The perfect start to summer begins May 1st at Disney Springs with the all new Bourbon Trail. Guests aged 21 and over can wander through the trail, which contains numerous shops and restaurants to find perfectly paired bourbon-inspired beverages with tasty food dishes. There is even a Bourbon Trail map to help you find your way.
Each stop contains a variety of different pairings.
First up is the House of Blues Restaurant and Bar. There are two bourbon inspired beverages at this stop. The Fine and Mellow features Knob Creek Bourbon, St. Elder, lemon juice, strawberry, and rhubarb bitters while the Hurry Sundown Old Fashioned is made with Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Benedictine, butter pecan syrup, bitters, and caramel pecan bacon. These drinks go perfectly with smoked brisket or smoked pulled pork sandwiches. For dessert, there’s homemade bread pudding. Keeping with the theme, it is topped with toffee sauce and bourbon butter.
You can then wander to the Splitsville Dining Room and enjoy The Trifecta, a mixed beverage of Old Forester 100, Carpano Antica Vermouth, Benedictine, and Pimento Dram. It can be paired with BBQ Chicken Pizza that is covered in BBQ sauce and topped with marinated grilled chicken, BBQ sauce, smoked gouda, mozzarella, cilantro, and red onion.
Bongos Cuban Café has created an Angel’s Envy Bourbon Mojito that features Angel’s Blue Envy Bourbon, simple syrup, soda water, and fresh mint leaves. You can enjoy it with authentic Cuban style churrasco certified Angus beef which is a 10-ounce skirt steak that’s been hand-cut and served with house-made chimichurri sauce, white rice, and beans.
Stop number 4 is YeSake. Their creation is a strawberry bourbon sour slushie. It’s mixed with bourbon, sweet strawberry puree, and lemonade. Try the citrus fresh with it. You can have either a bowl or a wrap of salmon, green leaf lettuce, cucumber, onion, spinach, and jalapeño tempura crunch wasabi ponzu sauce.
Planet Hollywood Observatory is featuring a Bulleit frontier old fashioned with Bulleit Bourbon, sugar, and bitters. St. Louis-style BBQ ribs that fall-off-the-bone go well with the old fashioned. They are slow cooked in-house, smothered with BBQ sauce, and served with triple fries.
Following the trail, STK Orlando has the double down. It’s Woodford Reserve and lemon juice. Perfect to go with double smoked bacon and served with date chutney, oven-dried tomatoes, and crispy garlic. You can also grab a bag o’ donuts that are enhanced with dulche de leche filling and spice chocolate and raspberry sauces.
Enzo’s Hideaway has the Enzo’s bourbon swizzle featuring Bulleit Bourbon, lemon juice, ginger syrup, bitters, and fresh mint sprigs with notes of spice, rye, and cedar. Salumi and Formaggi Board go well with the beverage. It a fantastic selection of meats and cheeses.
Peach Tree Downs can be found at the Edison. Refreshing peach mint julep with a nutty pecan finish featuring Knob Creek Bourbon and Old Camp Peach Pecan Whiskey pairs perfectly with DB Clothesline Candied Bacon with maple and black pepper served with a sour pickle.
Paradiso 37, Taste of the Americas is offering the Kentucky Sunrise, a classic featuring Jim Beam Bourbon, orange juice, and grenadine. It’s served with an Argentinian Skirt Steak. This 10-ounce char-grilled skirt steak topped with caramelized onions and chimichurri and served with wasabi or truffle fries is sure to be amazing.
The Ganachery has Woodford Reserve Bourbon that is made of more than 200 flavor notes, bold grain and wood to sweet aromatics.
The next stop is Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant. Staying with their Irish roots, they are serving up the Gold Cup featuring Bulleit Bourbon, Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, with muddled mint, lime, and cucumber. The dish to go with the Gold Cup is Dub Schpuds which is herb roasted potato wedges with a Smithwick’s and Dubliner cheese dip.
Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar has a Coffee Old Fashioned. This perfectly inspired drink is Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Kahlua Coffee Liqueur, Joffrey’s Cold Brew Coffee, Vanilla Syrup, Aromatic Bitters, and served with a coffee ganache square. Served with Snakebite Sliders, three gourmet beef sliders with tomato-bacon jam, house-made pickles, shredded lettuce and cheese, the Hangar Bar is a great stop!
Number 13 is The Boathouse. This new crowd favorite is offering an Orlando Pride. Featuring Old Forester Bourbon and a homemade blackberry citrus purée, this goes well with the Calamari, hoisin chili marinated calamari rings lightly fried with a medley of peppers and served with a side of hoisin chili sauce.
Paddlefish has a Southern Sangria that features Medley Bros. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, peach liqueur, Tempranillo, and seasonal fruit with warm notes of caramel, oak, and spices that are followed by touches of creamy vanilla, milk chocolate, and caramelized sugar. Try it with the Pork Chop, a 10-ounce pork chop served with house-made applesauce and fresh green beans.
Afterwards, head over to The Polite Pig for their Winner’s Circle beverage. It’s Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Pamplemousee grapefruit liqueur, and elderflower tonic, with a rich and complex flavors and hints of vanilla, toffee, and candied fruit. You can’t leave without trying the Southern Pig Sandwich with delicious pulled pork, fennel-apple slaw, tangy mustard BBQ and Dukes Mayonnaise.
Frontera Cocina is featuring Bórbon Néctar. Basil Hayden’s Bourbon, 3 dashes of organic agave, 5 drops of Elemakule Tiki Bitters, and orange peel with lean oak, corn, and caramel flavors and finishes of warm toffee, spice, and drying wood comprises this amazing cocktail. Try it with the Carne Asada. The garlic and red chili-marinated Creekstone Natural Black Angus Steak and black beans refritos with queso fresco with caramelized plantains, crema and Cotija cheese is served with tomatillo salsa and warm tortillas.
We’ve made it to the last two stops on the Bourbon Trail!
D-Luxe Burger is all about the bacon! It has a Smoked Bourbon Gelato Shake. It’s a vanilla gelato blended with Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon, hickory smoke, and dark chocolate sauce and topped with a bacon strip. The Southern Burger is a signature blend beef patty topped with a fried green tomato, pimento cheese, lettuce, grilled onion, and bacon.
Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ ends the trail with The Old Fashioned Elder, featuring Michter’s Bourbon and St. Germain Elderflower. It also has a Basil Hayden’s Mint Julep with Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, simple syrup, and sprigs of fresh mint. You have to try the Famous Thigh High Chicken Biscuits. It’s three biscuits topped with Chef Art’s fried chicken thighs, drizzled with hot honey, and served alongside bread and butter pickles.
The Bourbon Trail at Disney Springs will be here from May 1st through June 17th so make your plans to get there before it ends!
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