Back in early June I spent some time at Walt Disney World with my wife. There for business and pleasure I did not hold out much hope for any type of craft beer selection. I was pleasantly surprised however, with at least some craft beer options. The Dolphin’s (hotel we stayed at) pool side bar had Bell’s Oberon (along with some other craft bottles which escape my memory). The ESPN bar down on the Boardwalk (a short walk from our hotel) had a couple Boston Beer options, a Dogfish Head beer, and a couple other craft beer bottles for order. Not a plethora of craft beer, but every little bit is nice.
Another bar along the Boardwalk was Big River Grille and Brewing Works, a chain brew-pub operated by Gordon Biersch. Always interested in brew-pub fare, I visited the establishment a few times.
Clean and bright, with a couple of flat screen TVs playing random sport channels around the bar area, describes the atmosphere well. I found the bar staff friendly and knowledgeable about the beers on tap. The food was prepared well, and I would qualify it as slightly diversified pub food. As for the beer I tried three offerings over my visits: Rocket Red, Wowzers Wheat, and Amber Ale.
Ironically enough the beer I enjoyed the most, Rocket Red, was the beer I forgot to take notes on. From vague memories, I remember enjoying the slightly citrus hop notes mixed with light caramel flavors, which made the beer quite refreshing.
Their Wowzer’s Wheat, which was offered with orange or lemon but not automatically given… points for that, had a tight white head sitting a top a slightly-hazy light golden body. Wheat and clove aromas dominate the air with a hint of sour mixed in for good measure. The taste is a continuation of the aroma with no surprises. The beer flows light over the tongue with a slight tingle from the carbonation.
The final beer was their Amber Ale. The hops used in this beer were the same used in their Rocket Red, while the malts were the same as those in their Sweet Magnolia Brown Ale. A tight off-white head that died pretty quick, leaving islands of thin bubbles. The body was rather dark, leaning towards a rich amber-brown, with a light haze. The nose was a mixture of citrus hop and caramel and brown malt, all light in character. For the taste the malts take center stage, over powering the hop presence found in the beer’s aroma. Deep caramel and a rich “brown ale” character washed through my mouth with the slightest of carbonation tingle. Still the beer felt quite light, with a minimal aftertaste.
Though none of the beers possessed “my god that was amazing” qualities, all were competently made and enjoyable to drink. If you start tiring of Mickey while at Disney World, checking out Big River on the Boardwalk could be what is called for.
Author: Dave
Categories: Florida
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2nd up this month from the Beer of the Month Club is another odd brewery. This one is the Florida Beer Company – not that odd, per se, but I’ve never heard of ‘em. Regardless, we got our hands on their pale ale, so we’ll see how they do with it.
