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Drinking Through Disney: Disney Springs Edition

Despite the menacing skies, it was bright and cheerful inside Frontera Cocina. Mostly because the Tequila was flowing fast.

Well, it's Friday and it means you might be looking for some ways to enjoy a few cocktails/brews/grape juice/whatever for a summer weekend. This also means it is time for Drinking Through Disney, as I have more fun adventures to share from the epic family vacation. In today's installment, I take a dive into the Artist Formerly Known As Downtown Disney: Disney Springs.

When you need a break from the parks, this is where you go to shop, eat, drink, and catch shows. Cirque du Soleil, AMC movie theaters, bowling, and several bars are scattered about the area; the later it gets in the day, the more this place becomes the playground for adults. That being said, there is enough to do with the kids. The Lego store goes over very well here for the boys (maybe a little TOO well), as does the music playing. Additionally, when you aren't looking for booze, getting a shake at the Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream Shop is tremendous.

Loch Ness Monster made of many choking hazards for little ones, Disney Springs.

With all that being said, the only thing we followed in that last paragraph was a stop at the Lego store. We also visited Disney Springs the day we landed in Orlando on Father's Day. The reason? We were excited to go eat dinner at Rick Bayless' Frontera Cocina...and grab Tequila-based beverages. The Greatest Wife In The World and I absolutely love Rick Bayless' recipes. We have his cookbooks. His classic Margarita recipe is our standard house Margarita. We expected great things here, and it delivered on (even exceeded) our expectations.

It all starts with the drink menu. Among all the other places we dined, this was the most difficult place to make decisions. Just look for yourself...Frontera's killer salsas with chips would be fine with just about any of these. I mean, there is even Mexican wine on the menu! Details on Bodegas Monte Xanic are here, and it was very tempting. In the end, how could I refuse the Premium Tequila Flight? When our server brought the flight out, she asked if I knew how to drink the Tequila. You mean just drinking these with my mouth is not an option?

Premium Tequila Flight (L-R): Avión Reserva 44 Extra Añejo, Clase Azul Reposado, Casa Dragones Blanco. Tomato juice, lime, and salt included.

For The Greatest Wife In The World, she was all about the La Cava Avocado Margarita, and my goodness...look at this thing! It tasted even better than its appearance. We'll be trying to replicate this one for years.

The bulk of a La Cava Avocado Margarita and what remains of the hibiscus salt rim.

Clase Azul Tequila Reposado ($80). You are not just paying for the spirit inside, but also for this beautiful ceramic bottle.

Oaxacan red chile chicken for me, Carnitas for her, and who cares what the kids ate (although the toddler cleaned up all the salsa). Seriously, though, it was difficult to make a choice. I found the food here to all be very reasonably priced for a Disney property restaurant with a well-known chef's name attached to it. I was happy with my Tequila flight...it was outstanding. The Casa Dragones has citrus and apple flavors, but surprisingly had enough body and texture to it along with a peppery kick on the finish; it is one of the few white Tequilas I could drink on its own. The Clase Azul, aged eight months in barrel, showed pronounced agave character but was complemented by vanilla and toffee, along with a saltiness on the finish. Those flavors developed from the barrel didn't take over the Tequila, which is exactly what I look for with aged Tequila. The Avión 44 was a real treat, as I don't get my hands on much Tequila with extended aging; this example went nearly 44 months in barrel. This tasted like toasted walnuts, ripe mango, coconut, vanilla, and the entire range of baking spices (cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc). There was still just enough agave character to know that this was Tequila, though it was bordering on whiskey-like. No matter...it was still awesome.

If you plan to recreate this flight at home and buy your own bottles, be prepared to spend for it. The three bottles together run you approximately $300 ($70, $80, and $150 respectively, but if you have some money burning a hole in your pocket and you are a Tequila fan, these are all worth picking up. Besides, it is still cheaper than jetting to Orlando and staying at Disney World to make this happen. Heading to Disney Springs and Frontera was not just a great start to the trip, but a wonderful Father's Day with the family that day.