The Big O: A Martini Beneath Belfast Skies
Some travel memories arrive with a passport stamp. Others arrive in a martini glass.
During my recent Eclipse Across Belfast Skies voyage with Oceania in August, I discovered the rather aptly named Big “O” Martini.
Perhaps it was inevitable. After all, O is my initial, the first letter of Oceania — and, as it turned out, the perfect symbol for a journey defined by beautiful skies, open water and the luxury of time.
The Big “O” is a citrus-led creation of Grey Goose L’Orange, Cointreau, orange juice, cranberry and fresh lime. Bright, elegant and slightly playful, it is less traditional martini and more sunshine captured in a glass.
And on a voyage beginning beneath the skies of Belfast, with the anticipation of an eclipse ahead, it felt entirely appropriate.
One of the pleasures of cruising is discovering that luxury isn’t always about grand gestures. Sometimes it is simply having nowhere to be.
A late afternoon at sea.
The changing northern light.
A horizon stretching endlessly ahead.
And a beautifully made cocktail in hand.
The Big “O” became one of those small details that made the voyage memorable. Not because it was the grandest experience of the journey, but because it belonged to that delicious space between destinations — when the day’s adventures were behind you and tomorrow had yet to begin.
Looking back, the O seems to have followed me everywhere: Onanta, Oceania, Ocean and, of course, the Big O.
A fitting cocktail, then, for a journey beneath Belfast skies.
Sometimes the best memories come with a little “O” in them.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ oz. Grey Goose L’Orange Vodka
- ½ oz. Cointreau
- ½ oz. orange juice
- ½ oz. cranberry juice
- Fresh lime juice (a splash)
- Orange slice (for garnish)
Directions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Pour in the vodka, Cointreau, orange juice, and cranberry juice.
- Shake well until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a martini glass.
- Top with a splash of fresh lime juice.
- Garnish with an orange slice and serve.
You can read more about their signature drink offerings directly from the official Oceania Cruises Recipe Blog
