Post #742582 by Hurricane Hayward on Sat, May 9, 2015 1:12 AM

mmaurice: The B.G. Reynolds syrups are a carry-over from Trader Sam's in Disneyland. They need them to make many of the drinks that came from that menu. I just wish they would embrace bitters just the same. You really need them for balance in the best Tiki cocktails.

If you go up to the Tambu Lounge, you'll see them pour out of the half-gallon Minute Maid containers of POG. Though POG is rare on the East Coast, I've heard it's not hard to find in California and, of course, Hawaii. I talk about that in more depth on my blog that features the Backscratcher recipe (link above).

You're absolutely right about the consistency issue as a result of free-pouring. I kept an eye on the bartenders (sorry, I mean skippers) when I was seated at the bar, and there's some effort made to be exact with the syrups and ingredients used in small amounts, but not so much with the juices. But the Disney beverage department runs a tight ship, so I'm sure they'll try to avoid over-pouring of spirits. I was at one bar before opening recently and witnessed the bartender being tested by a supervisor on his pouring and counting skills.

It's good to hear about the bar at the Four Seasons. It's pretty new, so I don't think a lot of folks are aware of it yet, but it's definitely now on my radar. I also need to get over to the bar at Todd English's Bluezoo at the Dolphin resort, which is reputed to have the best cocktails on property. Also highly recommend is the Top of the World Lounge at the Contemporary Resort's Bay Lake Tower, but you need to be a DVC member to get in there. Just off property in the Bonnet Creek area, the Waldorf Astoria is said to have an excellent cocktail program.

On WDW property, you never know where you're going to find good spirits. My favorite secret spot is L'Artisan des Glaces in the France pavilion at Epcot, where you can get a shot of Rhum Clement VSOP on your ice cream martini. As for the WDW bars, I think they generally get a bad rap. There are more than 70 bars and lounges in the parks and resorts. Like Trader Sam's, a lot of attention is paid to theming and presentation while the drinks suffer just a bit from homogenization, but you have to know where to go to get the perfect mix of drinks and decor.

Not to get too far off topic, but a quick list of my favorite spots to relax with a cocktail when I'm not at the Poly would include Mizner's at the Grand Floridan, the Wave and California Grill at the Contemporary, Territory Lounge at the Wilderness Lodge, Crew's Cup at the Yacht Club, Belle Vue Lounge at the Boardwalk, Victoria Falls and Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Raglan Road at Downtown Disney. In the parks, options are more limited, but I enjoy the Tune-In Lounge and Brown Derby Lounge in Hollywood Studios, Yak and Yeti and Dawa Bar in Animal Kingdom, and three of the four full-service bars in Epcot's World Showcase (La Cava del Tequila in Mexico, the Rose and Crown in the UK, and Tutto Gusto in Italy).

Now, before someone comes looking for my head, let's get back to Trader Sam's talk ...

[ Edited by: Hurricane Hayward 2015-05-09 09:55 ]