Guest Posting by Charlotte McCulloch of Simonseeks.com
Flipping through the in-flight magazine, reading over the emergency procedure card for what seems like the 100th time and contemplating quite how you are going to cope with the kid behind you kicking your chair for the length of your journey may not be the ideal way to stay your holiday. However there is an increasingly popular trend amongst airlines in In Flight Cocktails, guaranteed to help to kick start your holiday in the most luxurious and relaxed way possible.
Here are 5 of the best In-flight cocktails the airlines have on offer at the moment:
Singapore Sling – Available on all Singapore Airline flights, like with all other aspects of its customer service, the cocktails on Singapore Airlines are fantastic. The Singapore Sling synonymous with Singapore’s finest originated in the early 1900’s in the iconic Raffles Hotel, has found its way onto many a cocktail menu, if you can’t experience the real deal itself at the bar in Raffles then one aboard Singapore’s national airline comes a close second. There are several versions of the recipe around although the one you are most likely to find in flight consists of gin, Cointreau, Grenadine, Angostura bitters, cherry brandy and lime and pineapple juice.
It’s 5 O’clock somewhere – Delta Airlines premier cocktail invented by one of their own air hostesses, Linda Kelly, is a mix of rum, orange juice, a splash of cranberry juice, which is served over ice and garnished with a lime. This easy to drink, at any time of the day cocktail is favoured by many a frequent flyer and sure to get your holiday off to a fantastic start. You can even ease your conscience that the Vitamin C in the fruit juices are providing you with some much needed nutrients in the stuffy cabin air.
Virgin Red Head – Available on select Virgin Atlantic flights, most likely to be found on the 747s which include an Upper Class Bar, this refreshing, light cocktail was created for the airline with the help of Bombay Sapphire Gin. The mixture includes, fresh lemon juice, crushed raspberries, framboise and cassis liquors, shaken with Bombay Sapphire Gin and topped with champagne. This beautiful cocktail is complimentary, however unfortunately only available to those lucky enough to fly either Premier Economy or Business Class. If you are in Economy this cocktail might have to be enjoyed at home with your finds from duty free!
T
he Cloud Nine – Cathay Pacific’s signature cocktail includes a heady mix of Cointreau, Vodka and Sprite with a refreshing hint of lemon, like with all aspects of its excellent customer service Cathay Pacific is not content with just one fantastic signature cocktail, instead it has several! If The Cloud Nine isn’t to your taste or you feel like a non-alcohol option, Cathay Pacific offers a delicious alternative with The Oriental Breeze. Now I know what you’re thinking; who wants to know about the non-alcoholic drinks, but this one really deserves a mention. This heavenly concoction is made from a sour plum tea, cranberry juice, honey, fresh lemon juice and a hint of rose water and more than makes up for its lack of alcohol content in taste.
Green Fairy in the Sky – Virgin America boasts the offering of the first absinthe drink being available in the sky, only for the truly brave out there, this supposedly hallucination inducing drink can now be enjoyed at 37,000 feet. The individual bottle complete with cork topper, of Le Tourment Vert Absinthe Francaise is served with any mixer of choice although the drink is recommended to be served with Sprite and a slice of lemon. The drink is free to those at the front of the plane in First Class and Main Cabin Select and can be purchased by those in Economy through Virgin Atlantics seatback touch screen ordering system. Although it can’t be promised that chasing the Green Fairy will make you hallucinate its sure to help any trip off to an interesting if a not entirely memorable start!
Charlotte writes for new travel site Simonseeks.com where you can find inspirational travel guides and expert advice from New York hotels to hotels in Vegas.