At Bloomberg Pursuits, we love to travel. And we always want to make sure we’re doing it right. So we’re talking to globetrotters in all our luxury fields—food, wine, fashion, cars, real estate—to learn about their high-end hacks, tips, and off-the-wall experiences. These are the Distinguished Travel Hackers.
Charlotte Voisey is director of brand advocacy for William Grant & Sons, the family-owned Scottish distillery that counts brands such as Hendrick’s and Balvenie in its portfolio. A former bar manager, she travels across the U.S. promoting the portfolio, whether on television or doling out cocktails from behind the bar. She’s also chairperson of this year’s Spirited Awards, the cocktail world’s answer to the Oscars, which will be given out during the annual Tales of the Cocktail festival beginning this week in New Orleans.
Voisey flies 150,000 miles every year, traveling almost exclusively on OneWorld carriers, particularly American Airlines and British Airways.
You can test the caliber of any bar (or bartender) by ordering this one drink.
The first drink in a bar new to you should always be a daiquiri. Order one if you want to test the bartender. It’s one of those drinks that a great bartender makes flawlessly and correctly. It’s your unwritten handshake, marking you as an insider—you’ll never look or sound stupid ordering a classic daiquiri. Of course, if the bartender says the blender is broken, there’s your answer: You’re definitely in the wrong place. But if he or she makes you a drink the classic way—it should always be hand-shaken [in a shaker with ice, not blended]—you can see instantly how good the person is. Daiquiris are a fine balance of three ingredients, and getting the blend right is very hard. If it’s too sweet, for example, you know the bartender has a heavy hand with sugar, so you should ask him or her to go light on sugar for your next drink. If you want to know how a classic daiquiri should taste, as a baseline I recommend Mace, the NoMad Bar, or BlackTail, all in New York.
Bring this one easy ingredient, and you’ll be able to make a killer cocktail almost anywhere.
The biggest obstacle to making drinks on the go is what you can and can’t bring with you. Airport security officials confiscated a muddler from me once because they thought it looked like a baseball bat. Liquids are difficult, and knives are very difficult. You can’t ask to borrow one on a plane because the airlines don’t have [sharp] ones, either. The secret is in being prepared. Before I go, I cut half a dozen lemons in half and throw then in a ziplock bag to take with me so I can whip out my citrus press or, if I don’t have one, just use my hands. You can either squeeze the lemons into a glass of water for a vibrant wake-up drink, or you can pretty much make any classic cocktail. Get some sugar from the flight attendant, then add gin—you have a gimlet on the rocks. Tequila? It’s a margarita. You can make a sidecar with cognac, lemon, and sugar. You can even make a French 75 if you’re lucky enough to get some Champagne.
The secret to keeping jet lag at bay is the same as the one for keeping the doctor away.
On long-haul flights, hydration, of course, is key. But you can’t just sit and drink water all the time or you’ll forever need to use the bathroom, which isn’t always convenient or comfortable. A friend of mine from New Zealand always jokes that anywhere is a 10-hour flight from there—long-haul flying is something he does a lot. He told me to take apples when I travel to stay hydrated. About 80 percent water, apples are a shortcut—an easy-to-pack, easy-to-eat, superhydrating snack option for travel. When I fly overnight, I pack two: one to eat when I get on the plane and the other when I wake up (breakfast in economy isn’t very exciting). An apple makes me feel a bit more perky. Just remember to toss any extras out before going through customs, because most international borders don’t allow [fresh] fruit across.
The best bar in Atlanta? Try the airport.