SeaSomm Posted February 6, 2023 Report Share Posted February 6, 2023 I'm a wine and cocktail geek (I work in the alcoholic beverage industry) and I'll be sailing out of Tampa on Brilliance of the Seas later in the month. Brilliance is a smaller ship with fewer dining and drinking options than some, but I'm looking for advice on where to best get my craft cocktail itch scratched. Do any of the venues have a really savvy bartender able to make recommendations to a knowledgeable drinker, maybe even design a drink based on my preferences? (I know that all the bartenders can theoretically do this, but the skill and knowledge of bartenders varies wildly.) I'm hoping to find a rock star bartender somewhere on the ship. Where are the best places to get a well-made craft cocktail, bartenders aside? I like a good tropical/tiki drink as much as the next person, but will gravitate towards dryer, more complex drinks--to avoid consuming loads of sugar if for no other reason. The wine possibilities look mostly unappealing, so I will probably bring a couple bottles onboard to have at dinner. If anyone knows of a gem wine-list gem in any of the restaurants, I would love to hear about it. Tell me your secrets for drinking well on RC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted February 6, 2023 Report Share Posted February 6, 2023 It's going to vary so much even sailing to sailing as bartenders get rotated around. Just visit each of the bars until you find a bartender who mixes something the way you like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted February 6, 2023 Report Share Posted February 6, 2023 1 hour ago, SeaSomm said: I'm a wine and cocktail geek (I work in the alcoholic beverage industry) and I'll be sailing out of Tampa on Brilliance of the Seas later in the month. Brilliance is a smaller ship with fewer dining and drinking options than some, but I'm looking for advice on where to best get my craft cocktail itch scratched. Do any of the venues have a really savvy bartender able to make recommendations to a knowledgeable drinker, maybe even design a drink based on my preferences? (I know that all the bartenders can theoretically do this, but the skill and knowledge of bartenders varies wildly.) I'm hoping to find a rock star bartender somewhere on the ship. Where are the best places to get a well-made craft cocktail, bartenders aside? I like a good tropical/tiki drink as much as the next person, but will gravitate towards dryer, more complex drinks--to avoid consuming loads of sugar if for no other reason. The wine possibilities look mostly unappealing, so I will probably bring a couple bottles onboard to have at dinner. If anyone knows of a gem wine-list gem in any of the restaurants, I would love to hear about it. Tell me your secrets for drinking well on RC! Secret # 1- sail on an Oasis class ship with many more bar venues. You might have a better chance at finding that bartender you are looking for and that perfect cocktail. bobroo and SeaSomm 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted February 7, 2023 Report Share Posted February 7, 2023 Some of my favorite bartenders have been on the smaller ships… tend to have more personalized service and they know you on a first name basis and even learn what you like/make suggestions based on what you usually have… just my take. dr martini, PRMLVM and Ryan79 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSomm Posted February 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2023 56 minutes ago, Austin said: Some of my favorite bartenders have been on the smaller ships… tend to have more personalized service and they know you on a first name basis and even learn what you like/make suggestions based on what you usually have… just my take. This makes sense. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristiZ Posted February 7, 2023 Report Share Posted February 7, 2023 Talk to the bar manager and find out which sommelier they recommend as the most experienced, then talk to that person about what interests you. There are sometimes one-off bottles or limited supplies of wine that don’t make it to the menu. Never hurts to ask! Also, if you can catch the last one or two sailing before a ship heads to dry dock you can get some great wine deals as they empty their cupboards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSomm Posted February 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2023 46 minutes ago, KristiZ said: Talk to the bar manager and find out which sommelier they recommend as the most experienced, then talk to that person about what interests you. There are sometimes one-off bottles or limited supplies of wine that don’t make it to the menu. Never hurts to ask! Also, if you can catch the last one or two sailing before a ship heads to dry dock you can get some great wine deals as they empty their cupboards! Thank you! Great idea to talk to the sommelier to see what they might have squirreled away. KristiZ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr martini Posted February 7, 2023 Report Share Posted February 7, 2023 from one food business professional to another let me tell you, you'll be just fine, they have recovered from last year's more severe supply problems and the main bars have every standard and many high end options to cover what you're looking for all served by very experienced professionals, most of whom are not running back and washing dishes and stocking towels and doing the napkin wave parade. At bars like schooner bar and in the pub and in the other mainstays along the centrum and other public areas there are pros who do nothing but sling drinks and make all kinds of cocktails all day, everyday with no break, for contract after contract. others here are right, strike up a conversation, find out what the bartender likes, where their previous contract was, which bars and ships they prefer...it's one of my favorite things to do on board. CruiseGus, SeaSomm and FloatyBoaty 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSomm Posted February 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2023 25 minutes ago, dr martini said: from one food business professional to another let me tell you, you'll be just fine, they have recovered from last year's more severe supply problems and the main bars have every standard and many high end options to cover what you're looking for all served by very experienced professionals, most of whom are not running back and washing dishes and stocking towels and doing the napkin wave parade. At bars like schooner bar and in the pub and in the other mainstays along the centrum and other public areas there are pros who do nothing but sling drinks and make all kinds of cocktails all day, everyday with no break, for contract after contract. others here are right, strike up a conversation, find out what the bartender likes, where their previous contract was, which bars and ships they prefer...it's one of my favorite things to do on board. This is really good to hear. My last cruise was on a boutique line and the experience at the bars was great, even if I did have to explain how to make a couple of drinks. The bartenders were skilled, personable and eager to provide a good experience for all of us. I had a great time chatting with them, especially the bartender who most often served me. He was from Ukraine, and I often wonder how he and his family are doing. This is my first RC cruise, so I didn't know what to expect. I'm really looking forward to it. dr martini 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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