We didn’t get to go to the Soggy Dollar this last trip to St. John and I was sad. Maybe next year.
In the US, martinis (and gibsons, manhattans, cosmos, etc) often have an upcharge vs a G&T (as an example) for that reason. But I’ve never heard of an upcharge for a very dry vs dry vs regular martini. Not that I can afford places with $6 upcharges anyway. 
Across the pond, in many places if you order a mixed drink, you pay for the booze with an upcharge for the mixer.
In the Caribbean the juice is more expensive than the liquor.
We are going to St. John in July! Love reading about The Soggy Dollar!!
Has anyone tried a barrel aged cocktail? A few years ago we took a trip to Charleston and I had a barrel aged Manhattan at Husk. Smooth and delicious - the kind of drink it would be easy to get in trouble with! On a recent trip to St. Kitts we did a great rum tasting but also enjoyed a great Dark and Stormy made with homemade ginger beer.
I wonder if vacation cocktails would taste as good if we weren’t on vacation?
If it’s not made with gin, it’s not a martini. Just sayin’. 
James Bond’s original martini from the books:
For a group: Bootlegs. Mix one can frozen lemonade, one can frozen limeade and lots of fresh mint in the blender. Drink is one part rum or vodka, one part blender mix, and one part club soda, on the rocks, stir well. Summery and refreshing. Can make without booze too and is still tasty. You can store the mix in the fridge for a couple days too.
That sounds like my kind of drink, @chardonMN!
Great thread! I am saving it to try the margarita and sangria recipes.
I love margaritas on the rocks with salt. My lazy at home drink is Malibu rum with Sparkling Ice as the mixer. I use the coconut-pineapple with some black cherry or raspberry.
I’d like to learn how to make a variety of cocktails. I like most rum drinks, hard ciders, and a good spicy Bloody Mary. Once we move this summer, I told DH we should set up a small bar.
DH is a beer guy and I’ve never learned to like wine.
After we moved to San Diego, we started having occasional pool and deck parties so I went hunting group drinks. Started with Whole Citrus Margaritas:
Serves 10.
4 naval oranges
2 lemons
2 limes
1/2 cup sugarfine sugar
1/4 cup Cointreau
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1 1/2 cups tequila
10 lime wedges
10 cups ice.
Juice the oranges, lemons, and lime. Pour into large pitcher. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Stir in the Cointreau, Triple Sec, and Tequila. To serve: Pour salt onto a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the top of each glass and dip the glass in the salt. Fill each glass halfway with ice and pour in the juice mixture. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.
Of course we increased the recipe to make full pitchers.
And then we tried white Sangria (we have lemon trees):
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1/2 cup sugar
1 bottle dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
1 bottle soda water
1 orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
In a large pitcher, combine orange juice, lemon juice, Triple Sec, and sugar; stir until well combined. Add the bottle of wine and soda water; stir well. Garnish with orange and lemon slices.
Again, doubled/tripled the recipe.
I picked up Mexican orange liqueur (Controy) during a cruise and use it in these recipes. We have a lot of different orange liqueurs - Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, Controy, Cointreu, and Curacao.
Just a heads up- that drink at Soggy Dollar is going to cost you a lot! :). The customs fees, charter boat (there might be a BVI ferry again- it all stopped after the storm) all add up. (Worth it). Take your passport.
I keep reading this thread and think that I need to mix SOMETHING. ? But I am just too darn lazy… a glass of red will do tonight.
Be sure to share what it’s like at St Johns now. We love staying there and the bvi’s, but haven’t been since the storm. I heard trunk bay is open but all out buildings were completely destroyed.
Will do!
This is crazy but I was about to post about that exact same drink from Husk in Charleston! I thought I didn’t care for Manhattans until I had this one and it was, hands down, the best cocktail I’ve ever had. I was sorely tempted to order a second one but refrained because you’re right; it would be very easy to get in trouble with this one!
If anyone is traveling to Charleston, you owe it to yourself to go the Husk and order this drink.
We just got back @eyemamom . We went last May, too. Caneel is not back and may never be. Maho has concessions and so does Honeymoon. Cinnamon is being rebuilt. The beaches are wonderful and most restaurants are back. Still a lot of rebuilding and repair going on, but it’s all still the best place on earth.
I can’t do Bourbon. I had a most unfortunate interaction with bourbon and coke in college, and I can’t even stand the smell of it now.
Gin has an odd sour taste to me.
I like vodka sometimes. Absolute with vanilla is refreshing-it’s almost more of an aroma rather than a taste. Some of the flavored vodkas taste like they have syrup in them,while Absolute does a more nuanced job with them. IMO.
@houndmom we drank quite a few Negroni and Aperol Spritzes while in Italy. I really started to enjoy amari and there are a lot of recent articles with small batch Amari that I would like to try. I think you’ll really enjoy a Boulevardier. I have also really enjoyed Bourbon;)
“I can’t do Bourbon. I had a most unfortunate interaction with bourbon and coke in college, and I can’t even stand the smell of it now.”
That’s me but change the details to Kahlua and High School. 