Every year, SeaWorld Orlando hosts its annual Craft Beer Festival, a celebration of all things boozy and bubbly. With more than 100 craft brews, wines, seltzers and cocktails and over 15 unique flavors specially prepared by SeaWorld's talented culinary team spread out over 21 booths, there's truly something every member of your frog fam can enjoy — yes, even the tadpoles. Hop along with us as we explore everything the SeaWorld Orlando Craft Beer Festival has to offer!
SeaWorld Orlando Craft Beer Festival Dates and Upgrades
Craft Beer Festival is hoppening every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Sept. 5, 2022 — just before Howl-O-Scream starts. If that date sounds familiar, it's also because that's when Electric Ocean ends. That means while you're enjoying your bites and brews at Craft Beer Festival, you can also relish in all the exciting entertainment Electric Ocean has to offer — including the epic dance parties at Club Electric Current at The Waterfront and Club Sea Glow at Bayside Stadium. as well as the frogtastic fireworks spectacular, Ignite 360. (There's truly no better way to end a perfect park day!)
While Craft Beer Festival may be included in the price of admission, you will have to pay for every individual item you want to sip or nibble on. However, there are two awesome ways to make your trip incredibly affordable. First off, Undercover Tourist offers discounted tickets to SeaWorld Orlando, which can save you some green! Additionally, SeaWorld sells Sampling Lanyards that make conquering this festival much easier. For just $55, you can try eight different festival items or for just $70, you can try 12 different festival items. (Yes, that includes both food and drinks — although drinks will come in a smaller sample size.) These are great deals and definitely make this festival much more wallet-friendly!
SeaWorld Orlando Craft Beer Festival Menus
Alright, let's get down to the good stuff! We tried a bunch of items, from the brand-new and lusciously cheesy Sunshine City Dog to the returning favorite, Smoked Brisket Macaroni and Cheese. (Warning: the mac's on the spicy side!) The drinks, of course, were the main attraction and we ordered some delectable beverages such as the Vermont Woodchuck Sangria Cider, Hurricane and Moscato. Perfect pairings to wet any whistle! Sound appealing? Here are all the delicious drinks and frogtastic food items you can find at Craft Beer Festival:
1. Seafire Grill
- Bromosa Tangerine IPA (Big Storm Brewing Co., Orlando, FL)
- Tropic Pressure Golden Ale (Big Storm Brewing Co., Orlando, FL)
- Wavemaker Amber Ale (Big Storm Brewing Co., Orlando, FL)
2. Flamecraft Bar
- Blood Orange Sunset IPA (South Beach Brewing Company, Miami, FL)
- Strawberry Orange Mimosa Sparkling Ale (South Beach Brewing Company, Miami, FL)
- Sun Squishy IPA (Sun Creek Brewery, Clermont, FL)
- Strawberry Blond Ambition (Sun Creek Brewery, Clermont, FL)
- Whistling Birds Raspberry Sour (Sun Creek Brewery, Clermont, FL)
- New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale
- Crooked Can Oktoberfest
- Wild Night Honey Cream Ale
- Sailfish Brewing Co. Tag & Release Amber Ale
- Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale
- Blue Moon Belgium White
- Brew Hub Key Lime Pie
3. Barley Barrel
- Joyland American IPA (Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co., Ivanhoe Park, FL)
- Guavacation Sour - Berliner Weisse (Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co., Ivanhoe Park, FL)
- Halftoberfest Vienna Lager (Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co., Ivanhoe Park, FL)
- Tupac Shaporter American Porter (Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co., Ivanhoe Park, FL)
- Manatee Margarita
4. Café de Mar
- Vermont Pumpkin Cider (Vermont Cider Co., Middlebury, VT)
- Vermont Woodchuck Sangria Cider (Vermont Cider Co., Middlebury, VT)
- Sea Star Strawberry Daiquiri
- Sea Breeze Piña Colada
- Orlando Vice
5. Brews & Chews
- Floridian Hefeweizen (Funky Buddha, Oakland Park, FL)
- Hop Gun IPA (Funky Buddha, Oakland Park, FL)
- Cigar City Fancy Papers Hazy IPA (Funky Buddha, Oakland Park, FL)
- Vibin' Groovable Lager (Funky Buddha, Oakland Park, FL)
- Fistful Frozen Whiskey Sour - Fistful of Bourbon, Citrus
- Reimagined! Vibin' Groovable Beef Slider - Pimento Cheese and Nueske's Applewood Smoked Bacon Jam
- Reimagined! Smoked Drunken Chicken Quesadilla - Beer-Brined Smoked Chicken, Jack Cheese, Fresno Pico de Gallo Salsa and Sour Cream
- NEW! Boozy S'mores - Graham Cracker, Hefeweizen Marshmallow Fluff and Chocolate Ganache
6. New Orleans Corner
- Abita Turbodog Brown Ale
- Abita Purple Haze Lager
- Hurricane (Non-Frozen) - Bacardi Light, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Passionfruit and Grenadine
- NEW! Beignets - Bananas Foster, Nutella and Bavarian Cream
7. Voyager's Smokehouse
- Golden Pilsner (Oktoberfest Pilsner starting mid-August) (Yuengling, Pottsville, PA)
- Chesterfield Ale (Yuengling, Pottsville, PA)
- Raging Eagle Mango Pilsner (Yuengling, Pottsville, PA)
8. Pub Grub
- Bench Life Lager (Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg, FL)
- Postcard Pilsner (Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg, FL)
- Sunshine City IPA (Green Bench Brewing Co., St. Petersburg, FL)
- NEW! Sunshine City Dog - All Beef Hot Dog, Sunshine City Beer Infused Sauerkraut & Beer Cheese and Crispy Onions
9. Lakeside Grill
- Shock Top (Anheuser-Busch)
- Bud Light (Anheuser-Busch)
- Michelob Light (Anheuser-Busch)
10. Wish You Were Beer
- Smoked Brisket Macaroni & Cheese - Hickory-Smoked Beef Brisket over Kraft Heinz White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese
- Reimagined! Beer-Battered Crispy Shrimp - Creamy Slaw and Kimchi Ranch
- NEW! Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie - Milk Chocolate, Kentucky Bourbon and Caramelized Pecans
- Pale Ale (Sierra Nevada, Chico, CA)
- Wild Little Thing Slightly Sour Ale (Sierra Nevada, Chico, CA)
- Hazy Little Thing Hazy IPA (Sierra Nevada, Chico, CA)
- Sunny Little Thing Citrus Wheat Ale (Sierra Nevada, Chico, CA)
- Lakeside Lemonade - Orange Vodka, Peach Schnapps and Lemonade
11. Distilled Delights
- Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Woodford Reserve, Versailles, KY)
- Distiller's Select Rye Whiskey (Woodford Reserve, Versailles, KY)
- Distiller's Select Malt Whiskey (Woodford Reserve, Versailles, KY)
- Barrel Finish Select Double Oaked Whiskey (Woodford Reserve, Versailles, KY)
12. Tampa on Tap
- Jai Alai IPA (Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL)
- Frost-Proof Belgian-Style White Ale (Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL)
- Maduro Brown Ale (Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL)
- Florida Man Double IPA (Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL)
- NEW! Birria Pork Tacos - Oaxaca Cheese, Charred Green Onion and Maduro Gaujillo Chile Broth
- NEW! Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs - Creamy Stone Grits, Crispy Shallots and IPA Au Jus
- NEW! Maduro Brown Ale Cupcake - Sponge Cake Soaked in Jameson Simple Syrup and Bailey's Irish Buttercream Frosting
13. Off The Vine
- Riesling - Chateau Ste Michelle
- Moscato - Risata Moscato d'Asti
- The Beach Whispering Angel Rose by Chateau D'esclans
- Pinot Noir - Josh Cellars
14. Sweet & Sour
- Blackberry Peach Sangria - Tito's Vodka, White Wine and Blackberry Peach
- Strawberry Frosé - Tito's Vodka, Beso Del Sol Rosé Sangria and Strawberry
- Mango Rush - Tito's Vodka, Mango, Citrus and Sparkling Water
15. Sam Adams Best Bites
- Boston Lager (Samuel Adams, Boston, MA)
- Octoberfest Traditional Märzen (Samuel Adams, Boston, MA)
- Wicked Hazy Juicy New England IPA (Samuel Adams, Boston, MA)
- Fistful Frozen Peach Punch - Fistful of Bourbon, Tea and Peach
- NEW! Oktoberfest Walking Taco - Frtio's Oktoberfest Märzen Beer Chili, Shredded Lettuce, Cheddar and Sour Cream
- NEW! Two-Way Beer Drunken Ribs - Lager Marinated, Berbere Rub and Sam Adams Barbecue Sauce
- NEW! Tiramisu - Oatmeal Stout Beer and Espresso Coffee Infused Lady Finger and Whipped Mascarpone Cream
16. Waterway Bar
- Orange Blossom Honey Pilsner (Orange Blossom Brewing Co., Orlando, FL)
- City Beautiful IPA (Orange Blossom Brewing Co., Orlando, FL)
- Sunrise City American IPA (Sailfish Brewing Company, Fort Pierce, FL)
- White Marlin WIT Wheat Beer (Sailfish Brewing Company, Fort Pierce, FL)
- Yuengling Lager
- Michelob Ultra Light Beer
- Cigar City Jai Alai IPA
- Anheuser-Busch Bud Light
- Heineken Lager
- Corona
- Kona Gold Cliff IPA
- Kona Big Wave Golden Ale
17. Mama's Pretzel Kitchen
- Brew Bus You're My Boy, Blue Blueberry Wheat Ale (Florida Avenue Brewing Co., Tampa, FL)
- Luminescence Hazy IPA (Florida Avenue Brewing Co., Tampa, FL)
- Mako Amber Ale (Florida Avenue Brewing Co., Tampa, FL)
- Brew Bus Tangerine Splash Fruited Wheat Ale (Florida Avenue Brewing Co., Tampa, FL)
- Luminescence & Tangerine Splash
- Tropical Hefe Hefeweizen (3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg, FL)
- A Wake Coffee Blonde Ale (3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg, FL)
- Pomegranate Hard Cider (3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg, FL)
- Signature Apple Cider (3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg, FL)
18. Ale Yeah!
- Crooked Can High Stepper American IPA
- Shiner Bock
- Crooked Can Florida Sunshine Pilsen Malt Lager
- NEW! SeaWorld Fin Pretzel - Served with Florida Sunshine American IPA Beer Cheese
- NEW! Crispy Chicken Pretzel Slider - Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli and Crunchy Pickles
- Pretzel Wrapped Bratwurst - Served with Beer Mustard
- Featured Cocktail of the Week
19. Beer Garden
- Pulp Friction Grapefruit IPA (Motorworks Brewing, Orlando, FL)
- Midnight Espresso Coffee Porter (Motorworks Brewing, Orlando, FL)
- Octoberfest Märzen (Motorworks Brewing, Orlando, FL)
- Hiya Gourdie Pumpkin Ale (Motorworks Brewing, Orlando, FL)
- Hanalei IPA
- Longboard Lager
20. Glacier Bar
- Night Owl Pumpkin Ale (Elysian Brewing, Seattle, WA)
- Space Dust IPA (Elysian Brewing, Seattle, WA)
- Contact Haze Hazy IPA (Elysian Brewing, Seattle, WA)
- Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale Ale (Elysian Brewing, Seattle, WA)
- Cigar City Jai Alai IPA
- Orange Blossom Brewing Honey Pilsner
- Traditional Mojito - Flor de Caña Rum, Fresh Mint and Lime
- Spicy Pineapple Margarita - Milagro Silver Tequila, Fresh Lime, Spice and Pineapple
21. Altitude Burger
- Sandy Feet American Wheat Ale (Walking Tree Brewery, Very Beach, FL)
- Babycakes Oatmeal Stout (Walking Tree Brewery, Very Beach, FL)
- Spicy Pineapple Margarita - Milagro Silver Tequila, Fresh Lime and Spice Pineapple
- Traditional Mojito - Hendrick's Gin, Blackberry and Lemon
Best of the SeaWorld Orlando Craft Beer Festival
While everything we tried during our visit was incredibly delicious, there were definitely a few stand-out items. Here's our round-up of some superlatives we thought were worth noting:
Best Craft Brew: Strawberry Orange Mimosa Sparkling Ale
Leap's more of a beer drinker than I am, but I started my day with this sparkling ale from South Beach Brewing Company and was pleasantly surprised with how fruity and smooth it was! It tasted more like a light cider than anything else and was the perfect drink to kick back and relax with at Flamecraft Bar after conquering a few coasters in the morning.
Best Specialty Cocktail: Mango Rush
The Lakeside Lemonade over at Wish You Were Beer was a strong contender and a frogtastic option if you're looking for something on the lighter side, but I have to go with the Mango Rush which is semi-frozen (an amazing treat on a hot summer day) and perfectly citrusy. It even comes with an edible straw (I chose strawberry)! There are also tons of benches by this booth (in between the Nautilus Theater and Flamingo Paddle Boats), so it's a great place to rest your webbed feet before exploring the other half of the park.
Best Sweet Food Option: Boozy S'mores
This new dessert at Brews & Chews is heaven in a dish. You cannot go wrong with this divine mix of graham crackers, marshmallow fluff and chocolate ganache. (For any fellow frogs who aren't a fan of dark chocolate, don't worry! This is definitely milk chocolate.) Now, the "Boozy" part of the name is because the marshmallow fluff is made with Hefeweizen beer (characterized by its banana and clove notes and bubblegum and vanilla undertones).
Best Tadpole Pick: Beignets
For tadpoles, I cannot recommend the Beignets over at New Orleans Quarter enough. I always get my hands on the Bananas Foster option whenever it appears at any festival, but the Nutella and Bavarian Cream are equally delicious and liqueur-free!
Best Savory Food Option: Crispy Chicken Pretzel Slider
Another new entry to the festival, the mix of flavors and textures just absolutely worked on this slider. The chicken tender was wonderfully crunchy and paired excellently with the pickles and sun-dried tomato aioli. The added saltiness from the pretzel bun was the cherry on top. Definitely grab this if you're looking for a small but delicious option around lunch or dinner time.
Have you been to SeaWorld Orlando's Craft Beer Festival before? What are your favorite food or drink items? Share with us in the comments below!
Related: 5 Reasons to Set Your Sails to SeaWorld Orlando's Seven Seas Food Festival
Hoppy planning!
