Drinkie Review: We drank every cocktail at the Sublight Lounge on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
Some of the most iconic things in Star Wars happen in cantinas. Han Solo shoots first. Rey finds Luke’s lightsaber. Grogu is introduced to bone broth.
If you’ve been following along on our Seriously Nerdy journey, you may have noticed that my favorite vacation activity is finding unique cocktails. This was especially true aboard Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, where you get to live out your very own cantina adventures… if you so choose.
We’re covering a lot of aspects of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser this week, having just returned from an epic 2-night voyage. If you’re looking for our overall experience, or tips on how to prepare, we invite you to check out those other posts. For now, I’m just focusing on the delicious booze on the ship. Here, your beverage staff takes on the role of Chemists on The Halcyon and carefully reinterpret classic cocktails with inventive galactic twists.
A most elegant wretched hive of scum and villainy
Carrie Fisher used to call the afterlife “the next place.” And boy do I hope when I leave this earth and go to the next place, Carrie’s handing me a cocktail in the Sublight Lounge.
Since the cantina is central to any voyage, the Corellian designer of the ship, an Anzellan named Shug Drabor, placed The Sublight Lounge directly off the atrium of The Halcyon. This is helpful for two reasons: one, you are never too far away from your next drink, and two, you’re able to hear of any commotion coming from the atrium. Once inside, the décor of the lounge is appropriately upscale -- with just the tiniest bit of scoundrel flair. It feels decidedly different from the ramshackle stacks of objects, exposed cables and grungy stone one experiences at places like Oga’s Cantina on Batuu or Maz Kanata’s castle on Takodana. Instead, one may think they’re at an upscale establishment on Canto Bight or Coruscant, with sleek finishes and polished metals. Still, even with the air of refinement, the tucked away booths and flashy holo-sabacc table are enough to remind you that The Sublight Lounge could still have links to underworld affiliations onboard. It feels familiar and yet refreshing. You sit up a little straighter at first, and then after a few cocktails, loosen up and rest your elbows on the sabacc table.
Oh, by the way, we left this trip mildly addicted to the Coruscant Shift version of holo-sabacc. It’s incredible.
How to get there: Starcruiser passengers only
The Sublight Lounge is located just off the main atrium aboard The Halcyon.
The Sublight Lounge is only accessible to those booked on a voyage at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Because you’re launched from the arrival terminal through planet atmosphere and up to the Halcyon, day visitors are not permitted. I guess this makes the drinks just a little bit sweeter, knowing you can only have these as part of such an exclusive experience. Once you’ve arrived on board, you can’t miss the mouth of the cantina right off the atrium, beckoning you in with a killer playlist of planetary hit songs and a back bar lit by colorful vats of liquid. During our voyage, The Sublight Lounge was open until midnight on both evenings of our stay, so we had plenty of opportunities to visit and sample their beverages and bites.
What to order: We drank the entire menu and The Force is strong with us
The drink menu as of April 2023. They offer a selection of beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks, as well. But we’re here for the specialty cocktails. Note that alcohol isn’t included in the cost of your booking, so we saved up our galactic credits so we could try everything.
Our invented characters onboard The Halcyon also share a fondness for cocktails, so naturally we spent a lot of time in the Sublight Lounge. I felt that we were able to enjoy downtime at the cantina and still feel like we weren’t missing out on any interactive storyline elements, which is a relief in an immersive environment with so much going on. Over the course of our trip, we managed to order every signature cocktail and are happy to recommend each of them. It’s always possible that the menu will change, but here’s the complete rundown as of early 2023:
Cloud of Bespin (left), Fiery Mustafarian (middle), and Hoth Icebreaker (right)
Cloud of Bespin (Rum, Lemon, Orgeat, Passion Fruit, Falernum-Lemon Foam)
Maybe it’s my recent rum kick, maybe it’s the cool Cloud City-inspired coupe glass, or the tasty meringue-but-not-meringue foam, but this was my favorite drink on the menu. It’s elevated tiki in its flavor profile, but very refined in its execution. This is also a friendly cocktail, and the perfectly whippy foam is something you’ll be dreaming about long after you’ve disembarked from The Halcyon. If you order one cocktail on board, this Calrissian-approved drinkie would be my recommendation.
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Fiery Mustafarian (Añejo Tequila, Mezcal, Stone Fruit, Lime, Chili, Black Salt, served with Lava Extract)
If I were Anakin Skywalker, tequila would be my sand. It’s course and rough and irritating. But I keep trying to drink it, hoping my cocktail palate will improve. This cocktail was interesting and takes its inspiration from the volcanic planet of Mustafar that Darth Vader is so fond of. The sweet stone fruit and bitter lime do a lot to help tame the tequila and mezcal, but my favorite flavor elements come from the choose-your-own adventure lava extract tube and spicy black salt that let you determine the heat scale of your drink. It’s served in a nifty collectable globe glass you can take home after your adventure.
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Hoth Icebreaker (Vodka, Lemon, Pure Cane Sugar, Vanilla-Lemon Foam)
A new discovery I made while on The Halcyon is how much I love a cocktail foam, and the vanilla-lemon foam that tops the Hoth Icebreaker is one of my new favorites. This drink’s sweet and mild profile makes it the friendliest on the menu if you’re not fond of spirit-forward cocktails. It’s served in a glass resembling an icicle with a piece of sugar glass that would make any wampa proud.
Mark of the Huntress and Mandalore Sling (left), Pod Chaser (middle) and Krayt Reactor (right)
Mark of the Huntress (Bourbon, Peach-infused Blackcurrant, Orgeat, Lemon, Sparkling Bubbles)
This cocktail was invented on the Halcyon, and I encourage you to ask your Chemist about its bounty hunter origins if you’re ever on board. It’s a very fruity, approachable drink that even Alex – an ardent hater of bourbon – found tasty. Peach and whiskey are old friends, and when coupled with almondy orgeat and drizzles of Luxardo cherry syrup, it reads like a sweet bourbon punch. We weren’t quite sure why this drink is considerably more expensive than its counterparts other than its more complex ingredients, but it was still a very delicious cocktail.
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Mandalore Sling (Chilled Bourbon, Vermouth, Luxardo) and Pod Chaser (Bourbon, Bitters, Orange Zest)
Several of the cocktails are also available at dinner in The Crown of Corellia dining room, so I enjoyed both the classic bourbon cocktails with my meal on the first night. I found each of them to be well-made versions of their earth counterparts, with the good amount of sweetness that I like in a Manhattan and Old Fashioned. They weren’t the most memorable drinks on the starcruiser, but they were exceptionally made.
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Krayt Reactor (Añejo Tequila, Lychee, Lime, Dragon Fruit, Vanilla)
One of the newer drinks to board The Halcyon, this $82 group margarita is served in a definitely-not-take-home container complete with a handle and four straws. It arrived at our lounge right as things were getting hairy with the First Order, so we were grateful for some liquid courage. As someone who doesn’t love tequila, the lychee and vanilla definitely helped balance the agave, and the lights and cubed dragon fruit really made this a fun, showy cocktail. I would order it again, despite the presence of tequila!
Dagobah Vimlet (left), Draboor’s Delight and Silver Seas Martini (middle) and Nycillin and Bubbles (right)
Dagobah Vimlet (Vodka, Herbaceous Orange Liqueur, Lime, Peppercorn)
Another glorious interpretation of an Earth classic, this vodka gimlet is infused with plants and extracts that give it a sort of swampy twist. I liked the herb-forward citrus profile, but this one was a no-go for Alex. I would recommend the Dagobah Vimlet for the cocktail aficionado in your group looking for something more exotic. If you’re just looking for the souvenir glass this cocktail is served in, you can order that separately or even purchase it at the merchandise shop.
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Drabor’s Delight (Gin, Vermouth, Bitter and Sweet)
I debated giving an entire blog post to the legendary Anzellan shipbuilder Shug Drabor – and maybe someday, I will. But for now, let me use this lovely example of a Negroni to tell you about all the reasons I love Shug. Shug was raised on Corellia by his mom, and he refurbished a speeder to help her get to and from work in her old age. It turns out other Anzellans were looking for transport as well, and soon Shug had built a shuttle company that turned into the foundations of his shipbuilding empire! Although he was only 9 inches tall, he built The Halcyon and her sister ships with amenities for all sorts of species across the galaxy. Shug used to sit in The Sublight Lounge and nurse one of these galactic negronis all night before stumbling to his cabin located at deck 4.5. (You can still see his tiny door there today and we made it a point of thanking the spirit of Shug every time we passed it.) As for Shug’s namesake drink, I found this to be a very balanced, delicious negroni … but it is a negroni. You either love these bitter red cocktails, or you hate them. So if a negroni isn’t your drink, maybe skip this one and toast to Shug’s memory instead. A’deg a’!
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Silver Sea Martini (Gin, Lemon, Mint, Ginger, Passion Fruit)
This was a balanced, sweet Chandrilan-inspired cocktail that feels like an easy entry for travelers who aren’t sure if they like gin or not. It reminded me a lot of the flavors in a Medicine Ball tea from Starbucks back down on Earth, with a lemon, mint, and honey profile forward, letting ginger and passion fruit take more of a back seat. It is served in a curved martini glass with the shimmering extracts sitting in layers of purple and pink, perfect for taking those image scans that travelers so love to post on the holonet. The shimmer comes from the hydrominae creatures from the North and South Chandrilan Seas who sit in custom tanks in at either end of the Sublight Lounge bar.
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Nysillin and Bubbles (Gin, Cucumber, Lime)
I have the utmost respect for the lower section of the Sublight Lounge menu that takes classic Earth cocktails and gives them a galactic kick. This spin on a Gin and Tonic is really refreshing and approachable. The cucumber is front and center, and the garnish of dried limes and tangled thyme keep it looking sort of otherworldly. We both agree we could drink these all day, and they’d be especially welcome after coming back to the ship after a warm day on Batuu.
Why it’s unique: Storytelling behind every sip
The Spirits of Adventure tasting set sometimes offered on Day 2 of voyages. Sample-size tastings of the Silver Seas Martini, Mark of the Huntress, Cloud of Bespin, and Drabor’s Delight, complete with stories and official toasts!
Everyone’s journey on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is going to be different. For a couple rogues from Coruscant like us, our adventures in the Sublight Lounge brought us face-to-face with a First Order Lieutenant interrogating us as we sipped cocktails at the bar, or meeting galactic superstar Gaya as she signed autographs for fans. The space is very much part of the stories happening all over the ship, which makes this bar unlike any we’ve ever visited before or will visit again. It’s solidly part of our personal Star Wars story now.
Beyond the themed interactions with the ship’s cast of characters, the crew members of the ship are solidly etched in our memories aboard The Halcyon. They took such great care of us, telling us stories from their home planets and remembering our drink preferences. The Chemists can even make you off-menu cocktails that you may want from your homeworld. While the signature drinks are often served with flair, don’t be afraid to go off menu if there’s something you want to try. I had a custom old fashioned and margarita off-menu and both were superb.
If you’re interested in learning some of the stories and planetary toasts behind the cocktails on board, we were so grateful to have learned about the Spirits of Adventure mixology class offered on Day 2 of our voyage. It may not always be offered, but on our voyage we were able to book it directly with Laura, our Chemist at Sublight Lounge, and returned from our planet excursion on Batuu in time to make the 12:30 p.m. class. The session, which ended up just being Alex and I, provides sample-size tastings of the Silver Seas Martini, Mark of the Huntress, Cloud of Bespin, and Drabor’s Delight, and does cost an additional fee. It reminded me of a mixology class aboard Disney Cruise Line and I highly recommend it if you’re a cocktail fan. There is also a non-alcoholic Cantina Chronicles class we attended that takes passengers through samples and stories behind the Yerdua Poison Spitter (Lemonade, Yuzu Sour, Petrichor Dispersion), Blue Milk Citrus Fizz (Lychee, Lime, Lemon-Lime Soda, Sorbet) and Muja Twist (Watermelon, Herbal Garden Blend, Mint, Sparkling Bubbles).
The summary:
Visit The Sublight Lounge if…
· You’re on board Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
· You’re looking for those Instagramable drinks
· You want to hang out with the kindest Chemists in the galaxy
· You want to try holo-sabacc at a table with built-in cupholders
Must-Orders
· Cloud of Bespin (rum-based)
· Hoth Icebreaker (vodka-based)
· Silver Seas Martini (gin-based)
· Mustafarian Tuber Chips (food menu available after 5 p.m.)