Quarantinis: M/Y Arion

What better antidote to the coronavirus than a delicious cocktail? While alcohol might not eliminate the virus, it could go a long way to curing your COVID-19 blues. But not just any drink will do — we gathered only those concoctions created by the finest mixologists on the water.

For BOAT International’s Virtual BOAT Show Quarantine Cocktail Contest, crewmembers from 17 yachts around the globe created delightful, tasty offerings. They jumped at the challenge to find inspiration on board and craft a new Quarantini, using no more than five ingredients and only what was currently on the vessel. We’ll be sharing their creations, inspirations, and how you can make your own in the coming days, so be sure to keep checking Dockwalk.com.

Each drink was judged on creativity, method, and look by cocktail bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr. Lyan, 2019 World’s Most Influential Bar Personality (among other titles) and owner of Super Lyan, Dandelyan, and cocktail restaurant Cub.

Chief Stewardess Gaelle Andries of 37-meter M/Y Arion created three cocktails from combining a brainstorm session around immunity-boosting ingredients and, on the other side, from looking at how people are dealing with the current situation. She categorized them into three groups: the bakers, health gurus, and researchers. Then created a drink catered to them: “The Banana Bread,” “The Booster,” and “The Vaccine.”

“The Banana Bread” (for the bakers)
The bakers are easily recognized in the supermarket baking aisle, fighting each other for the last bag of strong flour, yeast sachets, and tubs of baking powder. They spend their days recreating leading chefs' sourdough breads and using up the panic-bought bananas. For this group, we created "The Banana Bread," a comforting, reassuring drink that will hit the need-for-carb spot instantly.

Cocktail Ingredients:
25ml banana & vanilla rum (or dark rum with a few drops of vanilla)
25ml banana liquor
50ml keffir (or yoghurt)
15ml gomme syrup
1/2 frozen banana

Cocktail Method:
Step 1: Blend all ingredients with a handful of ice, and pour into highball glass.
Step 2: Garnish with homemade granola rim, cookies, and chocolate-covered banana.

Garnish Ingredients:
Banana slices
Dark chocolate chips
Coconut oil

Garnish Method:
Step 1: Freeze the banana slices for half an hour, pre-arranged on serving skewers.
Step 2: Melt the chocolate chips with a dollop of coconut oil in the microwave.
Step 3: Take skewers out of the freezer and cover with melted chocolate. Add chocolate chunks if desired.
Step 4: Return to freezer until use.

“The Booster” (for the health gurus)
This group is on a continuous quest to ensure the quarantine does not affect their rigorous diet and exercise routine, so carefully implemented before the chaos hit. They follow their favorite trainers on YouTube for their daily hit of exercise endorphins and stay away from the cookie cupboard. "The Booster" is their drink of choice, with bell pepper and fennel for an extra vitamin and mineral kick.

Cocktail Ingredients:
50ml tequila
25ml agave (or honey)
25ml lemon juice
big chunk of red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds

Cocktail Method:
Step 1: Muddle fennel, add red bell pepper, and muddle again.
Step 2: Add tequila, honey, lemon and ice. Shake and double strain into martini glass.
Step 3: Garnish with carrot and turmeric chips (see method below), fennel, and coriander.

Garnish Ingredients:
Carrots
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Garnish Method:
Step 1: Use a peeler to make long strips of carrots.
Step 2: Mix all other ingredients in a bowl, add with carrot strips.
Step 3: Lay flat in a baking tray and bake until edges start to brown on 180°C. Remove, cool, and use as garnish.

“The Vaccine” (for the researchers)
Instead of focusing on their hobbies or wellbeing, the researchers put their heart and soul into finding the answer. Hours are spent researching the web for clues and cures — it’s guaranteed that during your next social distancing phone call catch up, they will update you on the latest remedies that might be “the one.” To keep up their morale, we present them with “The Vaccine,” a fresh and citrussy drink that will keep them motivated to find the solution.

Cocktail Ingredients:
50ml vodka
20ml matcha syrup (1/8 tsp matcha powder mixed with 20ml gomme syrup)
1 small lime
100ml ginger/apple juice (1 apple and 1cm fresh ginger freshly juiced)

Cocktail Method:
Step 1: Quarter lime, add it to cocktail shaker and muddle. Add vodka, ginger/apple juice and a handful of ice.
Step 2: Pour everything (including ice) into medical beaker and top with a matcha tuile and syringe filled with matcha syrup.
Step 3: Add smoke in beaker for extra effect.
Step4: When serving the drink, let your guest know to add the contents of the syringe to the drink before consuming.

Suggested Garnish: Matcha Tuiles
Recommended if you want to use smoke as the tuile will cover the beaker edges nicely and keep the smoke in place until serving.

Garnish Ingredients
2 egg whites
125g white sugar
60g multi-purpose flour
1/8 tsp matcha powder
60g butter, room temperature
flaked almonds

Garnish Method:
Step 1: Whisk egg whites. Add sugar, whisk again, add flour and matcha, whisk, add butter and whisk.
Step 2: On baking paper, make thin circles with your mixture, sprinkle almonds on top and bake 6 to 7 minutes on 180° or until the edges start to brown.