Beer Review - Au Currant

 

"Au Currant"

Central Florida sipping is changing me, friends!  Maybe it’s wizarding magic.  I don’t like funky beers, I don’t like funky beers, I don’t like funky beers, and Epic Universe can’t change me.

Unless some magic happens, and it does!

“Au Currant” by Crooked Can is the newest Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic brew in Epic Universe.  I decided to choke down this beer, since I don’t like Farmhouse Ales at all.  Adding blackcurrants to this saison is only going to make it worse for this dark beer fan who sees this as adding fruit to bleh.  But hey, I need to drink all the potions to be fair and provide a proper sorting.  I went into this thinking it would clearly be as horrible as Polyjuice Potion when I ordered it at Bar Moonshine.  And instead, I found this to be a very pleasant, slightly funky, somewhat sweet 5.2% ABV, no-IBU, easy-to-drink experience.  The berry flavor is not overwhelming; you are not drinking a shandy, and it helps manage the funk.  I thought the non-beer drinker in my group might like the slight berry tang, but they found it to be too funky and undrinkable.  Yeah, it’s not my favorite beer at Epic, I see you Stoick!  It’s likely not my favorite Wizarding beer either.  But it was really nice and refreshing when it's super hot in Paris or other parts of Epic.

I don’t talk about Farmhouse Ales or Saisons very often.  Mostly because I dislike them, they are not my brew, or haven’t been.  But as a style, it very much fits within the Paris vibe of the Ministry of Magic.  It’s very much a popular, homemade, traditional, Western European beer that fits Paris.  If anything to be me it feels more peasant than aristocrat, as it’s a working person brew.  For some reason, I see Wizards being more landowners than those who till the ground.  But it does fit the vibe better than an English ale style that we would find over in the other two parks.  

Who Drinks This? Wizards who need to check off all the Wizard beers grab this.  Fans of slightly funky beers would enjoy this one.  “Au Currant” is not my go-to potion, but it could give me future change-of-pace sips.  

Beer Review - Stoick’s Ale

"Stoick's Ale"

Am I evolving?  Have my taste buds changed?  Because Epic Universe is really challenging me with beer.  If there’s one rule in the world, I have a really stern, almost stoic view towards Belgian beers. I don’t usually enjoy funky beers, with Celebration’s “Storm Strong” being the one Florida exception.  

“Stoick’s Ale” is Epic Universe’s exclusive brew for the How to Train Your Dragon portal.  It’s a 5% ABV with no IBU wheat Belgian Witbier.  Universal describes it as being a white ale with wildflower honey.  What I get flavor-wise is a funky, distinctive Belgian-brewed front end with some slight and pleasant sweetness.  And I swear there’s a slight citrus backbone.  I wasn’t the only one in my party who picked up on the refreshing citrus from the hops.  

All I can say in my sternest tone is, I like it, I really like it.  This may be my favorite Epic Universe beer..  Epic Universe is hot.  It’s really hot.  What a traveler needs is something refreshing.  The Belgian funk, sweetness, and citrus all combine to provide a refreshing, not overpowering beer that can really help one to cool off.  I come from a land of stouts and IPAs that are thick and hearty.  “Stoick’s Ale” is a good example of how Florida seems to like their wheat-based beers, refreshing while also providing some flavor.  

I bought my pint at Spit Fyre Grill, but you can also order one up at the Mead Hall.  Sadly, neither menu confirms the brewery.  I chose to rate it on Untappd under the Carib Brewery USA entry due to the larger number of ratings found on their page.  But the second guess of Crooked Can seems plausible.  These two breweries provide Universal with the bulk of their specialty beers, and “Stoick’s” has to be originating from one of them. 

Who Drinks This? Don’t let the funk scare you off.  Hot and weary travelers, who also make sure to hydrate with water, drink this sweet and refreshing Witbier.  It was a hit for multiple drinkers in my party and likely to be an Epic Universe go-to delight. 

Venue Review - The Burning Blade Tavern

The Burning Blade Tavern

I like some Wizarding World of Harry Potter beers. The Hog’s Head is my favorite hangout and sip location. But with the announcements of Universal Epic Universe, it wasn’t The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic that I most wanted to visit. It was, shockingly enough Dark Universe. I hate scary things! As I previewed Epic Universe, on my own dime, I will agree that Darkmoor is wonderful, immersive, and a place that I wish to visit again. Among the attractions in this spooky land is The Burning Blade tavern, with theming and specialty beer. While my family had attractions as their must-dos on our preview day, it was this pub with its distinctive burning windmill that I most wanted to hit.

The Burning Blade Tavern was my second stop in the Dark Universe. “Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment” was stop number one…and well worth it. I was excited after hitting that attraction, and now my heart pounded as I saw the unburning blades of the windmill (spoiler, I never saw them burn). It skipped a beat as I opened the door and found…a giant crowd! The inside was dark and crowded. The side and back wall featured a long bar, with a lot of disorganization to order with some monster heads behind the bartenders. There was a smattering of tall tables. It was a bit overwhelming. But boom, mobile order! I put in our order, walked up to the bar, trying to find where one could pick up the order, which said it was ready, and was told to go outside. Outside on a patio, I found a few more standing tables, one window that did not indicate a mobile order pickup, and a long line. It’s that line I was told I could pick up from once I was informed my order was ready! So, I had gone mobile to stand in another line, which may have been longer than the inside lines. Only because my party had multiple people were we able to hold a table while I waited to pick up our food and drinks.

A monster hunter did enter the patio while I waited, and he was very entertaining. Not Igor entertaining, but definitely still fun. And it was needed as the process I used to save time didn’t save any time.

"Reaper's Reserve"

For me, what I have been dreaming of is “Reaper’s Reserve,” a brown ale with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. It’s a no IBU, 5% ABV offering. Now I know it’s never winter except in Hogsmeade in Universal, but it screamed Winter Warmer to me. Crooked Can brews the ale of the monster hunters, like many Universal specialty beers. I found the brown liquid to be almost purple in the right lighting, which gave it a spooky feeling. The taste was a light flavored light brown ale malty flavor with some baking spices, especially cinnamon. It was nice and enjoyable. Now my non-beer drinking companions in the group made “ugh” faces as they sipped. But as a dark beer fan, I found it enjoyable and something I would consider again. But I can see how a brown ale doesn’t scream refreshing in the heat.


The table also grabbed a “Darkthrone Mead,” another exclusive drink. It’s a blackcurrant boysenberry vanilla mead with a pink peppercorn infusion. It is a 12% ABV with no IBUs. It’s also a Florida creation, coming from Brewlihan, a meadery in Oakland Park, FL. It was a sweet and refreshing drink that “screamed” of berry jammy flavors.

For food we grabbed three items to share. The “Hunter’s Garlic Stake” is a garlic butter pretzel with a garlic dipping sauce. Honestly, it was a solid, but not my favorite, pretzel-like treat. We grabbed the “Staked Grilled Chicken,” a char-grilled chicken skewer with garlic naan, tzatziki, shaved cabbage, and a salsa roja. This was our least favorite item. It was so wet, with water sitting on the spinach and naan. Finally, we shared “Burning Cheddar Bites,” which are crispy fried jalapeno cheddar bites with a sriracha ranch. These had mixed reviews at the table, with the spice level either being too much or just right. We also found that we had to attack them with one bite. We know it’s a preview, and we as a group kinda hope the quality improves a smidge. At the moment, we would grab the Stake as being the most pretzel-like.


Who Drinks Here? Monster Hunters…Monster Hunters drink here. I love Dark Universe, and I hate scary things! I like the vibes that the Burning Blade may provide in the future as the newness wears off, some operations change, and maybe some tweaks to the food. It was a preview day, so things will change. I think most drinkers will find “Darkthorne Mead” to be a refreshing, safe choice, served in a small glass to fight the big ABV. And for those of us collecting all the specialty beers, “Reaper’s Reserve” must be enjoyed!


But sadly, it’s not the Hog’s Head of Epic Universe! Yet!