Culture and Entertainment

Cocktail Diaries: Playa De Las Americas, Tenerife

Cocktail Diaries: Playa De Las Americas, Tenerife

It’s no secret that I love a cocktail or two… or ten. What’s not to like? They taste good, they’re refreshing and they quite often look pretty too.

I usually opt for Sex on the Beach pretty much every single time (yes, I’m still talking about cocktails!), but when I spent a week in Tenerife last month, I decided to broaden my horizons by venturing into the land of new cocktails. With a few Sex on the Beach in between, of course. 🍹

[column-group][column] Sex on the Beach, Parque Santiago III. Vodka, orange juice, cranberry juice, peach liqueur, grenadine and lemon.[/column][column]Green wake-up smoothie, Parque Santiago III. Kale, kiwi, cucumber and lime.[/column][/column-group]

Naturally, being a blogger, I photographed the very first cocktail I drank by the pool on the very first day, and when I noticed just how wonderful they looked, I decided to document each and every one (almost!) in order to start something new here on Ashton Jade – the cocktail diaries!

Yep. Basically just an online photo album of cocktails from different destinations. And I’m starting it off with one of my favourite places on the planet, Playa De Las Americas.

Sex on the Beach, Royal Garden Restaurant. Vodka, peach liqueur, orange juice and grenadine.
Grasshopper, Royal Garden Restaurant. White créme de cacao, créme de menthe and light cream.

[column-group][column]San Francisco, Playa Sol Restaurant. Orange, peach, pineapple and grenadine. (And we added vodka shots!)[/column][column]Sex on the Beach, Restaurant Mamma Mia. Orange juice, cranberry juice, vodka and peach liqueur.[/column][/column-group]

We enjoyed plenty of drinks in cafés by the sea, and a number of them accompanied our evening meals, but the majority of them were sipped by the pool side in our gorgeous hotel, Parque Santiago III. Their Sex on the Beach had a different look and taste to a standard ones (despite having very similar ingredients), with more of a sour tang to it and a less orange-y colour. They must have tasted good though – I had a fair few of them!

We also had an abundance of drinks on the strip too but, needless to say, these didn’t get photographed; they weren’t made to look pretty, didn’t taste quite as good, and left me with a terrible, terrible hangover.

Mango Paradise smoothie, Royal Garden Restaurant. Mango, passionfruit, pineapple and lemon.
Tropi-colada smoothie, Royal Garden Restaurant. Banana, coconut and pineapple.
Island Magic smoothie, Royal Garden Restaurant. Papaya, mango, pineapple, lemon and honey rum.

[column-group][column]Strawberry Daiquiri, Parque Santiago III. Rum, sugar, maraschino and strawberry.[/column][column]Tom Collins, Royal Garden Restaurant. Gin, lemon juice, sugar and ice pile.[/column][/column-group]
FUN FACT:  Rumour has it that the Tom Collins drink owes its name to a 19th century hoax. Back in 1874, a joke started going round in New York: people would tell their friends that a certain Mr Tom Collins had been slandering them. Outraged that someone would do such a thing, people often set out to find the little buggar. The joke? This Mr Tom Collins didn’t exist, and they were in fact searching for someone who wasn’t there.
The joke went viral (yes, things could go viral before the internet existed!) and, eventually, one crafty bartender caught on and created a drink called the Tom Collins, so if anyone came stomping into his bar seeking revenge and asking for Tom Collins, they would unknowingly have ordered a tall thirst-quenching drink instead.
[column-group][column]Sex on the Beach, Playa Sol Restaurant. Orange juice, cranberry juice, vodka and peach liqueur.[/column][column]Mojito, Playa Sol. Lemon juice, honey rum, soda water and mint.[/column][/column-group]

Sex on the Beach, Parque Santiago III. Vodka, orange juice, cranberry juice, peach liquer, grenadine and lemon.

[column-group][column]Sex on the Beach, Royal Garden Restaurant. Vodka, peach liqueur, orange juice and grenadine.[/column][column]Sex on the Beach, Restaurant Mamma Mia. Orange juice, cranberry juice, vodka and peach liqueur.[/column][/column-group]

That week in Tenerife also had me experiencing my first ever Hard Rock Café. That’s right! I’d never actually ventured into a Hard Rock until last month. Terrible, I know.

The Hard Rock Café Tenerife was just down the road from our hotel, and with two floors oozing effortless style and an outdoor terrace overlooking the busy Safari shopping centre, it was the perfect spot for a sophisticated evening of cocktails and watching the world go by.

Electric Blues, Hard Rock Café Tenerife. Vodka, white rum, gin, blue curacao and sweet and sour, topped with lemon-lime soda.
Snog on the Beach, Hard Rock Café Tenerife. Vodka, peach schnapps, orange and cranberry juice.

[column-group][column]Sex on the Beach, Parque Santiago III. Vodka, orange juice, cranberry juice, peach liquer, grenadine and lemon.[/column][column]Island Magic smoothie, Royal Garden Restaurant. Papaya, mango, pineapple, lemon and honey rum.[/column][/column-group]

So there we have it! A collection of most of the cocktails I tried in Tenerife, and my first cocktail diaries post. Yes, I plan on doing more!

Which of the cocktails above most takes your fancy? I’d love to know in the comments below. 😊

46 comments

  4. I adore cocktails, cosmpolitan & sex on the beach my favourite. So many different choices here and they all sound and look delcisous.

    Reply

  5. All of these cocktails look delicious and you did expand your variety quite a bit. That’s an interesting story about the origin of the Tom Collins, I’ve not heard that before.

    Reply

  7. I can never get over how beautiful your photos are! I love a good cocktail, I’m allergic to like everything so have to stick to a few samey ones but I’d say my favourite Tenerife cocktail is the Blue Lagoon (from the Pheasant Plucker in San Eugenio) it’s delicious but strong haha! Skybar in Adeje does some lovely ones too. I’d love to know what that one with the kale tasted like?
    Can’t wait for the next edition of cocktail diaries xx

    Reply

  9. Oh all of these cocktails look great, I seriously am in love with your photos <3 I've never been a fan of a sex on the beach, I'm more of a gin based cocktail girl myself. And I love that fact about Tom Collins, it's one of my favourite cocktails so it's a great fact!

    Lauren | Lauren the Daydreamer

    Reply

  21. O M G A S H T O N W T F

    Your images are incredible to begin with, I am drooling! That mojito is calling my name…
    I’m gonna go cry in a corner now…

    The cocktail diaries is my new favourite thing
    xxxx

    Reply

  22. Oh wow, these cocktails are absolutely amazing! I’m very jealous of you right now. I love a strawberry daiquiri, the fact that it’s basically like a strawberry slushy that gets you drunk without the horrible taste is perfection!

    –
    Emily x

    http://www.missbeautyemily.com

    Reply

  29. What an amazing array of cocktails! We’ve been to Playa De Las Americas before! A great selection x

    Reply

  30. Now I am seriously thirsty – thank goodness it is Saturday! I adore a good cocktail and the tom Collins fact is fab!!!! I will tell everyone that now…

    Reply

  34. OMG it looks like cocktail heaven. They all look so colourful and tasty. I’d want to try most of them not just 1!

    Reply

  43. Those pictures are absolutely awesome! I need a beach and a cocktail please… I’ll have one of everything!

    Reply

  44. Well aside from the fact that any of those by a sunny beach would do me right now… The Tom Collins would be perfect. And I love the story behind it!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *