Well, autumn is well-nigh half underway and our focus as human beings –not retailers – has shifted from the trick-or-treating state of mind to one of turkey dinner and warm apple pie. (Those in the consumer industry, of course, have had fir trees and dollar signs in mind since Independence Day.) Yes, for most of us, leaves are falling with more alacrity, evenings are way darker than they should be, and the football season is approaching its second half.
Sadly, there is a far more melancholy sign of the turn of things to any self-respecting Disney-phile: the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is coming to a close.
This is a shame for anyone that loves to indulge opon Irish fisherman’s pie, Hawaiian pork sliders with pineapple chutney, and a gyro all in the same evening. And for dessert: perhaps a few Belgian waffles, maybe a Scottish banoffee tart, and definitely a Sparkling Pomegranate Kir over in France. It’s a veritable culinary kitchen sink of greatness with more variety than an Orlando weather pattern on an August afternoon. Golly…I’m drooling just thinking about it.
Yes, the Food and Wine Festival is an all-out bonanza of Disney’s best: unparalleled theming (the addition of extra kiosks for extra countries and food genres is a fantastic plus), great food and drink, and a spirit of communal enjoyment.
I, for one, have had the pleasure of attending this event twice in recent years – both times during the legendary “Jersey Week.” I’ve enjoyed the available delights so much that I try my darndest to recreate the culinary experience at home since I can’t attend the festival as much as I’d like; but many times I fall flat trying to recreate ethnic dishes like Spanakopita and shrimp ceviche which are out of my skill range in the kitchen. However, being that I can’t attend the Epcot festival every year, my desire to experience it in any way possible never dies.
What’s a guy to do? Well, I have found the answer is no farther than my local proprietor of spirits: beer. To me, fall is a time for sitting on the front stoop on a cool night with a frothy hefeweizen – one of the treats I enjoy In Epcot’s Germany – and talk about plans for the upcoming holidays and our next Disney trip! For isn’t beer coziest in the fall? Yes, it’s refreshing in summer, warming in winter, and enjoyable in spring – but autumn is when beer is best enjoyed as the coolness of the air is not too biting and adds to the flavor of the brew as you breathe it in through your nose while you sip.
So in honor of what I understand was another very successful and innovative Festival, I bring you – direct from the official Walt Disney World website — a lineup of craft and seasonal beers from this year’s event for your perusal. I’ll have a few more vicarious brews this fall and tip my glass to you all. I hope you’ll do the same.
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Citation:
“Marketplaces – 2013 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.” Walt Disney World: Epcot. N.p.. Web. 7 Nov 2013. <https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/food-wine-marketplaces/>.
Rich McNanna is a seventh grade language arts teacher and avid Disney, baseball, and food fan from Westfield, New Jersey. He is a regular columnist sharing his passion for Disney food experiences and an avid listener and reader of the WDW Radio world. He and his wife dream of one day purchasing a Disney Vacation Club membership so that they can take their baby boy to the greatest place on Earth at least once a year…just for the churros.