The full trip report is over, but the details still need filling in. Read on for more May 2021 WDW fun!
Guys! Have you ever eschewed an evening in one of the parks in favor of a bar crawl at Disney Springs? Sounds crazy, right? Well YOU SHOULD DO IT. Becky and I did and it was awesome!
I talked about our evening in the general sense in my trip report proper, but I wanted to give the bars in question a well-deserved spotlight. ¡Adelante!
Our first stop, the only one for which we had a reservation, was Wine Bar George. This restaurant has an upscale feel and features carefully curated selections from sommelier George himself. I was there for brunch once before, but this was my first time sampling the evening menu. You can follow along here.
You can’t go to Wine Bar George and not get a glass of wine. Well, you can (I have). But this time around I wanted the proper sommelier-curated experience, so I kept my focus on the wine menu. I was on the hunt for a malbec, since that’s my go-to, but my shiny little mind was drawn in by the novelty of wines on tap. Add a punny name and I’m sold!
Which is how I wound up with a glass of Maison Noir Horseshoes and Handgrenades. This wine isn’t currently listed on the menu – I hear George likes to change things up a lot – but I tracked it down in the general interwebs and it’s described as a combination of syrah, cabernet, and merlot. Words like “full-bodied” and “complex” are also bandied about, and I can neither confirm nor deny this. It tasted like a generic albeit pleasant red wine to me, very drinkable but not hugely memorable. I wouldn’t discourage you from ordering it, but if it’s still not on the menu again when you visit I wouldn’t worry about it.
We also shared the artisanal cheese board, which came with what I find increasingly is the usual assortment of cheese – a bleu, something Swiss-y, something manchego-y, and something cheddar-y. These were all tasty because they were cheese. But what I particularly enjoyed were the accompaniments. I was just saying that day I’d always wanted to taste honeycomb, and there it was! It tasted like honey. There was also some jam, blanched almonds, and olives, plus assorted toasted bread and crackers. A serviceable and enjoyable board but nothing mindblowing.
George said goodbye to use on the way out. The man takes his restaurant hosting very seriously.
From Wine Bar George we went right across the way to Jockey Lindsey’s Hangar Bar, a watering hole to which I am no stranger. There was a brief wait for a table, but we got into the Indiana Jones-themed inside room pretty easily. The menu is here if you want it, but I didn’t because I had to get what I always do: The ANYTHING! GOES!!!! (Emphasis mine, if you can believe it.)
This magnificent, unskippable cocktail is SPICY. I love spicy drinks! But don’t be scared; it’s assertive, the-server-will-warn-you spicy, but not set-your-tastesbuds-on-fire-I-can’t-feel-my-tongue spicy. You know? The Dragon Fire spirit brings the heat, but the lime, passion fruit, and pineapple juices smooth the process. I adore it.
You shouldn’t drink without eating, so we also ordered the medjool date and manchego cheese flatbread. This came with frisee, a balsamic glaze, and most importantly crispy prosciutto. The menu also says onion but I vaguely remember we may have ordered it without? “Vaguely remember” sums up my feelings on this item pretty well. Flatbreads have gotten rather ubiquitous at Disney, and they tend to be similar. Even the prosciutto couldn’t rescue this one from obscurity. Still, I’ll come back again and again for Indy and the Anything Goes!
Minor spoiler, but we’re saving the best for last here – our final stop was at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ restaurant. We had to put our names on a wait list, but it was entirely worth it. It was the only one of the three I’d never been to before, and it turned out to be my favorite! Check the menu here.
Homecomin’ has no more of a theme than Wine Bar George does, but they cultivate completely different vibes. Where Wine Bar George is the kind of fancy that’s right for an anniversary or some such, Homecomin’ has more of a local watering hole feel. Both are good, but I really loved the warm atmosphere at Homecomin.’ The bartenders were all amazing!
The first guy helped guide us through our selections for the moonshine flight. You get to pick three of their house-infused/branded ‘shines I picked some fruit flavors that were all pleasant though not super strong in their fruit flavors, but let the bartender talk me into a straight moonshine that was I wanna say 100 proof? And as the southerners say: Y’ALL. Like friggin’ GASOLINE. But Becky got one that was even stronger and seemed fine with it, so maybe I’m just weak sauce.
Oh, the moonshine flight also comes with candied pecans and, controversially, a spiced pickle juice shot. I liked the pickle juice! It’s almost sweet gherkin-y, which I dig, and I generally enjoy vinegar-forward flavors. They don’t make you drink it if you’re uneasy though. 😜
Becky wanted a second drink, and consulted another bartender about which of the moonshines on tap to try. This bartender told us she would bring us some samples, and wound up bringing us mini solo cups of ALL the flavors and I love her forever. While we tried them she told us about all the different ways people like to combine them to custom mix a cocktail.
I wasn’t originally planning on a second drink, but I fell in love with the idea of combining the Blue Hooch and Margarita moonshine mixes. The bartender was kind enough to make me a smaller size, and it was totally worth it, all sweet and tart and citrus-y. And look how PRETTY!
With all this moonshine splashing around, we had to order some food. Obviously we had to get an order of the cheddar drop biscuits, and they were everything they ought to be, all soft and cheese-y and buttery. We also got mac and cheese, which I somehow missed taking a photo of? BAD blogger. But I remember they were serviceable. Nothing near as good as the biscuits, but then I’m very picky about what makes truly great mac and cheese.
We considered going to one more bar, but it was getting pretty late and we’d had a lot of moonshine, so we threw in the towel. Which is fine, because it means we have lots of new places still to try! Although I’m probably going to have to go back to Homecomin’ every Disney Springs trip until forever.
In conclusion: barhopping at Disney Springs is 100% worth the time away from the parks. Do it! Do it!
Or just stay at Homecomin’ the whole evening. Who knows; I may already be there. 🤪
Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Twitter @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.com. See ya real soon!
