A-Z Blogging Challenge 2025 - C is for Cocktails and Coca-Cola

As I travel the world I take many photos that pique my interest, these could be lumped into a "peculiar category" ie. they are peculiar to my interests and may be different from what one usually sees in a collection of travel photos.

For the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge in 2025 my theme is Peculiar Pics. During April I invite you to join me for an online tour of Peculiar Pics from my digital albums. These will be sourced from my travels between April 2024 to March 2025.

Today I celebrate some of my favourite beverages. While Coke Zero is a regular on my menu I only indulge in Cocktails at Happy Hours or when they are included in the cost of our Regent cruises.  

I am constantly amazed at the penetration the Coca-Cola Company has in all areas of the world.

Malaga, Spain

Tangier, Morocco

Cadiz, Spain

Vannes, France

Quick lunch - Barcelona, Spain

Athens, Greece

On Board Eurostar - London to Lille

Passau, Germany

Budapest, Hungary

A Warehouse? - A Coruna, Spain

Take a seat - Kobe, Japan

And then there's my other fave. I'm working my way through the cocktail menu on Regent ships and must remember to photograph them before diving in.  

Qantas First Class Lounge, Sydney

Regent Seven Seas Splendor

It was tasty - Qantas First Class Lounge - Sydney, Australia

Beatles Night - Regent Seven Seas Navigator

His and Hers Harvey Wallbangers - Regent Seven Seas Mariner

Pre-show Bevvies - Seven Seas Navigator

Espresso Martini - Seven Seas Splendor

This may have been Fruit Juice - Seven Seas Splendor

In Anno Itinerantur - C is for Cocktails

In the past year since  travel opened up for Australians Robert and I have taken several journeys at home and overseas. While I posted many photos of these adventures on Facebook I want to leave a more permanent record of some of our adventures. This challenge provides me with opportunities to share my photos and stories while recording some personal history. 

I plan to share photos and stories from our travels between April 2022 and March 2023.  My theme this year is In Anno Itinerantur. 

While I never drink expensive cocktails at home I make it my business to try a few when travelling. We may indulge when there is an offer of half-price drinks during a happy hour. When Cruising on Regent, where the cocktails are included in the fare, I enjoy one some evenings. I've sampled a few but haven't yet been brave enough to try a Long Island Iced Tea which is reputed to be rather potent.

I can't remember the names of some of these tipples pictured below that I've tried in the last twelve months!

I enjoyed this one recommended by another passenger 

An after dinner Espresso Martini

Harvey Wallbanger, a favourite from the 70s

The waiter had a tray of these champagne based cocktails so I tried one

Same story as with the previous image

Yet another offering from a tray bearing waiter

I think I liked this one

My strawberry daquiri was too icy

Happy Hour cocktails in Tahiti had tropical names

Cocktail of the day at our ski resort in Japan

The coffee beans indicate that this is an Espresso Martini

Happy Hour Strawberry Daquiri on Kimberley cruise was rather good

Back to the 70s

Harvey Wallbanger - a fave tipple from the seventies. On Regent Seven Seas Mariner tonight.

Whenever we order this drink we are met with puzzled looks from the young drink waiters.

Harvey Wallbanger x 2

I blogged about Harvey in 2012. Old habits die hard.

Hugo

Meet Hugo. My new favorite tipple. Champagne, Elderflower, soda ice and mint. So refreshing.

Fruit Break

A special cocktail for me on Mother's Day at Castaway Island in Fiji. Thanks to son and daughter for the treat. 

I like strawberries served this way!

A New Bevvy

I have added a new beverage to my repertoire - presenting the Appletini.

Harvey

On my recent cruise my habit was to have a Strawberry Daquiri after dinner while watching the show. After about 20 nights of daquiris I thought I needed a change. I told my waiter that I wanted a long refreshing drink, not too sweet, with perhaps a vodka base.

After a few minutes Veejay, the waiter, came back beaming "I have a Harvey Vallbanger for you" he said. I exclaimed "A Harvey Wallbanger - that's perfect - we used to drink those in the seventies." I enjoyed my reunion with Harvey so much that from that time on I changed my post dinner drink to a Harvey Wallbanger.

I was quite a trendsetter as I noticed after a few nights that more ladies on the ship were getting to know Harvey.

Now I am home I thought I would find a recipe for a Harvey Wallbanger so that Mr Geniaus could prepare one for me.

This is from About.com at http://cocktails.about.com/od/atozcocktailrecipes/r/hrvy_wlbngr_ckt.htm

This drink was created as one of those "all I got in the bar" drinks. Supposedly, the host of a party in the mid 60's had only vodka, orange juice andGalliano available. After a couple of these drinks a guest named Harvey was found to be banging his head against the wall and cursing the drink that caused him his misery. As such, the Harvey Wallbanger was born.

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

Yield: 1 Drink

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz vodka
• 1 1/2 oz orange juice
• 1/4 oz Galliano
• orange slice for garnish
• maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour the vodka and orange juice into a collins glasswith ice cubes.
2. Add the Galliano.
3. Garnish with the orange slice and maraschino cherry.