25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 4: Blood Orange Side Car at Swizzle Lounge

We’re back with everyone’s favorite theme park advent calendar: a daily countdown of our favorite drinks at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld building anticipation to the Big Day. 

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

DAY FOUR: Blood Orange Side Car at Swizzle Lounge (Cabana Bay Beach Resort)

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Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort – the new gold standard in theme park value hotels – will start your vacation off on the right foot as one of its best bars is located in the lobby. We know what you are thinking, lobby bars are usually the absolute worst, but Swizzle Lounge is a cocktail bar that feels like it came right off the set of Mad Men. A throwback to the ’50s and ’60s, Swizzle Lounge offers a wide selection of cocktails, wines, draft beers, and local craft beers. There’s a lot of fantastic choices on their menu, including the Swizzle Rum Punch, Pimm’s Cup, and Cucumber Gimlet, but our best bet is the Blood Orange Side Car.

Having a nice, smooth bourbon flavor with a hint of sour and orange, a Blood Orange Side Car is going to take you back to a simpler time.

Ingredients: Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Solerno, Sour, and Blood Orange Puree.

 

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This past summer Swizzle Lounge was even used for a scene in the movie Sharknado 3 as stars Bo Derek and Tara had a quiet conversation right before sharks started falling from the sky.

Previous Drinks of Christmas:

DAY ONE: Polynesian Pearl at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto

DAY TWO: Dufftoberfest at Duff Brewery

DAY THREE: Godiva Chocolate Martini at Mizner’s Lounge

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.

You can always find Your Humble Author each week on the SATURDAY SIX, each month with the Disney Outlet Store Photo Report, and on Twitter (@derekburgan) producing original pieces of Burgan Fine Art™