BREWING BEER IN THE HOUSE OF THE MOUSE

Just a stone’s throw away from Disney World’s EPCOT Center lies one of Orlando’s best-kept secrets. A literal craft beer oasis in an expansive desert of theme park beer choices, Big River Grille and Brewing Works is nestled along Disney’s Boardwalk…and almost no one knows about it.

For a craft beer lover on vacation with the family, theme parks are a notorious disappointment when it comes to good beer selection. EPCOT Center is probably the least of all offenders, having an ample international beer selection throughout its World Showcase. But finding good craft beer in the House of the Mouse can be daunting. They are often found on the park’s expansive restaurant menus or located in tiny, tucked away bars that only locals seem to know about.

Luckily, Big River Grille and Brewing Works is there to save the day – and those days can be long. They are accessible from anywhere by car and are open to the public. If you’re staying on Disney property, it just takes a quick ride on one of Disney’s fleet of shuttles and even BY BOAT from EPCOT Center and several resorts, so there’s absolutely no reason to miss it.

Part of Craft Works Restaurants and Breweries, Big River opened in Lake Buena Vista in 1996 with sister locations in Nashville and Chattanooga. Out of a passion for hand-crafted beer and fresh regional cuisine, they aren’t messing around when it comes to the quality of their beer. Since the first Big River opened in 1993, they have racked up some serious awards – 2 silver medals and a gold for their Iron Horse Stout and a bronze for their Espresso Stout in the World Beer Cup, as well as a bronze medal for the Iron Horse Stout, a silver for the South Side Pilsner, and gold medals for both the Rocket Red Ale and the Sweet Magnolia Brown from the Great American Beer Fest.

Kent Waugh, Big River’s Head Brewer, spent some time with me a couple weeks ago and we talked a bit about the brewery and his background. While living in Colorado and aspiring to become a professional snowboarder, his introduction to beer started like almost all professional brewers – with a friend and a homebrew kit. They made a Newcastle clone and did a double blind taste test with some friends. When they couldn’t tell the difference, he knew he was hooked. (And this sounds oddly familiar!)

The day before I met with Kent, he had a release party for his Soleil IPA, named after his daughter. Coming in at 60 IBUs, I thought that it might be a bit much for my palate. However, it was so well malt-balanced that it easily sprang to the top of my list of favorite IPAs. The brew house, fermentation, and brite tanks are behind a glass wall and within view from anywhere in the restaurant, so it’s pretty interesting to see the patrons watching Kent doing what he loves. He brews about 800 barrels a year and, with the exception of a few festivals, it is entirely consumed on premise and tapped directly from the brite tanks.

Parking at Disney’s boardwalk is free. So if you’re a local or are planning a trip to Disney World, I highly recommend stopping by to talk with Kent, taste his exceptional beers, and have a bite to eat. As of right now, Big River’s beers are not sold in the theme parks – and I’m going to have to talk to the big man about that, because you know us Orlandoans have Mickey on speed dial.