There’s something very different about Alchemy bar, namely that it’s on a ship.

This new creation from Carnival’s Vice President of Beverages Eddie Allen is one of the five new venues on board the Carnival Spirit which docked in Sydney on Monday 14 September for its summer run.

Alchemy is designed around the concept of a vintage pharmacy where guests can create their own personalised cocktail from a selection of top shelf spirits, bitters, fruits and juices, herbs and spices and savoury ingredients such as Strawberry Gum essence (from a gum tree, nothing to do with strawberries) or Lemon Myrtle essence.

Tailored specifically to Australian tastes, the bar also has a 22-strong cocktail list that includes draught cocktails, barrel-aged cocktails and carbonated cocktails, the latest and greatest thing that is trending in the US. Australians will be the first patrons in the world to try out the new offering.

On board the rest of the ship, which has undergone a USD$44 million dry dock refurbishment, Carnival is introducing Red Frog Pub, Red Frog Rum Bar, Blue Iguana Tequila Cantina, Skybox, a sports bar style venue, and Alchemy.

Allen said that he has brought his top bartenders downunder for the launch of the new venues and is looking to update and upgrade the wine lists in the future.

The beers on board the ship include a speciality brew from Lord Nelson Brewery in The Rocks, Sydney, called Thirsty Frog Summer Ale.

In addition to the hard stuff, Carnival has also partnered with The Australian Coffee School to use a specialty roast, as well as get their staff barista trained to Australian standards.

“We thought Italians were serious about coffee until we started dealing with Aussies,” laughed Allen.