Companies create exclusive cocktail that will mature in a barrel on Queen Mary 2 over next four months
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Cunard Line has joined with British hotel The Savoy and US whiskey manufacturer Jack Daniel’s to produce an exclusive, limited edition cocktail that will mature in a barrel onboard its flagship Queen Mary 2 over the next four months.
Created by the team at The Savoy’s Beaufort Bar, the Age Of Discovery cocktail has been inspired by the tastes and aromas of 39 ports and 29 countries Queen Mary 2 will visit during her four-month world cruise. It has also been designed to represent the era of ocean exploration between the 15th and 18th centuries.
“The Jack Daniels and Bacardi represent the discovery of the Americas, while the Dubonnet is there as a symbol of Cunard’s royal associations,” said Neil Donachie from the Beaufort Bar. “The spice-infused Madeira, used to sweeten the cocktail, is synonymous with the famous spice trail and oceanic expeditions.”
The cocktail has been sealed in a 300-litre Jack Daniel’s first fill American oak barrel from the company’s distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, which was chosen by Daniel Baernreuther, assistant food and beverage director at The Savoy. The barrel will be secured in open deck space throughout the 41,000 nautical mile voyage, which departed from Southampton, UK on 10 January, exposing it to various elements and temperatures.
“We have a great partnership with The Savoy and the team has been hand-selecting its own Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel for five years,” said Nidal Ramini, head of advocacy at Jack Daniel’s. “It’s great to take this partnership to another level and be involved with Age of Discovery. As the only whiskey company in the world to make our own barrels, the idea of a barrel-aged cocktail, containing the very whiskey that Daniel choose when we went to Tennessee together, travelling the world, was music to our ears. We can’t wait to see and taste the outcome, and see how the special Jack Daniel’s cocktail reacts to the elements.”
Angus Struthers, Cunard director, said: “We are delighted to be able to create Age of Discovery during Queen Mary 2’s 2016 world voyage and to be able to offer our guests on the voyage the opportunity to try the non-aged version of this very special cocktail onboard our flagship. By combining the special edition cocktail’s aging process with Queen Mary 2’s world voyage we will ensure Age of Discovery is a genuinely unique creation.”