Food & Adventures

Monday 24 April 2017

The Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero

One of the reasons we decided to go to Cuba was my love of Rum. It is my favourite spirit and all of my favourite cocktails are Rum based. Staying at the Blau Varadero hotel in Cuba means you get all inclusive food and drink and they have an extensive cocktail menu.

The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - menu

When we first arrived it was late in the evening and we had been travelling for around 12 hours so we were obviously very tired but we thought we would have a quick drink and then head to bed, at least that was the plan...

We ended up getting more than a little drunk and came up with this great idea to try all of the cocktails. Originally we were going to try them all that night but we soon realised it would be impossible to try them all in one night.

On to the drinks...

Mary Pickford
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - Mary Pickford
White rum, Pineapple Juice and Grenadine.

I'd not heard of this cocktail before but it turned out to be great. This was one of Mrs Cool's regular drinks and she said very sweet and refreshing.

Ron Alexander
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - Ron Alexander
White Rum, Dark Cacao Liqueur and milk.

Another one we hadn't heard of before but this one wasn't as successful as the Mary Pickford. It's was a bit bland (maybe we had a small measure of rum in ours) and was watery and just didn't seem to have anything to it.

Mai Tai
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - mai Tai
Dark Rum, Lime Juice, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice and Dark Cacao Liqueur.

A great Rum cocktail. Just a sip of this and you're on holiday. The rum can be hidden behind the fruit juices meaning you can have more rum without it being over powering (although that can lead to a bad head in the morning).

Sunset
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - sunset
White Rum, Coconut Liqueur, Orange Juice and Grenadine.

The Blau Varadero variation of a tequila sunrise with Rum replacing the Tequila and Grenadine on top instead of the bottom. Another cocktail that just tastes of holidays. For best results, you are advised to mix well before drinking. 

Bloody Mary
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - bloody mary
Vodka, Tomato Juice, Lime Juice, Worcestershire Sauce, Salt, Pepper and Tabasco.

My favourite non Rum cocktail. This is a proper grown up drink but it is an acquired taste Mrs Cool said she can only have a few sips of this but I love them.

Margarita
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - margarita
Tequila, Triple Sec, Lime Juice and Salt.

I had a few of these and it made me realise that depending on which bar you go to will determine how good it will be. I found the best ones at the Piano Bar they had the right amount of sourness and a good helping of salt around the rim.

Sex on the Beach
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - sex on the beach
Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Orange Juice and Grenadine.

Mrs Cool said she sickened herself with too much Peach Schnapps in her youth so wasn't looking forward to this one. I'm not a big fan of Peach schnapps either, however, this was a good Sex on the Beach but not a drink we had many of.

Caipiriña
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - caipirina
Cane firewater (Aguardiente de Caña), Lime Juice, Fruit Lime and Sugar.

I still struggle to pronounce this one so I sent Mrs Cool to the bar to order it. A refreshing cocktail nice on a hot day (of which there are a lot in Cuba).

Black Russian
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - black russian
Vodka and Coffee Liqueur.

For years I thought a Black Russian was just a Vodka and Coke, I don't know why.  This could be a harsh drink as it's mostly Vodka but the Coffee Liqueur takes the edge off.

Piña Colada
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - pina colada
Pineapple Juice, Coconut, Milk

The only virgin cocktail we tried was the Pina Colada which was made in a slush machine. However when we found out you can order them 'Con Ron' (with rum) they became Mrs Cool's Favourite cocktail. The best ones were from the pool bar, great for cooling down in the hot sun.

Daiquiri
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - Daiquiri
White Rum, Lime Juice, Sugar and Maraschino.

Named after the beach in Cuba this is a classic Cuban cocktail. This is another good cocktail to cool down with, this one is served over crushed ice with a hint of cherry.

Mojito
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - mojito

White Rum, Mint, Lime Juice, Sugar, Soda and Bitters.

The ultimate Cuban cocktail and my absolute favourite, I make them at home often. They can be a bit too sweet once you've had a few. Like with the Margarita's they varied depending on which bar you went to, the best ones were from the Lobby Bar. 

Blau Varadero
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - blau varadero
White Rum, Coconut, Banana Liqueur, Blue Curaçao and Milk.

Named after the hotel, this cocktail was an unusual one for me. I don't really like milky cocktails, the flavours were not particularly strong and when you mixed it together it went a pale blue. 

Canchánchara
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - canchanchara
Cane Firewater (Aguardiente), Lime Juice and Honey.

Another one I'd never heard of and this one I really liked. I don't think i've had a cocktail with honey in before but it was really good. Great as a post dinner Digestif.

Havana Special
The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - havana special
White Rum, Pineapple Juice and Maraschino.

This one was Mrs Cool's favourite I think she had one every night. She said the combination of pineapple and cherry was delicious and reminded her of a slice of cake.

The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - bar menu


That was all the cocktails but Blau Varadero also have wine, beer, spirits and other drinks available. The Cuba Libré from the Beach Bar are particularly good. Mrs Cool like the wine as usually in all inclusive's the wine is poor but she said it was very drinkable. I also need to give a special mention to the Whisky list as the measures they give are certainly not shy.

The all inclusive Cocktail menu at Blau Varadero, Cuba - whiskey


Well, that's all for now.

S

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5 comments

  1. Looooove this post! I agree that bloody Mary's are an acquired taste, but I'm persevering as I'm determined to like them. Looks a fabulous menu!

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  2. Love your dedication to the cocktail menu. We were in Greece the week before you, which also had an extensive cocktail list. My favourite is definitely Pina Colada. I bet you needed a week of drying out after your holiday lol x

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    Replies
    1. Lol. Come to think of it I haven't had an alcoholic drink since we got back.

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  3. a Sunset for me please!! they all look lovely though you would have to pay me a LOT of money for me to drink a bloody mary. I hate cold tomoatoes

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  4. wondering if you can shed some light on the food menu? Were coming here in a few months but I'm vegan and not sure how much I will be able to eat

    ReplyDelete

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