Testing Out the Beer Flights at Festival of the Arts

 by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

January 30, 2024

 

Over the holidays, a visiting relative, who fancies himself a bit of a craft beer fan, was lamenting the fact that “Florida doesn’t have much in the way of microbreweries and craft beers.”

  
We were a little puzzled by this out-of-towner’s statement because we recalled seeing a number of Florida breweries featured at various EPCOT festivals.  Disney has always been very good about connecting with local businesses. Disney Springs even features many local brews in their annual “Flavors of Florida” festival. In fact, the Florida Brewery Data Base lists more than 350 breweries in Florida. Central Florida, where Disney is located, claims 60 craft breweries alone, the third most in the state.

We took the guest’s comments as a bit of a challenge this year when the 2024 EPCOT Festival of the Arts rolled around.  We would make it a mission to seek out the local Florida brewers, and see how their offerings measured up.

 
First up was the beer flight at the Deco Delights booth, near Port of Entry.  This is the booth that features that oh-so-sweet Neapolitan Dessert Trio, with a Chocolate Tart, Vanilla Bean Cheesecake and Strawberry Mousse.  (It’s a “Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine” item for good reason.  The colors, and flavors, really pop.)

The beer flight at this booth was also Neapolitan themed, a tribute to chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.  The flight was $10.25, and included one small pour each of the 3 Daughters Brewing Strawberry Blonde Nitro (St. Petersburg, FL); 81Bay Brewing Co.’s Vanilla Porter (Tampa, FL); and for the “chocolate,” the Playalinda Brewing Co.’s “Milk Stout” (Titusville, FL).

We started our investigation with the 81Bay Brewing Co.’s  take on Vanilla Porter, which was very reminiscent of a vanilla Christmas beer we’d tried.  While we liked this “toasty” tasting dark beer, Disney should really bring it back for Festival of the Holidays, because it would be a great selection, conjuring up flavors of a winter ale that we’d enjoyed at Christmastime.

Next was the “chocolate” inspired beer – the Playalinda Brewing Co.’s “Milk Stout.”  To our way of thinking, this was very close to a traditional Guinness on tap, a creamier, smooth dark beer.  We enjoyed this very slightly sweet cup, but we’re not really sure why the Disney cast members thought this would fill the “chocolate” category of the Neapolitan flight.  Earthy maybe, but we were not getting an overwhelming “chocolate” feel.

Last in this flight trio was the “strawberry” – the 3 Daughters Brewing Strawberry Blonde Nitro.  Glad we tried this one last, because it was by far our favorite of the trio, and in fact our favorite of the day. Light with distinct strawberry notes, it was one of the most unique beers we’d try on our visit.  A smooth, golden colored brew, it had a very crisp feel, with just a touch of hoppy-ness. If we’d known ahead of time how much we’d enjoy this one, we might have skipped the flight and ordered up a full-sized version of the Strawberry Blond Nitro.

While one of the beers in this flight reminded us of Guinness, and the other gave us strong seasonal holiday vibes, the Strawberry Blond Nitro stood on its own, and would be especially delightful in the spring and warmer weather - a very refreshing glass.

Rosé Blonde Ale

If you’re looking for a good beer, of course, you’d go to “Germany,” and we were surprised to find two Florida-based breweries on the menu at the Germany pavilion’s Pastoral Palate booth, where we’d expected to only see German brews.  We chose another 81Bay selection at this booth, the Rosé Blonde Ale. While the ale was fine, with definite strawberry notes, it wasn’t one of our favorites of the day. This blond ale was a bit hoppy, and the 6-ounce pour was $5.75. (A 12-ounce pour is also available for $9.75).

A stop at the American pavilion’s booth, The Artist’s Table, later in the evening gave us a peek (or sip, as the case may be) of another local Florida brewery, this time a bit closer to home in Lakeland, Florida.  While waiting for the Disney on Broadway concert, we enjoyed a 6-ounce pour of the Brew Hub Jazzberry Wheat Jam Ale for $5.75.  (A 12-ounce pour would be $9.75). This pour was a light drinking beer with a very distinctive and fruity taste (hint of blueberry, maybe?), and it was one of the better beers of the day.  We’d come back and enjoy this one again on another day, especially if the Florida weather was heating up.

Brew Hub Jazzberry Wheat Jam Ale

So now that we’d tried a few of the offerings from four local breweries, it was time to find out a little more about them.

3 Daughters Brewing is from St. Petersburg, Florida, on the west coast of the state, but they also have a second location in Clearwater Beach.  3 Daughters was founded by a group of friends and family who had known each other for decades, and it’s one of Florida’s largest independent and family-owned breweries. At their locations, you can sample some of the brews they create, particularly at their tasting room in St. Petersburg, but they also have a pretty extensive menu for snacking while you are there. 3 Daughters has a host of events to keep you entertained as well, from trivia nights, yoga, bingo, Valentine’s Day Fun Runs, to live music, festivals and markets on the weekends.  Last year, 3 Daughters Brewing was named “Best Brewery” for  Tampa Magazine’s 2023 Best of the City.  If you can’t make it to St. Petersburg, their brews are also for sale at stores, restaurants and bars throughout Florida.

81Bay Brewing Co. in Tampa, Florida, is also on the west coast, around an hour and a half from Orlando, pending traffic on I-4. It is a growing company as well, but their Taproom is currently closed for renovations. They do offer tastings, and an interesting selection of pizzas to accompany your beers. Check their events page for such fun as bingo and trivia nights, and Art After Dark.

Playalinda Brewing Co., in the downtown historic district in Titusville, Florida, was opened by Donna and Bryan Scott in 2014 as the first microbrewery in northern Brevard County, on Florida’s east coast. They now have two locations (with interesting food menus), including Sunday brunch at their Brix Project location. (You can bring your pooch to their outside garden there, too!). Their events page offers up trivia nights, bike and brews, the Playalinda Run Club, and Paddle & A Pint for those of you who like to spend some time outdoors.  And if you love those Girl Scout cookies, they’ll be hosting a week-long pairing with Girl Scout cookies and craft beers.

Brew Hub in Lakeland, Florida, is a little more than halfway between Disney and the west coast of Florida, and they have expanded four times in recent years.  According to Visit Central Florida, Brew Hub’s 75,000-square-foot facility is a unique business in that, “They offer brewing, packaging and distribution for small craft breweries looking to get their name and products out into in the marketplace.”  Brew Hub has partnered with Disney festivals in the past, and they’ve offered guests a number of their brews over the years.

   
While we tried just five of the 6-ounce pours over the course of the day, we were able to check out the creations of four local Florida breweries, and we enjoyed each of them to varying degrees. Each of the brewers put very different offerings on the table.  There are at least 3 more Florida breweries at the Festival of the Arts’ booths, including Gulf Stream Brewing Company from Ft. Lauderdale; Keel Farms in Plant City (with Lavender Hard Cider); and the Tank Brewing Co. from Miami.  (And don’t forget that the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival is right around the corner, with a whole new set of booths to explore starting February 28!)

We don’t generally take the time to indulge in the beer flights at the festival booths (mainly because the full-sized selections at the restaurants and permanent booths offer better values), but this was a fun way of exploring a whole new aspect of the festivals that we hadn’t thought of before, and to sample some new flavors we might not otherwise have tried.

  
Plus, now we can go back and tell everyone that, yes, indeed, Florida does have a pretty good number of microbreweries!

 

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast – and by extension Disney Biz Journal – at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

Disney Releases Schedule of Artist Appearances for 2024 Festival of the Arts

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 30, 2023

 

The 2024 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is about to begin, and for some of us, it’s the most exciting festival of the year.  And while the artwork itself is amazing, what makes it even more fun is the ability to meet the artists themselves, and perhaps even purchase their work and get them to sign the pieces.

This year’s Festival of the Arts runs from January 12 through February 19, 2024.

 

The five-week-long list of artist appearances and signings is a lengthy one, and available broken down by date, time and artist here.  The roster rotates from day to day and week to week, so if you’re looking for a particular artist, it’s worth spending a few minutes perusing the list. Many of the popular appearances and signings are skewed toward weekends, but the art is on display (and for sale) all week long.  Some artists are available earlier in the week as well.

Among this year’s dozens of artist appearances are fan-favorite Rob Kaz (who will be debuting festival exclusive pieces); Jerrod Maruyama; Darren Wilson; Will Gay; Noah Fine Art; William Silvers; Zac Kinkade; Dirk Wunderlich; Tim Rogerson; Larry Dotson; Terribly Odd; Jason Ratner; Fenway Fan; Don “Ducky” Williams; and Nath and Greg McCullough, just to name a few.

There will also be visual art-in-performance, where you’ll watch an artist paint Disney characters right in front of your eyes, completing the piece in just a few minutes; Disney on Broadway shows by some of Broadway’s top performers; stunning chalk art; step-in backdrops of famous paintings for your family and friends to take entertaining photos; and of course, tons of creative eats and drinks at the food studio booths along World Showcase.

There are also opportunities for you to express your own creative side by joining in activities like the paint by numbers murals; learning to draw at an animation academy led by a Disney animator; scavenger hunts; and even doing a little chalk art designing of your own.

The free Disney on Broadway concert series takes place during the Festival at the America Gardens Theatre at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM and 8:00 PM.  The scheduled performers and dates can be  found here.  Among the performers will be Caissie Levy (Frozen) and Patti Murin (Frozen); Gavin Lee (Beauty and the Beast) and Heidi Blickenstaff (The Little Mermaid); Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) and L. Steven Taylor (The Lion King); Josh Strickland (Tarzan) and Kissy Simmons (The Lion King); Mandy Gonzalez (Aida) and Michael James Scott (Aladdin); and Bradley Gibson (The Lion King) and Shoba Narayan (Aladdin).

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

Final Weekend for 2023 Festival of the Arts

 by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 18, 2023

 

The clock is running out if you haven’t yet made it to the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Arts.  The artistic extravaganza is in its final weekend, and you only have until February 20 to get to this all-too-short festival and maybe paint a few squares on the wall mural.

 

We had several pieces of art that we wanted to get signed by the visiting artists, so we made our way to World Showcase for these final festival days, and scooped up a few of the dishes we hadn’t been able to sample in our first go-around.  And we found a few gems amidst the Food Studios this time.  

At Pastoral Palate in the Germany pavilion, we discovered a dish that we are very sorry that we will not have the opportunity to enjoy again. If only we’d tried it earlier. Hopefully, it will return in future years because it was a winner in our book.  The Wild Boar Cassoulet ($9.25) with duck confit, ham hock and wild boar sausage was delicious!  The meat was uber-tender, perhaps the most meltingly tender of any of the dishes we’ve tried in the past few festivals.  Hubby had forgotten the plastic knives, but it turned out that we didn’t even need them, because cutting it with the side of the fork sufficed.  The small filet was nicely seared and seasoned on the outside, just enough to give some additional flavor to the meat.  The bland bean cassoulet that the meat rested on, though, was nothing more than a blank canvas to show off the boar and duck.  There was a bit of texture, but not much flavor.  We chuckled to ourselves as we enjoyed the dish, because we’d passed by this booth several times without giving it a second thought. After all, who goes to a theme park to eat boar?  And truthfully, we were a little skeptical about trying the offering.  We picked it up, almost on a lark, for the novelty of saying we’d eaten boar.  We were so glad we did, because without a doubt it was one of the “best of the fest” dishes for us!

Also at Pastoral Palate in the Germany pavilion, we tried the Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs ($8.50).  Served with a lovely parsnip puree, crisp broccolini, a smattering of various colors of baby tomatoes, and a drizzle of aged balsamic, the dish was also a big hit with our family.  The flavor of the short rib was a satisfying, strong beef tone, and while it wasn’t quite as tender as the wild boar and duck, it was just as good as you’d expect from a long-simmering Sunday roast.  The sweet parsnip puree provided a nice backdrop to the beef, and the crunchy broccolini added a bit of texture to the whole plate.

 

Apparently, it was a meat-centric expedition this time, because over at Craftsman’s Courtyard, near the Creations shop, we tried the Beef Wellington ($8.50), another very tender cut of beef that was small but delightful.  Our family has served Beef Wellington for Christmas a number of times, and it is always a time-consuming chore to make, so we were excited to try someone else’s handiwork with this dish.  It did not disappoint.  The beef was tender and flavorful, and while the pastry coating the outside of the beef was a little soggier than the flaky pastry you’d normally expect from Wellington, it blended well with the meat.  We would definitely order it again.  It was served with a slightly salty gravy, and three small onions on top, along with a few of the most adorable, teeny tiny carrots we’d ever seen.  The carrots were so small they were no longer than the nail on your pinky, with a miniscule bit of greenery still attached to their tops. (The carrots were perfectly cooked – how did they manage that for the size?). Once again, you hardly needed the plastic knife to cut the beef.

Hubby took the advice of so many Arts’ Festival guests and headed for Moderne, over near the Creations shop.  There he ordered the Angry Crab ($7.25), a relative bargain in the food booth universe, particularly for the quality of the dish. The plate is a whole soft-shelled crab, fried crispy, with a green papaya salad, mango-Sriracha fluid gel, coconut lime foam with pomegranate, and mango crushed pearls.  Wow, that’s a mouthful!  The crab itself was pleasantly crunchy without being overcooked, and had a tiny bit of a kick.  The crab was offset nicely by the various sauces and the slaw that was piled high beneath it.  While my husband loved the crab itself, he wasn’t as big a fan of the accompaniments, which while creative, he thought detracted a bit from the traditional-ness of soft-shelled crab.  (It is, though, an Arts festival, so the chefs do like to show off their creative side…) Regardless, the family enjoyed it so much, that both hubby and son went back to the Angry Crab again on a second occasion.

Also at Moderne, hubby added the Pan Seared Scallops ($7.50), two small scallops with vanilla-butternut squash puree, brown butter cauliflower puree, and lime foam.  The scallops were perfectly cooked, with a great, fresh seafood taste. The dots of the various purees were an interesting side note to the scallops, with some dots providing a sweet accompaniment to the milder scallops, but the white polka dots being “just sort of there.”

 

The one disappointment to the day’s meals was the grilled cheese.  I know, hard to mess with grilled cheese, right?  But it’s probably my own fault.  I think I’d built up too much anticipation for the sandwich (or, more correctly, half sandwich) based on other people’s recommendations.  I was expecting angels to sing.  But it was just a grilled cheese.  I’d ordered the fancy version, the Tomato Soup with the Pimento cheese, bacon and fried green tomato grilled cheese at Pop Eats! (near Port of Entry, by the now defunct Starbucks’ booth). The $6.50 plate came with a small cup of tomato soup and a half sandwich.  Admittedly, there wasn’t anything wrong with the grilled cheese (though the bread was a bit crunchy), and the tomato soup tasted fresh, not the tinny taste you get from canned soup, but with all the other opportunities floating around at the myriad of booths, I should have spent the money and calories elsewhere.  The bacon disappeared into the sandwich without adding much to the flavor, and the fried green tomato added some texture to the dish, with the tiniest bit of a bite from the pimento cheese, but otherwise it just wasn’t a standout dish for us – and I so wanted it to be!

Bellies full, we headed for the America Gardens Theatre to catch one last spectacular performance of Disney on Broadway, before heading for the exit, grabbing a delicious “Panda” Bubble Milk Tea ($8.75) from The Painted Panda near China on our walk out.  The black tea and milk concoction was made with a hint of chocolate and a sizeable swirl of whipped cream, with two Oreo cookies on top, forming an adorable silhouette of Mickey’s ears.  And they certainly didn’t skimp on the Boba pearls in the cup.

We are just days away from the start of the 2023 Flower & Garden Festival (the topiaries have started to sneak their way into the park already), and there will be a whole new set of food booths arriving.  But I still wish the Festival of the Arts was a bit longer to get a chance to sample more Food Studios, and meet a few more of our favorite artists.  And maybe add some painted squares to the murals…. or find more hidden chalk drawings of our favorite Disney characters.  By the time the Flower & Garden festival starts, those cute little chalk cartoons will be only a memory!

 

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

Festival of the Arts Foodie Guide, and the Return of Figment?

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

January 7, 2023

 

Woohoo! The new foodie guide for the Festival of the Arts has been released!  

That’s something to look forward to in our house. In many respects, we’ve come to enjoy the EPCOT Festival of the Arts “Food Studios” more than the food booths at other EPCOT Festivals, in part because of the creativity the Disney chefs exude in preparing for this very short festival. The dishes always seem to be more colorful and more appealing to the senses than at other fests. They are just more “fun.”  When we were at EPCOT earlier this week, the booths were already lined up, signs in place, ready to start dishing out their wares. Artists’ booths covered in canvas were waiting for the creators to set up shop and greet art lovers as they arrive next Friday.

This year’s EPCOT International Festival of the Arts runs from January 13 through February 20, 2023, and offers nearly 15 Food Studios, in addition to live performances, sidewalk chalk drawings, enormous murals, and meet and greets with artists.

 

Figment no doubt is getting his day in the sun at this year’s festival, with Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey: Art, Food, and Little Sparks of Magic.  Over at Connections Café, there will be a new Figment Liege Waffle. And if you didn’t capture yourself a Figment souvenir popcorn bucket last year (remember the six hour lines??!!), you’ll get another chance.  Figment is back this year, with an updated EPCOT 40^thAnniversary neck strap. You can snap him up at Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey (limit of two per guest).

Can’t get enough Figment?  Disney guests can grab a limited-edition Munchling that looks like the purple mascot. The new Fruity Fig Bar Figment Munchling smells like berries (a much better choice than the smells on his Journey Into Imagination ride!) You can find him at the merchandise locations at the festival, but if you aren’t making your way to Florida anytime soon, the Munchling will also be available on shopDisney. And don’t forget about Figment’s Brush With the Masters, an art-based scavenger hunt around the countries of World Showcase.

 

Among the new food items our family is looking forward to trying is the Duck and Dumplings at The Artist’s Table (The American Adventure), a smoked duck breast with ricotta dumplings, petite vegetables, and duck jus.  And at L’Arte di Mangiare (Oh, Italy booth, how we want to like your dishes…we keep trying!), the Mozzarella Fritta, a flash-fried breaded fresh mozzarella with an adorable accompaniment of artist palette condiments, and the Ravioli ai Funghi, Perle Tartufate, a  wild mushroom-stuffed pasta with truffle butter and truffle pearls, are calling us. We have a few returning favorites we’ll be hunting down as well.

 

While you are choosing which delights to enjoy, food-wise, keep an eye out for the dishes included on the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine. This returning food stroll allows diners to collect stamps for sampling certain brightly colored options, and after collecting five Colorful Cuisine stamps in the back of your Festival Passport, you can turn the stamps in for a special prize from the Deco Delights studio. Selections included on the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine are noted in the descriptions below.

 
While the artists and Broadway performers are obviously the stars of this festival, the Food Studios also play an important role in the success of the Fest.  To help you plan your day snacking around the park, here’s a peek at the Foodie Guide to EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts.  

 

Pop Eats (Near Port of Entry)

 

Food Items:

• Tomato Soup with grilled cheese
• Tomato Soup with pimento cheese, bacon, and fried green tomato grilled cheese (New) 
• Almond Frangipane Cake layered with raspberry jam and Belgian chocolate (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Item)  

 

Beverages:

• Brooklyn Brewery Pulp Art Hazy IPA
• Bleu Spectrum: Blanc de Bleu Cuveé Mousseux with boba pearls 

 

Courtesy of the Disney Parks Blog

The Deconstructed Dish (Near Port of Entry)

 

Food Items: 

• Deconstructed BLT: Pork belly, soft-poached egg, onion bread pudding, watercress espuma, and tomato jam 
• Deconstructed French Onion Soup: Beef broth ravioli, gruyère cream, onion bread pudding, and onion textures 
• Deconstructed Key Lime Pie: Flexible Key lime curd, “Key lime” mousse, graham cracker cake, and meringues (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Item)  

 

Beverages:

• Deconstructed Apple Pie à la Mode: Apple-cinnamon gelato, cinnamon apple cider, apple pie filling, and streusel (Non-alcoholic) 
• Wicked Weed Brewing Blank Canvas Belgian Blonde Witbier

 

Deco Delights (Near Port of Entry) 

 

Food Items:

• Dulce Chocolate Mousse with chocolate crémeux and dark chocolate truffle 
• Decadent Valrhona Chocolate with dark chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie, and cassis mousse 
• Orange Mousse with Lemon Cake and Raspberry Meringues (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Item)  

 

Beverages:

• 3 Daughters Brewing Strawberry Blonde Nitro
• 81Bay Brewing Co. Vanilla Porter
• Playalinda Brewing Co. Milk Stout
• Espresso Martini featuring Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka (New) 
• Neapolitan Beer Flight 

 

Courtesy of the Disney Parks Blog

The Craftsman’s Courtyard (Near Creations Shop)

 

Food Items:

• Beef Wellington: Mushroom duxelles, prosciutto, and puff pastry with red wine demi-glace and baby vegetables 
• Cast Iron-roasted P.E.I. Mussels with sautéed tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs 

 

Beverages:

• BrewDog Jet Black Heart Nitro Oatmeal Stout (New)
• Cold Fashion Coffee Cocktail 

 

Refreshment Outpost

 

Food Items:

• Plant-based Bratwurst with spicy turmeric aïoli, coffee barbecue jackfruit, and slaw (Plant-based item) 
• Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie 
• Soft-serve Waffle Cone: DOLE Whip, salted-caramel soft-serve, or swirl

 

Beverages:

• Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co. Berries & Cream Sour Berliner (New) 
• Left Hand Brewing Co. Wook Bait IPA (New)
• Central 28 Beer Company Wall Art Brown Ale

 

Pastoral Palate (Germany) 

 

Food Items:

• Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib with parsnip purée, broccolini, baby tomatoes, and aged balsamic 
• Wild Boar Cassoulet with duck confit, ham hock, and wild boar sausage
• Black Forest Cake: Chocolate Mousse with morello cherries and Chantilly cream (New) 

 

Beverages:

• 3 Daughters Brewing Rosé Hard Cider
• 81Bay Brewing Co. Rosé Blonde Ale
• Frozen Rosé 
• A Play on Rosé Flight 
• Marietta Old Vine Rosé

 

The Artist’s Table (The American Adventure)

 

Food Items:

• Three-Meat Meatloaf with “Peas and Carrots”: Green pea pudding, carrot ketchup, shaved carrot salad, and snap peas (New)
• Duck and Dumplings: Smoked duck breast, ricotta dumplings, petite vegetables, and duck jus (New) 
• Hummingbird Cake: Banana cake with pineapple, coconut, pecans, and cream cheese frosting with banana sorbet (New) 

 

Beverages:

• Sipping Chocolate Flight: White, milk, and dark chocolates (Non-alcoholic) 
• Boulevard Brewing Co. Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale (New)
• Parish Brewing Co. South Coast Session Amber Ale (New) 
• Brewery Ommegang Three Philosophers Belgian Quad (New) 
• Lange Estate Winery Pinot Noir
• Symphony in Chocolate Flight: Mozart Chocolate Liqueurs paired with sipping chocolates 
• Beer Flight 

 

Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina (Morocco)

 

Food Items: 

• Carrots Three Ways: Chermoula-spiced grilled carrots, pickled carrots, and carrot ginger purée (Plant-based item) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly) 
• House-made Crispy Almond Phyllo Pockets with white chocolate pomegranate and milk chocolate orange 

 

Beverages: 

• Chai Tea Mint Sparkler featuring Twinings Chai Tea with Sprite (Non-alcoholic) 
• Stem Ciders Flockstar Hard Cider
• Blake’s Hard Cider Co. Mule de Pomme: Pomegranate, ginger, and lime hard cider
• 3 Daughters Brewing Chai Hard Cider
• Chai Tea Mint Mimosa featuring Twinings Chai Tea with Key lime sparkling wine and mint 
• Cider Flight 

 

Vibrante & Vívido: Encanto Cocina (Between Morocco & France) 

 

Food Items:

• Chorizo and Potato Empanada with turmeric aïoli and annatto aïoli (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Item)  
• Spicy Ajiaco Soup with guajillo and árbol chili-spiced chicken, potato, avocado, corn, and crème fraîche (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
• Passion Fruit Mousse with dragon fruit jam (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly) 

 

Beverages:

• Coconut and Passion Fruit Smoothie (Non-alcoholic)
• Frozen Piña Colada 
• Passion Fruit Daiquiri 

 

Refreshment Port (Near Canada)

 

Food Items:

• Gnocchi Poutine with red wine-braised beef, cheese curds, basil, and burrata 
• Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie 
• Soft-serve Waffle Cone: DOLE Whip Strawberry, DOLE Whip Lemon, or swirl 

 

Beverages:

• Blood Orange Cosmo: Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka with blood orange, cranberry, and lime 
• Boulevard Brewing Co. Quirk Blueberry Lemon & Lavender Hard Seltzer (New)  

 

Courtesy of the Disney Parks Blog

Gourmet Landscapes (Canada) 

 

Food Items: 

• Blood Orange-braised Beet Tartare with mustard vinaigrette, pickled clamshell mushrooms, and golden beets (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Item) (Plant-based Item) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)  
• Roasted Bone Marrow with onion marmalade, pickled mushrooms, and petite lettuce 
• Wild Mushroom Risotto with aged Parmesan, truffle shavings, and zinfandel reduction 

 

Beverages:

• Whole Hog Brewery Raspberry Chéret Double Radler
• Schlumberger Cuvée Klimt Brut
• The Meeker Vineyard Winemaker’s Handprint Merlot
• Frozen Rusty Nail Cocktail 

 

Moderne (Near Test Track)

 

Food Items:

• Compressed Watermelon Tataki with pickled watermelon rind, yuzu pearls, watermelon foam, and wasabi (New) (Plant-based Item)
• Angry Crab: Whole crispy soft-shell crab with green papaya salad, mango-sriracha fluid gel, and coconut-lime foam with pomegranate and mango crush pearls (New) 
• Pan-seared Scallops with vanilla-butternut squash purée, brown butter cauliflower purée, and lime foam (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Item)  
• The Tropics: Lilikoi mousse, guava cake, coconut crémeux, compressed pineapple, and mango gel (New)

 

Beverages:

• Watermelon Mary featuring Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka (New) 
• J. Lohr Riesling (New) 

 

Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey: Art, Food, and Little Sparks of Magic

 

Food Items:

• Fruit Pizza: Watermelon, compressed cantaloupe, berries, and berry balsamic (New) (Plant-based Item) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
• Pop’t Art: Sugar Cookie with blueberry filling (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Item)  
• Rainbow Cake with freeze-dried SKITTLES bite sized candies 
• Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket with rainbow popcorn (Limit 2 per person) 

 

Beverages:

• Grape Smoothie with freeze-dried SKITTLES bite sized candies (Non-alcoholic) (New) 
• 3 Daughters Brewing Black Cherry Hard Cider (New)
• 3 Daughters Brewing Blood Orange Hard Cider (New)
• 3 Daughters Brewing Passion Fruit Hard Cider (New)
• Rainbow Cider Flight (New)
• 81Bay Brewing Co. Green with Envy Blonde Ale (New)
• 81Bay Brewing Co. Blue Butterfly Lager (New)
• Urban Artifact The Gadget Raspberry & Blackberry Midwest Fruit Tart (New)
• Rainbow Beer Flight (New)

 

Connections Café 

 

Food Item: 

• Figment Liege Waffle (New) 

 

Connections Eatery

 

Beverage: 

• Dusk ‘Til Dawn: Three Olives Blueberry Vodka, lemonade, and orange juice with cotton candy 

 

L’Art de la Cuisine Française (France)

 

Food Items:

• Crème de Brie en Petit Pain: Warm creamy brie in a house-made bread bowl 
• Croissant à la Truffle Noir d’Hiver: Black winter truffle croissant 
• Mille-Feuille de Betteraves aux Herbes et Noix de Cajoux: Plant-based napoleon with beets, cashew-herb filling, pepper-pine nut sauce, and balsamic vinegar caviar (New) (Plant-based Item) 
• Moelleux aux Noisettes et Chocolats Valrhona: Molten chocolate and hazelnut cake with pure origin Valrhona chocolates and passion fruit-mango sauce 

 

Beverages:

• Frozen French Martini: Grey Goose Vodka, vodka, chambord liqueur, pineapple, orange, and grape juices with lemon-lime foam 
• Charles Lafitte, Brut Rosé Prestige, Méthode Traditionnelle Champenoise, French Rosé Sparkling Wine 
• Domaine Raphaël Sallet, Mâcon-Uchizy Les Maranches 2020, Chardonnay, Mâconnais, Burgundy (New)
• Cîroc Sunset Citrus Vodka Spritz (New) 

 

El Artista Hambriento (Mexico)

 

Food Items:

• Carne Asada: Chipotle-marinated beef sirloin, sweet potato purée, and crispy-fried onions (New) 
• Huarache de Champiñones: Guajillo chile and corn masa huarache with pinto beans, oyster mushrooms, Nopales, queso fresco, and pea tendrils (New) 
• Flan de Coco: Coconut flan, guava sauce, and whipped cream (New) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly) 

 

Beverages:

• Mexican Craft Beer: Cielito Lindo Artisanal Mexican Craft Beer 
• Bombon Margarita “Marshmallow”: Ilegal Mezcal Reposado, marshmallow cordial, lime juice, agave nectar and a hint of coffee and elderflower served with a toasted marshmallow (New)
• Las Californias: Tromba Blanco Tequila, strawberry-lime purée, and Las Californias Citrus Mexican Gin (New)

 

Courtesy of the Disney Parks Blog

Goshiki (Japan)

 

Food Items:

• Rainbow Katsu Sando: Pork cutlet sandwich with tangy tonkatsu sauce and cabbage in rainbow sweet bread (New)
• Sushi Donut: Donut-shaped sushi featuring salmon, tuna, shrimp, cucumber, and sesame seed over a decorated plate of wasabi aïoli, sriracha aïoli, and eel sauce 
• Ichigo Daifuku: Mixed berry mochi, sweet azuki bean paste, and mascarpone (New)

 

Beverages:

• Sui Sui Watercolor Lager (New)
• Masu Sake in a traditional personalized wooden cup 
• Purple Yuzu Sake Lemonade: Sake cocktail infused with butterfly pea flower and yuzu lemonade (New)

 

The Painted Panda (China)

 

Food Items:

• General Tso’s Chicken Shumai 
• Char Siu Pork Bun 

 

Beverages:

• “Panda” Bubble Milk Tea with black tea, milk, chocolate, and tapioca boba pearls (Non-alcoholic)  
• Lucky Foo Pale Ale 
• Silk Road Hard Lemonade with Smirnoff Vodka, lavender-coconut syrup, and lemonade (New)
• Sea Butterfly: Butterfly Pea Flower-infused cocktail with Smirnoff Vodka, light rum, lychee syrup, and magic boba pearls 

 

L’Arte di Mangiare (Italy)

 

Food Items:

• Mozzarella Fritta: Flash-fried breaded fresh mozzarella with artist palette condiments (New)
• Ravioli ai Funghi, Perle Tartufate: Wild mushroom-stuffed pasta with truffle butter and truffle pearls (New)
• Budino al Cioccolato: Chocolate pudding with colorful chocolate décor (New)

 

Beverages:

• Peroni Pilsner 
• Chianti 
• Prosecco 
• Italian Sangria Red or White 
• Italian Margarita with tequila and limoncello 
• Amaretto Bellini: DISARONNO Originale Liqueur, white peach purée, and prosecco 

 

Courtesy of the Disney Parks Blog

Funnel Cake

• Mocha Funnel Cake: Mini Funnel Cake with cappuccino ice cream topped with chocolate whipped cream and M&M’S chocolate candies (New)

 

Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company

 

World Discovery (Near Mission: SPACE) 

• Amber Frost: An artistic blend of frozen lemon ice, a splash of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, blood orange, and orange popping boba pearls (New) (Alcoholic version available with Grey Goose Vodka)

 

Near Canada

• Magenta Frost: An artistic blend of frozen lemon ice, a splash of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, dragon fruit, and dragon fruit popping boba pearls (New) (Alcoholic version available with Grey Goose Vodka) 

 

Showcase Plaza (Near Disney Traders) 

• Jade Frost: An artistic blend of frozen lemon ice, a splash of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, green apple, and green apple popping boba pearls (New) (Alcoholic version available with Grey Goose Vodka)

 

The American Adventure 

• Cerulean Frost: An artistic blend of frozen lemon ice, a splash of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, blue raspberry, and blueberry popping boba pearls 6.39 (New) (Alcoholic version available with Grey Goose Vodka) 

   

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.