EPTSo I dropped my bags off at my hotel and I went in search for drinks!
I decided to wander up Douglas Street when I saw a Cactus Club! Now, despite Cactus Club being a fairly overpriced chain, they have a drink I absolutely adore, so I decided to swing in to nab one and see what else was on their menu.
Cactus Club Cafe is by all means a chic place, with consistently low lighting, scrumptious (but overpriced) food and a list of martinis and drinks that really bring in the crowd. When I got inside, I initially felt a little shy about ordering nothing but a drink at 11:30 in the morning, but my stomach would just not put up with anymore food at that point in time. So I awkwardly pardoned myself from being seated at a table and shimmied up to the bar. I knew the first drink I was going to order before I even had to glance at the menu: a bellini. It is described exactly like this on their menu:
the bellini
- better than sex! Peach schnapps, champagne, appleton white rum & sangria
- better than sex! Peach schnapps, champagne, appleton white rum & sangria
Yes, they claim that it's better than sex, and, considering something like half of all females can't orgasm from sex (sorry, but no drink can beat and orgasm), I think it's pretty close to a true. What the menu doesn't tell you is that the bellini isn't just a mix of various alcohols, it's a slurpee of them. A nice, smooth, icy mix of peach and rum with a bit of champagne to give it some extra texture and the sangria to give it a nice fruity bite that prevents you from feeling like you just paid $8 for a kid's drink. It is the perfect drink on a hot day, especially for other peach lovers like me. It is absolutely delicious!
After letting the bellini settle my stomach, I decided to be a little more adventurous. I was told that on Sundays that caesars were the special. I had never heard of a caesar before and was fairly curious as to what they were. Apparently, they are wildly popular on Sundays, because ever bar, pub and restaurant that makes them has them on special on Sundays. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it other than it's what a bloody mary should be, but Cactus Club describes it as:
caesar
– smirnoff vodka, mixed with our signature blend of spices, clamato juice and pickled beans
– smirnoff vodka, mixed with our signature blend of spices, clamato juice and pickled beans
It actually didn't sound particularly appealing to me, but I saw someone else get one and noticed it had a mozzarella ball, a stuffed green olive, an onion and some kind of pepper all as decor for the drink. As I love all of those things, I decided I would try it out and write it off as an expensive hors d'œuvre if I could not stomach it. It turns out I love the damn things.
It isn't as thick as a bloody mary, so your mouth doesn't fight with the heavy texture being combined with alcohol. Instead, it's light and refreshing. The vodka is not noticeable at all and, instead, a blend of spices that seem to be straight out of some delightful culinary creation tickle your taste buds. Admittedly, I enjoyed munching on the decor that I was given with my drink, but would have quickly traded them for another few sips of the delightful concoction. Also, being the sodium addict I am, I was pleased to find the spices that flavored the drink encrusted the rim with salt... and I happily licked it off.
Now appetized from my tasty drink, I decided to wander up to my favorite bar/pub/foodplace in Victoria and had a very, very unpleasant surprise...
