Any beer geeks been to Big River Grille & Brewing Works?

[thej]

I actually haven't been to the boardwalk big river... but there is one in Chattanooga not to far from home, and we seem to be up there a couple of times a year. If the local specialty from Chattanooga ever finds its way down there... it is worth a try. Iron Horse Stout. Very good. Bold and strong. Wish I lived closer so I could get it more than 1-2 times a year

 

[PammieJ]

Thank you all for the tips and info in this thread. We should have like a sticky for a "where to find beer" thread. Next time I go to WDW, I'll make sure to snap some pics and post up about tap and bottle lists at different places.

My DH would love a "find the beer" map. I bet I could pass this off as an anniversary gift, for our trip in September!

If somebody decides to post a beer recommendation list, I'd be forever grateful.........

 

[Uncleromulus]

2infinity: You are probably right. They did have that on tap last time we were there as well. Maybe the generally poor beer selection at WDW restaurants is a result of who is doing the distributing??? Maybe the restaurants are limited as to where they can get brands of beer.

 

[mr.bungle]

I'm going to bring this one back up. I stopped in at Big River to grab a pre Kouzzina beer and had their sampler last week. I couldn't even finish it. I was extremely disappointed. It's ok that they brew more "everyday" styles so curious folks can come in and have a beginners taste into the craft beer world. But dude, you have to brew the style well! It seems like they only used one type of hop (Cascade iirc) and there was not much depth to the beers.

I wanted so bad to like the beer there but I just couldn't. To top it off the bartender seemed less than thrilled to serve us. It wasn't busy in there and we sat at the bar. We didn't him and ha over the menu. We just asked for a sampler and he seemed to want to pay more attention to other folks there.

I did have my fair share of Yuengling and I also had DFH 60min IPA at Kouzzina. I stuck to whiskey on this trip since 99% of the beer served at the world I could get at home. I did snap this pic at the Brown Derby. I thought it was nice that you can get some Unibroue beers at another restaurant besides Le Cellier.

 

[buffettgirl]

http://www.bigrivergrille.com/index.php?pg=news
It's just a chain and it's not that great. But at least it's a break from the other crap.
I had a nice Black and Tan in the UK which at least wasn't a bud. And it seemed to be poured properly.

And Yuengling is a treat for us up in MA rofl. We had to bring some home from WV the last time we went.. not exactly sure why...LOL.

 

[mr.bungle]

http://www.bigrivergrille.com/index.php?pg=news
It's just a chain and it's not that great. But at least it's a break from the other crap.
I had a nice Black and Tan in the UK which at least wasn't a bud. And it seemed to be poured properly.

And Yuengling is a treat for us up in MA rofl. We had to bring some home from WV the last time we went.. not exactly sure why...LOL.

I don't get why crappy chain brew pubs always have to have such subpar beer? Humperdinks out here in Dallas, BJ's (although it varies since in TX they're contract brewed), etc... I understand the need to appeal to masses and make money but you know what? Dogfish Head started as a brew pub and look at them now. You don't have to make crappy beer! You don't go to a wine bar and get boxed wine, so why does the bewpub have to make the equivalent?

I wouldn't even call Big River a break from the other crap. You can get good beer almost everywhere there. SNPA, DFH 90min, Yuengling, Sam Adams, etc... at just about every restaurant and bar.

/end rant

 

[TDC Nala]

Try Disneyland. California Adventure sells beer from the Karl Strauss brewery in San Diego.

 

[xipetotec]

I noticed this is a new dining option at the Boardwalk Inn. Any DIS beer geeks like me been there yet? How are the beers? What styles are they offering? Please tell me they have a good IPA. Any photos? Thanks! I'd like to visit this brewpub next time I'm at WDW.

!!!

I wish I could "friend" you on here

YES! I've always praised Big River Grille on here and *love* thet fact that WDW even has a brewpub on-site. If they are not too busy , they will even give you a tour of the brewhaus if you ask. ( I happened to mention I brew at home ). Along with Epcot, one of the best places to grab a beer, sit on the boardwalk overlooking the water. Just awesome. They even have a seasonal CASK!!

 

[mr.bungle]

Try Disneyland. California Adventure sells beer from the Karl Strauss brewery in San Diego.

Yes, I'm familiar with that. When I lived in So Cal we went to DCA/DL once a month and the first stop was always the beer cart. Karl Strauss is a little better than Big River. But the topic of conversation was Big River and WDW specifically.

 

[xipetotec]

I'm going to bring this one back up. I stopped in at Big River to grab a pre Kouzzina beer and had their sampler last week. I couldn't even finish it. I was extremely disappointed. It's ok that they brew more "everyday" styles so curious folks can come in and have a beginners taste into the craft beer world. But dude, you have to brew the style well! It seems like they only used one type of hop (Cascade iirc) and there was not much depth to the beers.

I wanted so bad to like the beer there but I just couldn't. To top it off the bartender seemed less than thrilled to serve us. It wasn't busy in there and we sat at the bar. We didn't him and ha over the menu. We just asked for a sampler and he seemed to want to pay more attention to other folks there.

I did have my fair share of Yuengling and I also had DFH 60min IPA at Kouzzina. I stuck to whiskey on this trip since 99% of the beer served at the world I could get at home. I did snap this pic at the Brown Derby. I thought it was nice that you can get some Unibroue beers at another restaurant besides Le Cellier.

Sorry, only saw this after I replied.

Anyway, I disagree. Yes they have "common" styles like "blondes" and "Pale Ale", but I did not find it was Cascade only for some of the other styles.

I've had an Imperial Stout as a seasonal. a Goldings IPA. And I forget about two trips back.

But even the "regulars":
Their Light Lager is bittered with Hallertau Hersbrucker
Their Pilsner with Saaz which is per the style
Steamboat Pale Ale is indeed bittered with Cascade
Rocket Red is also Cacscade
The Brown Ale is bittered with Mount Hood, which may be similar to cascade, but still NOT cascade
The Summer Wheat is bittered with Hallertau ( again, per style ) and though light, had some awesome banana esthers.

It may not be a hugely massive variety, but with their seasonals and brew master's choices, I find it's an absolutely necessary stop. Especially since as a whole, Disney is close to a beer snob wasteland. Yes, there is Unibroue there ( for me, I just need to walk to my grocery story to get that, being in Quebec and all ), not to mention Spaten Optimator which I would consider selling my dog for. But more often than not, I end up defaulting to Sam Adams in most Disney restaurants.

 

[TDC Nala]

Big River is a Gordon Biersch. If you don't like Gordon Biersch (and it's a very middle of the road brew pub) then you will not like Big River. It's not the place for true beer aficionados.

 

[Brocktoon]

I don't get why crappy chain brew pubs always have to have such subpar beer? Humperdinks out here in Dallas, BJ's (although it varies since in TX they're contract brewed), etc... I understand the need to appeal to masses and make money but you know what? Dogfish Head started as a brew pub and look at them now. You don't have to make crappy beer! You don't go to a wine bar and get boxed wine, so why does the bewpub have to make the equivalent?

I wouldn't even call Big River a break from the other crap. You can get good beer almost everywhere there. SNPA, DFH 90min, Yuengling, Sam Adams, etc... at just about every restaurant and bar.

/end rant

Thank You! I've brought this up numerous times with family/friends ... it's not just Big River, but all the 'chain' brew pubs. They suck people in with the cool 'We brew on site'. Guess what? Just because it's brewed on site doesn't mean it's going to be good. It doesn't have to be a crazy imperial stout or belgian ale, but if you're going to do a standard lager or pale ale, it should stand out make you want to visit the brewpub. If Brooklyn Lager or New Belgium Fat Tire are great gateway brews for starters, why can't a brewpub offer some good gateway beers for the masses. Why am I going to order a wheat from Big River if can walk over to the german pavillion at Epcot and grab a Fraziskaner? Oh, because Brig River brews on site I'd even take a Kona Fire Rock Pale over the Pale Ale served at Big River.

When you have a chain brewpub with a captive customer base, there is just no need to up the quality. I'll probably still drop in if I'm hungry for a burger or snacks, but the beer will not be the main reason for my visit. They do have a pretty decent burger in my opinion

 

[buffettgirl]

I don't get why crappy chain brew pubs always have to have such subpar beer? Humperdinks out here in Dallas, BJ's (although it varies since in TX they're contract brewed), etc... I understand the need to appeal to masses and make money but you know what? Dogfish Head started as a brew pub and look at them now. You don't have to make crappy beer! You don't go to a wine bar and get boxed wine, so why does the bewpub have to make the equivalent?

I wouldn't even call Big River a break from the other crap. You can get good beer almost everywhere there. SNPA, DFH 90min, Yuengling, Sam Adams, etc... at just about every restaurant and bar.

/end rant

oh I totally agree - I brew "on site" too (at home) doesn't mean it's worthy of selling ROFL. I just meant it's different.

Maybe we need a thread for what beers to get ..and where to find them. I'm glad to see Sam on the menu - I don't remember that from before, but that's something I can get at home, so it doesn't do much for me.

 

[xipetotec]

Thank You! I've brought this up numerous times with family/friends ... it's not just Big River, but all the 'chain' brew pubs. They suck people in with the cool 'We brew on site'. Guess what? Just because it's brewed on site doesn't mean it's going to be good. It doesn't have to be a crazy imperial stout or belgian ale, but if you're going to do a standard lager or pale ale, it should stand out make you want to visit the brewpub. If Brooklyn Lager or New Belgium Fat Tire are great gateway brews for starters, why can't a brewpub offer some good gateway beers for the masses. Why am I going to order a wheat from Big River if can walk over to the german pavillion at Epcot and grab a Fraziskaner? Oh, because Brig River brews on site I'd even take a Kona Fire Rock Pale over the Pale Ale served at Big River.

When you have a chain brewpub with a captive customer base, there is just no need to up the quality. I'll probably still drop in if I'm hungry for a burger or snacks, but the beer will not be the main reason for my visit. They do have a pretty decent burger in my opinion

although I disagreed above about the quality of the beer at BRG, I *do* agree with this statement. Here in Montreal, we have no shortage of brewpubs. But there is this ONE that has evolved into a local chain ( Les Trois Brasseurs ). And honestly, the beer is JUST AWFUL!!!!!! I don't GET it! We have all these great brewpubs and somehow these guys bring in enough people to have franchised all over the greater Montreal region!

 

[mr.bungle]

Sorry, only saw this after I replied.

Anyway, I disagree. Yes they have "common" styles like "blondes" and "Pale Ale", but I did not find it was Cascade only for some of the other styles.

I've had an Imperial Stout as a seasonal. a Goldings IPA. And I forget about two trips back.

But even the "regulars":
Their Light Lager is bittered with Hallertau Hersbrucker
Their Pilsner with Saaz which is per the style
Steamboat Pale Ale is indeed bittered with Cascade
Rocket Red is also Cacscade
The Brown Ale is bittered with Mount Hood, which may be similar to cascade, but still NOT cascade
The Summer Wheat is bittered with Hallertau ( again, per style ) and though light, had some awesome banana esthers.

It may not be a hugely massive variety, but with their seasonals and brew master's choices, I find it's an absolutely necessary stop. Especially since as a whole, Disney is close to a beer snob wasteland. Yes, there is Unibroue there ( for me, I just need to walk to my grocery story to get that, being in Quebec and all ), not to mention Spaten Optimator which I would consider selling my dog for. But more often than not, I end up defaulting to Sam Adams in most Disney restaurants.

Obviously I was exaggerating when I mentioned they used only Cascade... What I'm saying is that while I'm not expecting a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout or a brett laced saison, their beers per style were very bland and uninteresting. I love a good pale or hefe (Half Acre Daisy Cutter PA, or Live Oak Hefe) Big River's were not good. I'm glad you enjoy them - they're not for me. Literally left a bad taste in my mouth.

I too can walk into my local grocery store and grab just about any Unibroue beer and I'm no where near Quebec. But I'd still rather drink beers that may be more "common" yet consistently good when I'm at Disney instead of crappy brewpub beer. 60min IPA and Yuengling have never let me down.


I should also note that the Germany pavillion no longer carries Spaten beer. They Altenmunster Oktoberfest and Radeberger Pils. I was extremely disappointed when they told me they didn't have Optimator. Granted I can get it at any store here, it's more rare on draft and it is a great beer bringing me back fond memories of my honeymoon.

What would I love to see available at Disney? Cigar City Brewing. They're an hour or so away in Tampa and make some fantastic beers.

 

[xipetotec]

Obviously I was exaggerating when I mentioned they used only Cascade... What I'm saying is that while I'm not expecting a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout or a brett laced saison, their beers per style were very bland and uninteresting. I love a good pale or hefe (Half Acre Daisy Cutter PA, or Live Oak Hefe) Big River's were not good. I'm glad you enjoy them - they're not for me. Literally left a bad taste in my mouth.

I too can walk into my local grocery store and grab just about any Unibroue beer and I'm no where near Quebec. But I'd still rather drink beers that may be more "common" yet consistently good when I'm at Disney instead of crappy brewpub beer. 60min IPA and Yuengling have never let me down.


I should also note that the Germany pavillion no longer carries Spaten beer. They Altenmunster Oktoberfest and Radeberger Pils. I was extremely disappointed when they told me they didn't have Optimator. Granted I can get it at any store here, it's more rare on draft and it is a great beer bringing me back fond memories of my honeymoon.

What would I love to see available at Disney? Cigar City Brewing. They're an hour or so away in Tampa and make some fantastic beers.

wh-what? No more Optimator?!!? When did THIS happen? This has been a highlight for me for the past 3 trips!!! Last time I was there was in March 2010. That really saddens me. Pils... Pils Pils Pils... I'm so sick of Pils. Don't get me wrong. A good pils is refreshing, especially on a hot day. But really... I hate walknig into a liquor store that boasts an international selection, and all it is is a yellow pils-style beer from each country...

*sigh* ... maybe they'll bring it back before I got in 2012? ( lol ) ... oh well...

 

[mr.bungle]

Well last week they didn't have it. I don't know if they'll bring it back. Who knows how long their contract is with the new importer/distributor.

Optimator was my go to beer at Red Lion Tavern in L.A. which is a great German restaurant. Fond memories and one my stepping stone beers that helped get me into craft beer.

 

[xipetotec]

Well last week they didn't have it. I don't know if they'll bring it back. Who knows how long their contract is with the new importer/distributor.

Optimator was my go to beer at Red Lion Tavern in L.A. which is a great German restaurant. Fond memories and one my stepping stone beers that helped get me into craft beer.

Oh totally! It was something I looked forward to... AT DISNEY ... It makes me sad to hear it may not be available anymore I love doppelbocks in general, and this one is among the best for sure.

 

[Seahunt]

Doesn't sound like anyone will be interested in this info but I thought I'd post it anyway. Email from Big River:

Join Us for the Tapping of Irish Red!
Saturday March 12 2-5pm
Come and Enjoy $3 Irish Reds during the Party and compliementary Rueben sandwiches in the cocktail area while supplies last
Irish Red Lager
Medium in body, auburn in color, and a hint of caramel malt...Irish Red has a subtle, sweet finish with a touch of hops for flavor.

Also old news, but for the one beer lover who hasn't seen it yet , just for fun here's 56 beers filled in one minute (cup bottom beer dispenser)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmnp3aVGyGc&feature=related

 

[pperfectmom]

I agree with what seems to be the consensus that BRG's beer offerings are just ho-hum. DH and I are huge beer geeks and homebrewers and we weren't impressed with any of their offerings. We ate dinner there once(the food was blah as well) and I can't even remember what beers we had. The last time we stopped there was just for a beer outside while walking around the Boardwalk. They did have their seasonal pumpkin which wasn't bad(but definitely not up to the DFH Punkin Ale that I love). If you're in the area it's an okay place to stop and have a mediocre brew. Just don't expect too much. Now if the Canadian Pavilion at Epcot would just set up a Unibroue stand for a Trois Pistoles fix, I'd be happy.