If you've ever wondered what shipwrecked champagne tastes like, Hurtigruten Norway and Rathfinny Wine Estate have offered a solution.
Havets Bobler is a 2018 blend of pinot noir, pinot Lumiere and chardonnay. Photo Credit: Brittany Chrusciel
Inspired by bottles found onboard a 170-year-old Finnish shipwreck, this special British sparkling wine has been dubbed Havets Bobler and is a 2018 blend of pinot noir, pinot Lumiere and chardonnay.
In an unusual celebration, Norway-based cruise line Hurtigruten submerged 1,700 bottles of wine more than 100 feet under the Norwegian Sea for six months to commemorate their 130th anniversary. Guests can now reap the benefits with a taste -- or entire bottle -- of bubbles from the world's northernmost underwater wine cellar.
"The low temperature and high pressure results in a rounder mouthfeel with softer bubbles," explained master sommelier Richard Molvaer.
I was onboard Hurtigruten's refurbished Trollfjord, sailing the first half journey of its Svalbard Express route from Bergen to Longyearbyen (Svalbard). I boarded on June 17 for a weeklong cruise.
The deep sea-aged bubbly is just one part of Hurtigruten's refreshed beverage program. True to its Norwegian heritage, the cruise line now offers a selection of 14 aquavits -- a distilled Scandinavian spirit -- including an exclusive Trollfjord edition.
The cocktail menu found in the 1893 Bar onboard the MS Trollfjord premiered on the last voyage. It took two to three months to develop. The mixology draws not only from local spirits but also seasonal ingredients, like black currants and crowberries. The fresh flavors complement an 11 p.m. nightcap with unimpeded views of Norway's stunning coastline, courtesy of summer's midnight sun.
Bar manager Kim Seach serves cocktails in the 1893 Bar. Photo Credit: Brittany Chrusciel
That bodes well for bar managers Kim Seach and Nicolai Trevnand, whose sole inspiration in creating the new menu was the terroir and history of Norway. "All of our cocktails are related to a story or place," Seach tells me. "The drink named Skogstur i Marka is basically a vodka soda, but we harvested pine needles ourselves from Traena and infused them into the vodka."
A signature cocktail named Epleslang is made with apple liqueur, apple spirit, fresh apple and lime. "This is a Norwegian word that actually evokes a memory," Seach explains. "It's that guilty but pleasurable feeling you get as a child when you steal an apple from your neighbor's tree. We want the drink to evoke the sweetness of childhood."
"Last summer we probably made 700 espresso martinis and countless Aperol spritzes," Seach says. "We needed a way to introduce guests to something new, so we created a drink with Aperol, but paired it with casked aquavit, lime and cardamom."
The drink isn't on the official menu, but Seach emphasizes that the bar team prefers to adapt the cocktail to each person and tailor the ingredients based on what they're looking for.
This was the case with my Cardamom Fizz, a zero-proof concoction made with apple, ginger and the namesake spice. The mocktail perfectly adhered to my often-overlooked request for something dry and not too sweet.
As for that aquavit? "It's Norway in a glass," says Seach. "It translates to the water of life."
All cocktails are included when booked in a Hurtigruten suite. A la carte, they are the equivalent of $17. A magnum bottle of the Havets Bobler retails for about $115.