon’s gin was 94 proof at the time (vs. 80 today) and the vodka used would’ve been 100 proof (vs. commonly 80 today). These are easy enough to compensate for, as you can readily find 94-proof gin (Tanqueray will do) and 100-proof vodka (Stoli will do).

However, Kina Lillet isn’t produced any more, and has been replaced by the sweeter Lillet Blanc, which is completely inadequate for this drink. Probably due to the popularity of the Vesper, Lillet Blanc is very easy to find, and commonly mistaken for a proper Vesper ingredient. It even made an appearance in the film Quantum of Solace (seen above), where Bond drinks an improbable six Vespers while in-flight. Sorry Mr. Bond, but these were not proper Vespers.

What you need for a proper Vesper is a period-appropriate quinquina — an aromatized wine with bitter quinine added to it. Fortunately, Cocchi Americano still fits the bill here and is widely available. Its formula hasn’t changed, so it remains appropriately bitter. There’s also a newer alternative in Tempus Fugit’s Kina L'Aéro d'Or, although I haven’t tried it yet so I can’t vouch for it personally.

Making a Vesper

Now that we’ve got the right ingredients, we can get to work. The Vesper is not hard to make, but it is hard. The drink has over 4 ounces of alcohol, most of it over 90 proof. You need to be very careful with this drink, lest it immediately knock you into a disorienting stupor, as it has done to me on more than one occasion.

It’s very probable that stirring the Vesper will make a better cocktail. It’ll be less diluted, with a smoother texture and no ice shards. However, when 007 requests it, he requests it shaken, so I really don’t see how anyone can justify stirring it. Also, it’s not the worst idea to dilute 4 ounces of alcohol a bit, and if the ice shards bother you, then feel free to double-strain. In the Sunken Galley, we shake.

Vesper

• 3 oz London dry gin (94 proof, such as Tanqueray)

• 1 oz vodka (100 proof, such as Stoli 100)

• ½ oz Cocchi Americano (or Kina L'Aéro d'Or)

• Large thin slice of lemon peel, for garnish

Shake the gin, vodka, and Cocchi Americano together until ice-cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist the lemon peel over the drink and then drop it in.
☞ Alan Joyce / The Sunken Galley

A good bar game needs to get a few things right. It needs to be easy to learn, so that anyone can quickly join in. It needs to involve just enough strategy to ensure your decisions matter, but not so much that it becomes too difficult to play after a few beers. Finally, it should require pocketable equipment that can be deployed and played entirely on a bar table with minimal setup.

Enter Threes, a game that requires only 5 dice, has rules that are trivial to learn, and has enough strategy and variety to stay fresh and interesting across many rounds. As such, I often carry a dice pouch (pictured above) specifically for the purpose of playing Threes on a moment’s notice. It also happens to lend itself well to low-stakes betting, such as playing each round for a dollar.

Threes

Players compete for the lowest score while rolling five dice. Dice are added together based on their face values (1-6), except for 3, which is worth 0. If a player rolls all sixes (6-6-6-6-6), they “shoot the moon” and immediately win the game.

Each player’s turn works as follows:

1. Roll all five dice

2. Set aside between one and five dice, which become locked in and cannot be rolled again

3. Roll all remaining dice

4. Repeat #2-3 until there are no remaining dice to be rolled

The player with the lowest score wins. If players are tied after a round, they play again with double the stakes to settle the tie.

My strategy is usually to save rolls of 1 and 3 early on, but re-roll all other numbers. Then at some point during the rolling, I’ll start saving rolls of 2 as well, since the probability increases that you’re going to need to keep a larger number if you re-roll.

What to drink while playing Threes

While Threes can of course be played while drinking anything, my drink of choice for the game is a beer & shot — in other words, a Boilermaker but without any obligation to attempt to consume both the whiskey and beer at once. Grab a cheap beer (Budweiser or Miller High Life both work great) and your favorite whiskey and savor them slowly together while playing some Threes. Good luck!

We’ve officially entered the fall season. Whether you define it astronomically (September 23), meteorologically (September 1), Labor-Day-ically (September 4), East Asian lunisolar-ically (August 8), or Celtic lunisolar-ically (August 1), pretty much everyone in the Northern hemisphere agrees that we’re in it at this point.

When I think of fall, I picture a gigantic, orange-red harvest moon rising over a chilly field, illuminating the work to reap a few final patches of crops. I also imagine the warm celebrations of an ensuing harvest festival, held around a roaring fire with plenty of food and drink.

If you’re looking to hold a harvest festival of your own, but you want to go a bit lighter on the harvesting part and heavier on the festival part, it’s never too early in the season to start brewing some mulled wine. Sure, it’s most traditionally drunk around the Christmas holidays, but I firmly believe you can start drinking it whenever it gets cold enough outside to merit it.

Mulled wine

Mulled wine is simple: just mulling spices, wine, and some sweetener. However, it can sometimes be tempting to over-complicate it.

When I first started making mulled wine, I followed a tip I’d read that insisted on toasting the mulling spices in a pan before adding in the wine. I did this far too many times before realizing that it was adding unnecessary time and complexity — all in service of lending a rather unappealing toasted note to the drink. Don’t trust anyone who wants to make this process more complicated than it should be, and don’t toast your spices.

Now that we’ve dodged the toasting issue, there’s one more element we need to dodge: star anise. Far too many mulling spice mixes include it, and many of them are chock full of it. I think anise has its place (specifically, in anise-flavored liqueur and Springerle cookies), but it can absolutely ruin mulled wine by drowning out both the other spices and the flavor of the wine itself.

I used to individually pick out the star anise seeds from whatever spice mix I was using, but now I just buy Oaktown Spice Shop’s delightfully anise-free (and very high-quality) Mulling Spices. It’s got cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cardamom, and cloves — mulling perfection in a bottle. They know what they’re doing over there, and it makes for a fantastic mulled wine.

Mulled Wine

• 750ml dry red wine (I recommend a young Cabernet or Bordeaux blend)

• 1 spice bag filled with a few spoonfuls of mulling spices (I recommend Oaktown Spice Shop)

• ¼ to ½ cup honey (depending on how sweet you prefer it)

Set the spice bag in a cooking pot and pour the red wine over it. Add honey. Simmer for about 30 minutes over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove the spice bag and serve piping hot in a sturdy mug.
☞ Alan Joyce / The Sunken Galley

Jean Renoir’s The Rules of the Game is a film about upper-class French people acting ridiculous during the course of an over-indulgent weekend retreat at a Marquis’ country estate. In making a companion cocktail, I reached for two delicious and decidedly fancy French ingredients: Grand Marnier orange liqueur and St-Germain elderflower liqueur. Together with some fresh orange juice, brandy, and orgeat, I feel it captures the spirit of something you might sip while on the terrace of a sprawling mansion in the Loire Valley.

The Rules of the Game

• 1½ oz orange juice

• 1½ oz brandy

• ½ oz Grand Marnier

• ¼ oz St‑Germain elderflower liqueur

• ¼ oz orgeat

• orange twist, for garnish

Shake with ice. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
☞ Alan Joyce / The Sunken Galley

The tricky thing with signature beverages attached to large, commercialized sporting events is that they’re easily corrupted. If you need to serve, say, 120,000 juleps in two days, you may be tempted to cut a few corners to make it happen. You might, for example, start using pre-bottled ready-to-serve mix.

Fortunately, behind each of the streamlined versions you may find at the racetrack is a legitimately good underlying recipe, if made well. I’ve included my preferred versions of all three.

Kentucky Derby

The official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby is, of course, the Mint Julep, made with bourbon, sugar, mint, and lots of ice.

Weirdly, the official recipe seems incorrect, in that it calls for 3 oz pre-bottled Old Forester Mint Julep (which already includes sweetener and mint flavor), and then also calls for ¾ oz simple syrup and muddled mint. The previous version of the recipe was correct in 2018, calling for Old Forester Straight Bourbon Whisky and homemade mint simple syrup, but was updated sometime in 2019. I’ve reached out to the Kentucky Derby about this, but have not heard back.

Despite the confusing state of the official recipe, the Mint Julep is a very straightforward cocktail. Rather than making mint syrup, I prefer to muddle fresh mint leaves in the cup, which is actually easier — provided you’re not making thousands of drinks — and produces better results.

Mint Julep

• 2 oz bourbon

• ½ oz simple syrup

• 10-15 mint leaves (you really can’t use too many)

• mint sprig, for garnish

Add simple syrup and mint leaves to a julep cup. Muddle gently, avoiding crushing the mint. Fill cup with crushed or nugget ice. Pour bourbon over the ice. Add more ice to top off the cup and garnish with a mint sprig.
☞ Alan Joyce / The Sunken Galley

Preakness

The official cocktail of the Preakness is the Black-Eyed Susan, made with a vast array of potential ingredients, but typically including at least orange juice, vodka, and bourbon. It’s named after Maryland’s state flower, a blanket of which is draped over the winning horse after the race.

The recipe for the Black Eyed Susan was apparently created in 1973 by the track catering company and it’s not very good. It calls for 1 oz bourbon, 1 oz vodka, 1 oz peach schnapps, 2 oz orange juice, and 2 oz sour mix — resulting in a syrupy cocktail without much to redeem it, apart from its visual resemblance to the flower.

I do, however, love this quote from Preakness VP of Communications Tiffani Steer (as reported in Forbes):

Unlike the Mint Julep, there’s no fussy heritage to the Black Eyed Susan, which means we can make what we want of it. My preferred recipe comes from David Solmonson, co-author of The 12 Bottle Bar (Workman Publishing, 2014) and the accompanying now-defunct blog. Fortunately, Solmonson’s recipe is preserved by The Washington Post, and I think it’s a fantastic variation. It swaps the bourbon for rye whiskey, the vodka for white rum, and leans on fresh juices instead of schnapps and sour mix.

Black-Eyed Susan

• 2 oz pineapple juice

• 1 oz rye whiskey

• 1 oz white rum

• ½ oz lemon juice

• ½ oz rich simple syrup (2:1)

• ⅙ oz orange liqueur (e.g. Cointreau)

• ½ oz black rum, to float

Add all ingredients except black rum to a mixing glass with ice and stir to combine. Pour into a double old-fashioned glass filled with crushed or nugget ice. Top with a float of black rum. Garnish with an orange wheel with a cocktail cherry in the middle of it.
☞ David Solmonson / The 12 Bottle Bar (slightly adapted for clarity)

Belmont Stakes

The official cocktail of the Belmont Stakes is the Belmont Jewel. Its official recipe calls for 1½ oz bourbon whiskey, 2 oz lemonade, and 1 oz pomegranate juice. It’s not as bad as the Black-Eyed Susan recipe (at least it’s using fresh juice), but 3 ounces of sweet juice really drown out the bourbon.

For my Belmont Jewels I increase the bourbon to 2 oz to help it stand up better to the other ingredients. I also use lemon juice and simple syrup instead of lemonade, which provides more reliable control over sweetness. Finally, I swap out the pomegranate juice for a much smaller amount of real grenadine (not Rose’s, but one made from actual pomegranate).

Belmont Jewel

• 2 oz bourbon

• 1½ oz lemon juice

• ½ oz simple syrup

• ¼ oz real grenadine

• lemon twist, for garnish

Shake bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and grenadine with ice. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.
☞ Alan Joyce / The Sunken Galley

Guest columnist has a banger of a martini recipe lined up for us. It has converted me, and it may convert you too. In his own words:

There are good drinks. There are reliable drinks. There are also good, reliable drinks. The Dirty Martini, as prepared here, is one of these drinks. It’s what I refer to as a Pantry Drink – a drink that requires only ingredients that you will struggle to have expire on you. There’s vodka. And there’s a jar of cocktail olives. The juice from the olives obviates the need for any vermouth and creates a clean, crisp, and pure expression uncomplicated by extraneous components.

In a world full of bitters, infused syrups, shrubs, and freshly-squeezed juices, there’s something satisfyingly reductive about a two-ingredient cocktail that can be conjured almost effortlessly; at almost anytime, at almost any place.

Dirty Martini

• 2 oz vodka

• ½ oz olive brine

• Pimento-stuffed olive, for garnish

Shake vodka and olive brine with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with pimento-stuffed olive (or two, or three) speared on a cocktail pick.
☞ Jonathan Terleski / The Sunken Galley

One recent variant is the NA Deborah, a deceptively simple non-alcoholic cocktail that has surprising complexity, balance, and depth. If you were to serve this drink to someone and not tell them what’s in it, I can almost guarantee they’d assume it has alcohol. (OK, fine, there’s a small amount of alcohol from the Angostura bitters, but at a low enough volume to still be technically NA.)

It’s also extremely easy and quick to make — so much so that I’ve found myself absolutely ripping through my store of lemons to make one after another of these. As cocktails go, it ain’t exactly high art, but it’s damn tasty.

NA Deborah

• 8-10 dashes Angostura bitters

• ¼ lemon

• Coca-Cola Zero Sugar

Fill a double old-fashioned glass with crushed or nugget ice. Add bitters. Squeeze the lemon over the ice and nestle it into the glass. Pour Coca-Cola to fill.
☞ Alan Joyce & Jonathan Terleski / The Sunken Galley, inspired by Deborah / Levi’s Stadium

One such cocktail is the Sazerac. Invented sometime in the second half of the 19th century in New Orleans, it’s undergone numerous iterations, making it hard to parse through exactly how you should make it. My go-to Sazerac recipe used to be one from David Wondrich that involved muddling a sugar cube with bitters, adding rye, and then pouring into a chilled glass rinsed with absinthe. It was good, but there’s a better one out there — a perfect one, even.

Enter Neal Bodenheimer’s Cure: New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em (Abrams, 2022), a fantastic compilation of classic and modern New Orleans cocktail recipes, presented together with stories of the city’s history and culture. If you don’t own this book, you should pick up a copy — preferably at the Garden District Book Shop.

A mere 27 pages into Cure, we get a Sazerac recipe. While not radically different from other recipes, I appreciate how easy it makes it to execute a precise and perfect Sazerac. Instead of rinsing the glass, it relies on spritzing Herbsaint from an atomizer (better both for glass coverage and precise dosage). Instead of relying on imprecise and highly variable dashes, it uses a dropper bottle for the Peychaud’s bitters. It also leverages easily measured Demerara Syrup instead of a muddled sugar cube.

This recipe is so good that for a while I was making one of these every night, and I now keep a stack of constantly chilled Sazerac glasses in my refrigerator at all times:

Sazerac

• 4 spritzes Herbsaint

• 2 oz Sazerac rye whiskey

• ¼ oz Demerara Syrup

• 23 drops Peychaud’s bitters

• Lemon peel, for garnish

Spritz the Herbsaint from an atomizer into the interior of a chilled double old-fashioned glass. Combine the rye, Demerara syrup, and bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir to chill. Strain into the prepared double old-fashioned glass, garnish with the lemon peel, and serve.
☞ Neal Bodenheimer / Cure, reprinted with permission

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3:10 to Yuma is a film about perseverance in the face of persistent temptations to take the easy way out. Arizona rancher Dan Evans (Van Heflin) has multiple chances to walk away from a bad situation, but instead chooses to doggedly pursue justice — namely, getting outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) on a train to jail in Yuma.

As a result, 3:10 to Yuma is also a film about hanging out in an Arizona town for a few hours while waiting for the train, which I think is mainly why I enjoyed it so much. It takes its time, really making you feel like you’re there for every minute of that wait. I thought it was a good pairing for a slow-sipping, spirit-forward cocktail combining spirits from the Old West and México.

I originally created a cocktail with 1½ oz tequila añejo, 1 oz rye whiskey, ½ oz lime juice, bitters, and simple syrup strained over cubed ice and dusted with Tajín. While all these ingredients seem like they could work together, the original formulation wasn’t stellar. At 1½ and 1 oz respectively, the tequila and rye were competing to be the base spirit. The tequila añejo was clashing with the rye. The lime juice just wasn’t working. And the fast-melting cubed ice quickly turned the drink into a diluted mess.

Over the course of a few revisions (seen above), I shifted the recipe to be closer to a Oaxaca Old Fashioned, but with rye instead of mezcal. That meant dialing down the rye to ½ oz, removing the lime juice entirely, and moving to a single large ice cube with an orange twist. I also decided to swap the añejo tequila for blanco so it wouldn’t clash as much with the rye.

And with that, we have…

3:10 to Yuma

• 1½ oz tequila blanco

• ½ oz rye whiskey

• ¼ oz rich simple syrup (2:1)

• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine in a rocks glass. Add one large ice cube and stir. Garnish with Tajín powder and an orange twist.
☞ Alan Joyce / The Sunken Galley

I like a good daiquiri, and I also like a good numbering system, so I’ve always been drawn to the notion that there are canonical, numbered daiquiris — invented by Constante Ribalaigua Vert of the La Floridita bar in Havana — which Spirited enumerates:

1. Daiquiri - The traditional recipe.

2. Daiquiri #2 - A variation with orange and cointreau.

3. Daiquiri #3 (Hemingway Daiquiri) - A variation that adds grapefruit juice and maraschino.

4. Daiquiri #4 (Floridita Daiquiri) - The house La Floridita daiquiri, mostly traditional but with a small amount of maraschino added.

5. Daiquiri #5 (Pink Daiquiri) - A variation incorporating maraschino and a bit of grenadine.

The great thing about this list (other than the fun numbers) is that it’s impossible to pick a favorite. All of them are delicious in different ways. The best way to approach it is simply to make them all.

Daiquiri

The one, the only, the daiquiri. It’s hard to argue with the simple genius of this classic. Refreshing and well-balanced, it’s a vehicle for showcasing great white rum, like my preferred staple: Hamilton White ‘Stache.

A lot of recipes recommend double straining daiquiris to remove the ice shards, but I prefer to single-strain them. I think the shards provide a pleasant texture and a chilling snappiness that’s reminiscent of the best qualities of a frozen cocktail.

Daiquiri

• 2 oz white rum (I recommend Hamilton White ‘Stache)

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• ¾ oz simple syrup

Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel.
☞ Traditional recipe

Daiquiri #2

There’s less pure refreshment here, but that seems to be the intent. The Cointreau and reduction in general sweetness brings a bitter, refined savoriness to this variation.

Daiquiri #2

• 2 oz white rum (I recommend Hamilton White ‘Stache)

• ¾ oz fresh lime juice

• ½ oz simple syrup

• ½ barspoon (0.08 oz) fresh orange juice

• ½ barspoon (0.08 oz) Cointreau

Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.
☞ Constante Ribalaigua Vert / La Floridita

Daiquiri #3 (Hemingway Daiquiri)

As the name indicates, this variation was apparently preferred by Ernest Hemingway, and it is abundantly clear why: the drink is damn good. It’s extremely refreshing — so much so you could easily knock back three or four of these in an afternoon, as I suspect Hemingway may have done. It’s also very well-balanced, with the grapefruit and maraschino liqueur adding a tremendous amount of depth and complexity.

Daiquiri #3 (Hemingway Daiquiri)

• 1½ oz white rum (I recommend Hamilton White ‘Stache)

• 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice

• ½ oz fresh lime juice

• ¼ oz maraschino liqueur

• ¼ oz simple syrup

Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
☞ Constante Ribalaigua Vert / La Floridita

Daiquiri #4 (Floridita Daiquiri)

This is what I would call a good middle-ground daiquiri, and not in a negative way. The maraschino liqueur adds a hint of deeper complexity, but the drink otherwise adheres very closely to the classic formula. You’ve got to admire the simplicity and elegance here.

Daiquiri #4 (Floridita Daiquiri)

• 2 oz white rum (I recommend Hamilton White ‘Stache)

• ¾ oz fresh lime juice

• ½ oz simple syrup

• ½ barspoon (0.08 oz) maraschino liqueur

Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
☞ Constante Ribalaigua Vert / La Floridita

Daiquiri #5 (Pink Daiquiri)

When you hear the words “pink daiquiri” your mind probably doesn’t jump to an image of a beautifully balanced classic cocktail. You may be imagining something overwhelmed by a healthy dose of sickly sweet artificial grenadine syrup.

As it turns out, if you use a high-quality (real) grenadine syrup and keep the amount within reason, it can make a damn good cocktail. This variation is delicious — refreshing and fruity, with just a hint of bitterness.

Daiquiri #5 (Pink Daiquiri)

• 2 oz white rum (I recommend Hamilton White ‘Stache)

• ¾ oz fresh lime juice

• ¼ oz grenadine

• ¼ oz simple syrup

• ½ barspoon (0.08 oz) maraschino liqueur

Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
☞ Constante Ribalaigua Vert / La Floridita

Phew! We made all five daiquiris. It’s time to sign off from the daq’ lab…

Hear me out. We’re going to take some high-quality blended Scotch, absolutely drown it in crushed ice, and add a lemon peel. What we’re going to get is somehow not just watered down Scotch, but instead something entirely transcendent: the Scotch Mist.

Why should you take perfectly good Scotch and let it disappear in a mountain of ice? Because it tastes good. Real good.

Scotch Mist was Walt Disney’s favorite drink for a reason. It’s complex yet refreshing — the perfect cocktail to sip slowly on the patio at the end of a warm California day. The crushed ice captures both the essence of the Scotch and the bright infusion of the lemon twist, combining both parts into a crisp, delicious whole.

Disney California Adventure’s Carthay Circle Lounge serves it using Johnnie Walker Black Label, but I’d recommend picking up some Monkey Shoulder or Compass Box instead. This drink is a showcase for good blended Scotch, so don’t hesitate to experiment with your favorite.

Scotch Mist

• 1½ oz blended Scotch whisky

• A big pile of crushed ice (nugget ice works well too)

• Lemon peel

Fill an Old Fashioned glass with crushed ice. Add Scotch whisky. Express lemon peel over the ice, and then drop into drink. ☞ Traditional recipe

Tokyo Story is a film about family, city life, loss, and changing times. Tokyo Story is also a cocktail made from Japanese whisky, umeshu, falernum, lemon, and allspice dram.

The Japanese whisky represents the old world, the umeshu represents the new world, and the falernum attempts to strike a balance between the two. The allspice dram adds a touch of complexity and depth, and the brightness of the fresh lemon juice represents the hope and new beginnings that are possible even in the face of loss.

Tokyo Story

• 2 oz Japanese whisky (such as Suntory Toki)

• 1½ oz umeshu (a.k.a. plum wine)

• ¼ oz falernum

• ½ oz fresh lemon juice

• ¼ oz allspice dram

Shake with ice cubes. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon slice. ☞ Alan Joyce / The Sunken Galley