Top Five New Items at SeaWorld Orlando Craft Beer Festival

This year, SeaWorld Orlando raises the Bar” with the return of the Craft Beer Festival. SeaWorld Orlando’s Craft Beer Festival is back on select days. Mostly Fridays through Sundays through September 4. This event comes as a part of regular park admission.
The festival features more than 100 beverage options and more than 15 expertly paired food items. 
A brand-new array of menu items will be available to sample through September 4. Guests can purchase a festival lanyard to help save money. They can choose between the eight and 12-sample packages. Annual Passholders receive a delectable discount on festival lanyards receiving 15 samples for the price of 12. 

All food items mentioned in this review were provided by SeaWorld Orlando as part of a sponsored media tour.

We tried all the new food items during the opening weekend of the Craft Beer Festival. Some of them we enjoyed more than others. We devised a list of five items we considered the best of the Craft Beer Festival at SeaWorld Orlando. Each item costs basically the same, ranging from $9.99 to $12.99. Of course, if you purchase a sample lanyard, the price drops to between $5.50 to $8.00 per sample item.

To help with determining a top five, we needed some criteria. So, we based this list on overall taste and the likelihood that the average guest would enjoy them. We will list these from five to our top pick, number one.

#5 Short Rib Poutine

The Short Rib Poutine comes from the Wish You Were Beer booth. As you will notice, the puns about beverages permeate the festival food booths. The main advantage of this festival item involves the portion size. 
The Short Rib Poutine contains some 12-hour braised Pale Ale short rib, sidewinder fries, Wisconsin cheese curds, and gravy. The sidewinder fries, as SeaWorld calls them, offer a nice texture and above-average flavor. The portion size of the short rib and fries brings up the value of this festival item. We would have preferred a more robust flavor from the short rib. Still, this made a solid festival food item.

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#4 Grown Up’s Donut Holes

This donut option is one of three new donut options at the Donut Forget My Beer booth. Yes, we warned you about the puns. These donut holes made the best choice, in our group’s opinion. The menu description reads, “Kona Glazed Donut Holes, Chocolate Mousse & Sugar.” 
These donut holes brought a good flavor. The Kona beer product used within these donut holes did enhance them. Nevertheless, some in our group noticed the taste more distinctly than others. Either way, these made a good, sweet snack.

#3 Pork Belly & Kimchi

If pork belly and kimchi sound like an odd combination for a Craft Beer Festival to you, we agree. We tried this festival item with a bit of trepidation. One member of our group loved this item. Others felt it was good but could have been better. However, this combination of flavors deserves a try. This also comes from the Wish You Were Beer Booth.
The Pork Belly & Kimchi features some soy honey glazed pork belly, kimchi, and scallion sweet cornbread. The kimchi, Korean spicy pickled cabbage, stood out with a robust flavor. Guests will need to expect some spice with this dish. Also, the texture may throw off some guests. Despite that, the food item makes a solid choice during your time at SeaWorld Orlando.

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#2 Pulled Pork Sandwich

This generic-sounding sandwich provided a pleasant dining experience. Though we have concerns about the portion size, the flavors worked with this one. This pulled pork slider consists of a brioche bun, Funky Buddha-infused barbecue smoked pork, and jalapeno slaw. Keeping with the puns, guests find this sandwich at the Brews and Chews booth.
We found that the pork brought an upbeat flavor to our taste buds. The slaw provides an excellent texture component for this sandwich. Also, the jalapeno slaw has some heat but a good flavor. This one should be on your list for those who enjoy a pulled pork sandwich with some spice. 

#1 Wisconsin Bratwurst

Though bratwurst also sounds very standard, this one offers an excellent flavor for a festival food item. The Be Malty, Not Salty booth sells these bratwursts. It consists of a warm pretzel bun, High Stepper American IPA Beer Cheese, sauerkraut, brown mustard, and mild giardiniera. 
Our group loved this bratwurst. However, be prepared for a messy meal if you order this.  Make sure you find napkins and a few extra forks. 
Though some components of this bratwurst could have been better, this brings plenty of flavor. Also, the bratwurst comes covered in toppings. We enjoyed the spicy brown mustard with this bratwurst especially.

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Since this event runs until September 4, you have plenty of time to enjoy the Craft Beer Festival. For more information about this event, please visit the SeaWorld Orlando website.

SeaWorld Orlando's Craft Beer Festival is a great way to enjoy a variety of craft beers and delicious food. Whether you're a beer lover or a foodie, you're sure to have a great time at SeaWorld Orlando's Craft Beer Festival. So what are you waiting for? Head to the park today and start sampling!

Jon Self

​​Jon Self is an avid theme park and Marvel fan. You can follow him at @pastorjonself on Twitter. Jon writes for various theme park sources such as piratesandprincesses.net and universalfamilyvacations.com. He also writes for faithelement.net.