Darlox

Since the beginning of 2014, I've been "airline hopping" instead of just slavishly flying UA as I'd done previously. This has really opened my eyes to a lot of the better (and worse) airlines around the globe, but one thing that always sticks with me on long-haul flights is a decent cocktail before dinner, and/or when chatting with FAs and other pax around the galley mid-flight.

From the cutsey BR with their Hello Kitty pink champagne and "Evergreen cocktail", to the impeccable EK with their full onboard bar service, a lot of Int'l carriers have started stepping up their game with palatable drinks. But most/all US-based carriers still stick to the formula of a mini-bottle of alcohol, a can of mixer, and done...

Since I still find myself on UA for a higher-than-average number of flights, I decided to start making my own cocktails inflight with nothing more than what they offer onboard. There's plenty of websites that encourage you to bring your own mini-bottles, shampoo bottles with bitters smuggled inside, or miniature tins of olives in order to make that perfect cocktail in the sky... If that seems a bit over the edge to you, you're not alone, but you're also not out of luck!

Here are a couple of my favorite UA inflight cocktails. The FA may look at you a bit weirdly, but with a smile and brief explanation, they'll give you what you need!

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Classic Sidecar
* 1 bottle Courvoisier cognac
* 1 bottle Grand marnier
* 2 wedges of lemon
* 1 sugar packet
* 1 glass with just a tiny bit of ice
* Stir stick

Remove most/all of the ice into a napkin or other container (the empty nuts bowl works well, if not too hot...) Squeeze the two lemons into the glass and empty the sugar packet in. Pour in the cognac. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add half of the Grand marnier and the ice back in. Stir to combine. Enjoy!

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French 75
* Glass of champagne (or split bottle in economy)
* 1 bottle Bombay sapphire gin
* 3-4 lemon wedges
* 1 sugar packet
* stir stick
* empty glass, if available

Drink half of the glass of champagne... they always over-fill for this purpose! In a separate glass (if available - keeps the champagne from going flat), mix half of the gin, squeezed lemons and sugar packet. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour the gin mixture into the champagne, and stir once just to blend. Enjoy!

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Almond Old Fashioned
* 1 bottle Dewar's scotch
* 1 bottle Amaretto
* Glass of orange juice - 1 or 2 ice cubes inside.
* Sugar packet (if desired)
* stir stick

Drink most of the glass of orange juice before the ice melts... leave maybe 1/4 of the glass left. Empty at MOST half of the sugar packet into the juice and stir to dissolve. Add the full bottle of scotch and about 1/3rd of the bottle of amaretto. Stir until the ice is mostly dissolved. Enjoy!


What else have you got?

riphamilton

...and i thought that i was being slick by ordering mimosas thanks to the new domestic prosecco.

UA-NYC

Ah man this is brilliant. Here's another one, submitted by a UA FA a few years ago and published in Hemispheres (note - this is NOT the great "Coastal Breeze" cocktail formerly on PS, that had Absolut Mandarin).

Sunrise Sunset
Tito's vodka
Cran-apple
Splash of OJ
Lime

Mmmm I can down a bunch of these after I've had my fill of 312.

ACC2008

This is one of my all time favorite drinks of all time!

- Can of cranberry juice
- Can of club soda
- cup of ice

Mix half club soda, half cran juice and ice and enjoy!

Billiken

Ah.....the French 75.
In 1991, for approx three months, I was flying TW STL-PHL-STL weekly, in paid F.
On one particular Friday, I ordered a French 75.
The FAs didn't know what it was.

I explained the mixture.
Several other F pax on the L-1011 ordered the same.
(Okay, it was domestic sparkling wine and Tanqueray.)
We took a mx delay leaving PHL.
Before we got too STL the plane was out of gin.

Darlox: Thanks for the memory "jog".

TravelerMSY

Now those martini shaker sets in the tiny suitcases aren't seeming quite so silly.....

schmoove

I use the Carry on cocktail kit

http://carryoncocktailkit.com/?variant=914694295

Can only make an Old Fashioned with it but its a fun little kit.

AlohafromKOA

I love making my own cocktails on board and do it frequently. Has anyone experienced this? While sitting F or E+ on numerous flights in 2014, FA has stated there were only 2 Cognacs per cart on the flight. Can this be true?

Fragola

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who likes club soda + juice (apple/orange/cranberry). I was once told by a FA that asking for that combo was quite unusual. FA was sure she had been on one of my previous flights based on my drink order!

Although it's too late for this year, the Carry On Cocktail Kit sounds like a great FT Secret Santa gift.

SCToni

I realize that the kit advertised in the link here doesn't include liquor. But please don't bring on alcohol in your liquid zippy (whether in liquor mini bottles purchased on previous flights, at liquor stores or poured into your own containers). Serving alcohol to yourself on board a plane is against regulations and for good reasons. What if everybody on board did this?

schmoove

I've never had a problem getting the FA to serve me a drink I've brought on board.

nlkm9

funny,
ive been trying to figure out the best way to get a dirty martini on us air domestic. I used to be a delta girl and they had mojitos and such.
open to suggestions

coopgirl703

Many of my flights don't have lime or lemon so I carry a couple of packets of True Lemon or Lime. Not a true twist but sure is a better way to enjoy when sans lime!

UA-NYC - that's my favorite! Great with or without the vodka

WillTravel

I like orange juice + club soda too, but I usually order a glass of each .

So that makes three so far!

nlkm9

so to make a martini, do you suggest vodka, or gin, ice and some lime? hmm, nope, that would be a gimlet. LOL.