Cocktails while traveling

[haresfur]

What do you like to make when traveling, when you may be limited in the kit and supplies you can take along? Any ideas for iceless camping drinks? If you had to bring just one bottle, what would it be? Are there a few choice items that would give you a good range of drinks to mix?

I was at a kayak symposium recently and, although I'd brought a variety of bottles along, I ended up making Dark and Stormy variations that were well received and easy enough: Cruzan dark rum, 1/2 lime juiced, and ginger beer. Even warm, they were quite tasty. I'd give you more precise measures but they varied widely as the night wore on...

[Sukie]

one???? just one bottle????

no...I think I'd need a few more

a dark and stormy for this event sounds nice...

[Chris Amirault]

Depends on where you're going! If you've got access to good fruit, especially tropical fruit, then I'd bring rum. If not, I'd bring a rye or bourbon, some sugar, and bitters, knowing you can always make an old fashioned. Then there's the ice issue....

[bigbear]

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If you've got access to good fruit, especially tropical fruit, then I'd bring rum.

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Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 is great for sipping on its own. No ice needed. It will also mix well.

[Chris Amirault]

As are lots of rums. Trying to think about cocktails here, as per the request.

Which reminds me that you could bring one bottle that has your liquors premeasured. (Not citrus, of course; don't want that oxidizing.) Manhattans, Negronis, Martinis... sky's the limit.

[bigbear]

As are lots of rums. Trying to think about cocktails here, as per the request.

Which reminds me that you could bring one bottle that has your liquors premeasured. (Not citrus, of course; don't want that oxidizing.) Manhattans, Negronis, Martinis... sky's the limit.

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mmmmm..... Warm Martinis out of a bottle.

[haresfur]

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If you've got access to good fruit, especially tropical fruit, then I'd bring rum.

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Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 is great for sipping on its own. No ice needed. It will also mix well.

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Both points are well taken. As nice as a flask of single malt whisky may be, a really good rum may be more versatile for sipping and mixing - if you don't feel too sinful using it in cocktails. Citrus keeps ok, and now that I see the hint that you can freeze lemons (& I assume limes) they can keep the cooler chilled, too! But, yeah, good fresh fruit would be a good reason to go with rum.

Now if you want to add bitters into the mix, what about a good brandy? Sidecars, brandy Sazeracs, and you can drink it straight and warm if you have no ice...

[lancastermike]

In my hazy memory I seem to remember someone doing a foodblog about taking there bar on vacation with them. More extensive than the one bottle topic here.

I am going on vacation in a few weeks and I will be taking a bottle of rye and some bitters. My wife some gin and mariscino. perhaps a few other bottles as well. Will also be taking a shaker and a strainer.

[ShadowedOne]

I'm working up my own travel cocktail kit. My plan is to build a kit that will allow me to make a number of cocktails with the plan of buying spirits and/or juices where ever I happen to be.

Here is what I'm planning to include at this point:

Angostura Bitters (Dropper)

Peychaud's Bitters (Dropper)

Regan's Orange (Dropper)

Fee's Old Fashioned (Dropper)

Absinthe (Dropper)

Maraschino (Dropper)

Sugar (White)

Sugar (Demerara)

Spoon

Knife

Wine Opener

Shaker

Strainer

Jigger/Measuring Cup

The only problem I'm still mulling over is by adding a shaker to the kit I greatly increase the size. So that may be an optional item.

Any one else have something similar?

[brinza]

Depends on where you're going! If you've got access to good fruit, especially tropical fruit, then I'd bring rum. If not, I'd bring a rye or bourbon, some sugar, and bitters, knowing you can always make an old fashioned. Then there's the ice issue....

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The answer to that is . . . scaffas!

[Chris Amirault]

Now I'm confused. Are you asking about cocktails as per the topic title, which implies access to ice, or are you asking about hooch to drink neat?

[Forest]

Okay, I think the question is iceless drinks for camping, correct? If you're camping & your in Eastern Washington...I assume it's getting colder there now & I'm assuming you've got heating abilities...how about going the opposite of ice-needing cocktails and think warm alcoholic drinks? Not Irish Coffees which would be a pain with the cream...but some kind of toddy's or something. I don't do a lot of warm drinks, so nothing amazing is springing to mind. But...maybe it's a starting place for looking up something interesting.

[Dangermonkey]

I'm working up my own travel cocktail kit.  My plan is to build a kit that will allow me to make a number of cocktails with the plan of buying spirits and/or juices where ever I happen to be.

Here is what I'm planning to include at this point:

Angostura Bitters (Dropper)

Peychaud's Bitters (Dropper)

Regan's Orange (Dropper)

Fee's Old Fashioned (Dropper)

Absinthe (Dropper)

Maraschino (Dropper)

Sugar (White)

Sugar (Demerara)

Spoon

Knife

Wine Opener

Shaker

Strainer

Jigger/Measuring Cup

The only problem I'm still mulling over is by adding a shaker to the kit I greatly increase the size.  So that may be an optional item.

Any one else have something similar?

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Trick is to put everything you can into the shaker for transport !

The Germans had some fiendishly complicated bar kits in the 20's and 30's that had all the tools and multiple containers (flasks,garnishes, measuring tools,etc.,) While less elegant , I suggest bringing a larger shaker that you can pack things in - keeps them drier too. As for padding - that's what the first aid kit supplies are for.

Edited September 18, 2008 by Dangermonkey (log)

[brinza]

This Spring, I set out to devise a portable cocktail bar that could be carried on a bicycle. This is what I came up with. I took an Axiom rack trunk and turned it into a portable martini bar. There is ample room to add a few more items to increase the variety of drinks that could be made. In this photo you can see gin miniatures (the vodka bottle is for vermouth, naturally); a mini shaker; a thermos (with insulated case) for ice; orange bitters; and two small cylinders for olives and twists. Plastic martini glass are slung onto the side by velcro straps.

If more liquor is required, a 375ml bottle fits nicely. Since the entire rack trunk is insulated, the gin can be pre-chilled and will stay cold (and the olives and twists will stay fresh) for a long time:

And, for those who insist on a being served their drink on a real wood bar, even out on a bike trail . . .

[MattJohnson]

Thats awesome, brinza. Just watch out, someone told me that its possible to get a DUI on a bike!

[haresfur]

This Spring, I set out to devise a portable cocktail bar that could be carried on a bicycle.  This is what I came up with.  I took an Axiom rack trunk and turned it into a portable martini bar.  There is ample room to add a few more items to increase the variety of drinks that could be made.  In this photo you can see gin miniatures (the vodka bottle is for vermouth, naturally); a mini shaker; a thermos (with insulated case) for ice; orange bitters; and two small cylinders for olives and twists.  Plastic martini glass are slung onto the side by velcro straps.

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Very cool!

Also all the other good ideas.

To clarify: I didn't want to restrict the topic too narrowly, sorry for any confusion. I think there's a sliding scale of capacity or complexity. Certainly, sometimes when I'm camping I don't have access to ice, but some trips, ice may not be an issue (unless you demand a certain size or temperature ). If two bottles or a few flasks would make up your ideal traveling bar, I'd be interested in hearing about it. The mini shaker could come in handy...

Also if there is a drink list that matches your somewhat minimalist bar, let's hear it. Thanks.

[JAZ]

For equipment, we used to travel with this set. Loved the glasses, but other than that, it wasn't the greatest -- the shaker is small, and there's not much room for extras. I could fit a picnic knife and a small plastic citrus reamer under the molded plastic holder, and could fit a small lemon and lime inside the shaker, but that was it.

At Tales of the Cocktail this summer, Plymouth gave away a very cool looking bartender's kit. From the outside it looks like a picnic wine cooler that will hold two or three bottles, but it's fitted with a Boston shaker, double-ended jigger, bottle opener, bar spoon, muddler, strainer and Mexican style citrus press, all strapped onto a center board with elastic straps. The center piece pulls out and all your equipment is right there. (If I can find batteries for my camera, I'll post a picture.) I used that for the first time on my latest vacation.

The problem is that the items are pretty cheap. (Hey, I'm not complaining; it was free.) The glass half of the shaker, which was very lightweight, broke; the metal half is warped. The citrus press isn't deep enough for lemons, and it's aluminum, so it's already starting to discolor. However, I'm thinking that if I replace the items that came in it with higher quality, and swap the bottle opener for a picnic knife, I'll be all set.

There is no room for bottles, so that's a whole other problem.