25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 5: Mai Tai at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop

The Christmas season, my absolute favorite time of the year. Growing up, one of the little things I loved most was getting an advent calendar and counting down the days until Santa would be coming down the chimney. As I grew older, I had to leave advent calendars in the rear view mirror* but I still miss that daily countdown building anticipation to the big day. So, we’re going to start a virtual advent calendar here at TouringPlans. For 2014 we are going to countdown our favorite drinks at Walt Disney World and the Universal Orlando Resort.

Criteria: Drinks can be alcoholic or nonalcoholic. Drinks can come from any venue on property. Bonus points award for atmosphere where drink is served. And any drink with glow cubes is immediately disqualified. Ready? Let’s go!

DAY FIVE: Mai Tai at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop (Royal Pacific Resort)

 

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Universal’s Royal Pacific Resort. The hotel also has one of my favorite restaurants on UOR property, Emeril’s Tchoup Chop. The signature drink at Tchoup Chop is their 1944 Mai Tai Roa Ae. Ingredients: 3 Star Barbancourt Rum, Myers Dark Rum, Orgeat Syrup, Orange Curacao & Fresh Lime Juice. Mai Tai Roa Ae translates as “Out of this world, the best.” This authentic Polynesian Mai Tai from Tchoup Chop tastes as good as it sounds, and we recommend getting it served in the high quality tiki mug.

Another cocktail worth going out of your way to try at Tchoup Chop is the Painkiller. Ingredients: Pusser’s navy rum, cream of coconut, pressed pineapple juice, fresh orange juice, and topped with nutmeg. Tchoup Chop’s story behind the drink: The original Painkiller was created in the 1970’s at the soggy dollar bar at White Bay on the island of Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. This is a delicious, no nonsense, non-blended, variation of the pina colada.

 

Both Tchoup Chop and Jake’s American Bar (also at the Royal Pacific) have good selections of beer on tap as well, including this Funky Buddah.

 

Come for the drinks, stay for the food as the Tchop Chop menu is incredible.

PREVIOUS DRINKS OF CHRISTMAS:

DAY ONE: Shark Attack at Chez Alcatraz

DAY TWO: Grand Marnier Slush at Epcot

DAY THREE: Flaming Moe at Moe’s Tavern

DAY FOUR: Sunken Treasure on the Disney Cruise Line

See you tomorrow for the next entry into the 25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown, where we are going to head over to the Magic Kingdom resort area. If you had fun, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch!  and Saturday Six articles, or, for your listening pleasure, check out the Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast. Your humble author can also be seen producing typos at an inhuman rate on Twitter: @derekburgan

Interested in theme park drinks? Then do we have a eBook for you! The Walt Disney World Bars and Lounges eGuide by Brian McNichols. Over 250 pages and containing well over 400 photos, this eGuide takes you through EVERY bar and lounge on WDW property (trust me, Brian has the kidneys problems to prove it!) Also included? Recipes for some of your favorite WDW drinks. Ratings, descriptions, and photos for each of the 70+ bars and lounges. Talk about the perfect Christmas present!

Special thanks to crack staff photographer Brandon Glover and Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. Be sure to also check out Brandon on The Park Blogger podcast with co-hosts Aengus Mackenzie and Brian Carey.

*That is an absolutely lie. I still buy an advent calendar every year with chocolates in it, and I also buy an annual box of Christmas Crunch, but we’ll keep that between us.