Mighty St. Patrick’s Festival Underway at Downtown Disney

The “Mighty St. Patrick’s Festival” is underway at Downtown Disney and runs through March 17th. While Raglan Road is always a popular place to celebrate this time of year, and they feature several of their own events, other locations at Downtown Disney are “going green” as well.  Here’s a quick look at what they have to offer:

Paradiso 37: Take a trip to the end of the rainbow where you can try out popular treats and Irish cocktails, like the large-and-in-charge specialty beverage known as The Giant Leprechaun.

Planet Hollywood: Add some glitz and glamour to St. Patrick’s Day at Planet Hollywood, where you can find food options like Irish egg rolls and festive libations including The Crazy Leprechaun, Planet Shamrock Jell-O Shots and the non-alcoholic Young Lad Irish Sour Apple.

Bongos: Groove to the beat of a different drum with seasonal items from this favorite Cuban café, with Havana-inspired offerings you won’t find elsewhere such as the Cuban Leprechaun Mojito.

Portobello:  Relish in Italian flavors at Portobello where you can enjoy a Fiddler’s Dream—mixed with Jameson honey simple syrup, Fever Tree ginger beer and a splash of lemonade.

Fulton’s Crab House: Sail into this seaside port to discover a St. Patrick’s Day specialty drink known as Limey Leprechaun, which includes Cuervo Gold, Midori, pineapple juice, sour mix and ice.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe: Waltz by Wolfgang Puck Café where the staff is kicking off the festivities with Shamrock Martinis, mixed with Midori, green crème de mint, ice cream and a chocolate swirl!

Forty Thirst Street: For a quick pick-me-up with just a hint a fun, drop inside this popular stop where you can fill up your mug with delicious Irish Cream Coffee.

Other festival features include live musical performances, special merchandise, and a family fun zone sponsored by Disney’s Muppets Most Wanted.  For more information, click here.

If you make it by the festival, send us a pic of what you’re drinking to @drinkingdisney on Twitter.

Big River Grille & Brewing Works – Irish Red Tapping Party February 27

Big River Grille & Brewing Works’ Irish Red is returning just in time for St. Patrick’s Day with a tapping party this Thursday, February 27th, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  More details below!

2014 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival News

The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival has slowly been morphing into a prettier Food and Wine festival…but we’re certainly not complaining.  This year’s event gets underway soon (March 5th) so here’s a quick look at what the festival will hold for those who are looking to drink Disney.

A new addition to the festival, Urban Farm Eats, will be serving up two vegan wines, The Vegan Vine Chardonnay and The Vegan Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as a gluten-free beer by Anheuser-Busch, Redbridge.

Happy to report that a couple of favorites from last year will be returning.  La Vie en Rose frozen slush (Vodka, Grey Goose Orange, St. Germain Liquor, and White and Red Cranberry Juice), a popular and pretty drink served at L’Orangerie last year, will be available this year at Fleur de Lys. 

The rum infused Dole Whip at the Pineapple Promenade will also return, but this year’s version offers a choice of either Myer’s Dark Rum or Parrot Cay Coconut Rum.  We’re happy to see this one is back, especially with a couple of rum options, but hopfully the rum/Dole Whip is proportioned better than last year where there was too much Dole Whip/not enough rum.

If you were hoping to stop by the German-inspired Bauermarkt (or any German-inspired kiosk for that matter, as it seems a few of the marketplaces have undergone a name chance this year) you won’t be able to as it is missing from the 2014 line-up.  Disappointing for some we suspect, but hopefully you can find a suitable replacement for what you’ll be missing amongst the beer, wine, and cocktails listed below.

Intermissions Cafe

• Hurricane Class 5 White Sangria, Florida Orange Groves (St. Petersburg, FL)
• Garda Italian Wine Blend, Quantum Leap Winery (Orlando, FL)
• Rogue Valley Pinot Noir, Quantum Leap Winery (Orlando, FL)
• Martini Prosecco
• Strongbow Cider, Bulmers Cider Company (White Plains, NY)
• SweetWater Blue, SweetWater Brewing Company (Atlanta, GA)

Pineapple Promenade

•  Tropical Mango Pale Ale, St. John Brewers (U.S. Virgin Islands)
• Once Upon a Vine’s The Lost Slipper Sauvignon Blanc

Buttercup Cottage

• Berry Tea Cocktail — Twinings Cold Brewed Mixed Berry Tea with Florida Cane Vodka and Plant City Strawberry, Flavored with Raspberry and Açaí Syrup
• Iron Horse Fairy Tale Cuvee
• Deloach Pinot Noir

Fleur de Lys

• Kir Imperial – Sparkling wine, Chambord and Black Raspberry Liquor
• Rosé Pamplemousse Cocktail – Rosé Wine Mixed with Natural Grapefruit Syrup
• Kronenbourg Blanc 1664 – Fruity White Beer with Citrus Notes

Taste of Marrakesh

• White sangria
• Guerrouane red
• Casa Beer
• Desert Rose — Sparkling Wine with Pomegranate Liqueur

Hanami

• Kirin draft beer
• Pineapple Paradise with Yuzu Slushie – Frozen blend of sweet sake, pineapple juice and crème, flavored with a hint of Yuzu citrus juice
• Orange Mango Slushie – Frozen blend of Nigori sake, mango and orange juice

The Smokehouse:  Barbeques and Brews

• Magic Hat #9, Magic Hat Brewing (South Burlington, VT)
• Maduro, Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)
• Fat Tire, New Belgium Brewing Company (Ft. Collins, CO)
• Billy’s Chilies, Twisted Pine Brewing Company (Boulder, CO)
• Beer Flight – Magic Hat #9, Maduro, Fat Tire and Billy’s Chilies
• The Original Rib Shack Red Wine

Primavera Kitchen

• Placido Pinot Grigio
• Placido Chianti
• Bosco del Merlo Prosecco
• White Peach Bellini – Prosecco and white peach puree
• Strawberry Rossini – Prosecco and marinated strawberries
• Frozen Italian Primavera – Assorted fruit slushy with limoncello and vodka
• Moretti Lager
• Moretti La Rossa

Lotus House

• South Sea Storm – Guava juice served with light and dark rum
• Plum wine
• Tsing-Tao beer

Jardin de Fiestas

• Tecate draft beer
• White Mexican sangria
• Franbuesa (raspberry) margarita on the rocks
• Tequila flight – blanco, reposado and añejo

Florida Fresh

• Hurricane Class 5 White Sangria featuring Simply Lemonade, Florida Orange Groves (St. Petersburg, FL)
• Garda Italian Wine Blend, Quantum Leap Winery (Orlando, FL)
• Rogue Valley Pinot Noir, Quantum Leap Winery (Orlando, FL)
• Blonde Ale, Orlando Brewing Company (Orlando, FL)
• Cotton Mouth Belgian Style Witbier, Swamp Head Brewery (Gainesville, FL)
• Feast of Flowers Farmhouse Ale, Florida Beer Company (Cape Canaveral, FL)
• Florida Avenue Blueberry, Cold Storage Craft Brewery (Tampa, FL)
• Beer Flight – Blonde Ale, Cotton Mouth Belgian Style Witbier, Feast of Flowers Farmhouse Ale and Florida Avenue Blueberry

The 2014 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival runs from March 5th to May 18, 2014.

Big River Grille & Brewing Works: Weizenbock Tapping Party on January 16th

It’s a new year,  time for a new beer!  Big River Grille is hosting a tapping party for their Weizenbock on Thursday, January 16, 2014 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  Enjoy free appetizers while they last.

Grab a Cup of Holiday Cheer at Epcot

Holiday drinks abound at Epcot as part of the “Holidays Around the World” celebration, which offers park guests the opportunity to try several limited time only beverages.  We’re happy to see the Prost! drink stand is back at the Germany pavilion this year, and is once again serving two of our previously featured 12 Drinks of Christmas, Gluhwein and William’s Punch Winter Dream.

Other offerings this year include Cider with Spiced Frangelico being served up at Promenade Refreshments, Limoncello Spritzers at Buono Fiesta, and a Cocoa Candy Cane (hot cocoa with Peppermint Schnapps) at Sugar and Spice Holiday Bakery.

Check out the Disney Food Blog for a complete list of all the delicious drinks and food that will be available this year.

Big River Grille & Brewing Works: Scottish Tartan Ale Tapping Party on December 5th

December 5th is definitely a good day for a party. While celebrating Walt Disney’s birth, perhaps you’ll want to stop by the Big River Grille & Brewing Works to try their Scottish Tartan Ale.  Party starts at 4:30, and free appetizers will be available.

 

 

 

“Mixers and Masters” at Downtown Disney’s Festival of the Masters

The Disney Parks Blog  announced today that “artistic cocktails” will be featured at the 38th Annual Festival of the Masters  (Downtown Disney November 8 – 10th)  as part of what they are calling “Mixers and Masters.”   Several dining venues throughout the area (marked with feather banners) will be selling “specialty drinks for sipping and strolling.”

Here’s a look at one of the cocktails to be featured, the Pinkberry Martini at the Wolfgang Puck Cafe.

Pinkberry Martini  (Photo via Disney Parks Blog)

Some of the other cocktails that will be available are the Caveman Painters Punch at T-Rex Café,  Picasso Punch at Paradiso 37,  the Blue Nile at the Rainforest Café, and Huckleberry Lemonade at Splitsville.

Another feature of “Mixers and Masters” will be the”The Art of Mixology,”  a ten-minute demonstration (three times daily) of what goes into making an artfully delicious cocktail.  These presentations will be held at the Waterside Stage, but no schedule has been provided as of yet.

The hours for the Festival of Masters are: November 8th and 9th  from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., and November 10th from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission to this event and parking are free.

If you have a chance to try any of these limited time cocktails, we’d love to hear what you think!

Tables in Wonderland – Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Presale Update

Looks like some of you will need to wake up a little earlier tomorrow!  Tables in Wonderland has announced that the pre-sale time for select Epcot International Food & Wine seminars will now start at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, August 9th, not 9:00 a.m. as originally posted.

Update!:  Click the link below for the schedules that were finally published this afternoon!

Culinary Demonstrations

Beverage Seminars

Mixology Seminars

From the folks at Tables in Wonderland:

Presale: Tables in Wonderland Members are invited to make reservations for Culinary Demonstrations, Beverage Seminars, and Mixology Seminars ONLY beginning on Friday, August 9^th, 2013 at 8:00am. This pre-sale offer will only be available over the phone, so please call 407-WDW-FEST (407-939-3378) for reservations.

All Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival Events will go on sale on Tuesday, August 13^th at 7:00am.For reservations, please call 407-WDW-FEST (407-939-3378). Additionally, the below events will be available online, via www.epcotfoodfestival.com:

–          Culinary Demonstrations

–          Beverage Seminars

–          Mixology Seminars

–          Scotland: Land of Food & Drink (General Admission Only)

–          “3D” Disney’s Dessert Discovery (General Admission Only)

–          Party for the Senses (General Admission Only)

–          Spirits Confidential (General Admission Only)

Hope you’re all able to get the events your most looking forward to!

Big River Grille & Brewing Works: Summer Honey Tapping Party July 25th

Not a lot of details for this tapping party at Big River Grille, but the beer sure sounds good!  On Thursday, July 25th they’ll be tapping “Summer Honey,”  a light, golden ale with a hint of honey.

Previous tapping parties have included specials on the beer they’re tapping, as well as free appetizers, but since it’s not mentioned on this flyer, no guarantees!

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Special Events Booking Starts August 13th

Mark your calendars because the phone lines will open at 7 a.m. Eastern on Aug. 13 to book reservations for the premium events at this year’s Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, which runs from September 27th – November 11th.  See below for more details.

From the over-the-top Party for the Senses grand tasting experience on select Saturday nights to a new taste of Scottish cuisine, there are lots of opportunities. Price per ticket:

• New Scotland, Land of Food And Drink (Sept. 28), $95 or $115
• New Spirits Confidential (Nov. 1), $80 or $95
• New Parisian Breakfast (Saturdays), $37
• New Hibachi Experience (Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5), $120
• “3D” Disney’s Dessert Discovery (Oct. 4, 11 and 25), $55 or $90
• Epcot Wine Schools (Sept. 29, Oct. 27, Nov. 3), $135 per person
• Culinary Adventures in Signature Dining (more than 25 dinners throughout the festival; prices vary)
• Mixology Series: Taste, Shake and Indulge Like the French (Saturdays), $65
• Kitchen Memories (Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8), from $110-$170
• Cheese Seminars (Sept. 28, Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov. 2, 9), $80
• Party for the Senses (Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26 and Nov. 2), $145, $180 or $285
• Food & Wine Pairings (Tuesdays, Thursdays), $55
• Sweet Sundays (Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov. 3, 10), $99
• The Discovery of Chocolate (Oct. 13 and 27), $75

Additional events will  include Italian and French pairings and lunches, and a Mexican tequila lunch, and special festival experiences including daily Culinary Demonstrations ($14), Mixology Seminars ($15) and Wine, Beer or Spirit Seminars ($14).