Our brother felt that any podcast named ‘The Disney Social’ required a cocktail pairing each week. Sarah and I couldn’t agree more! Each week we will take a cocktail from the menu of the resort/restaurant we are reviewing and share our recipe with you here. We love a good pairing and couldn’t pass up the chance to share a multi-sensory experience with all of you! So kick back with our recipes and enjoy the show! 

For Fort Wilderness, we picked a cocktail from the menu at our old stomping grounds: Crockett’s Tavern. The Tavern is located in the heart of town hall where you can find numerous places to eat and drink. Growing up, we would come here for live music and make-your-own pizza. Times have changed, but you can still enjoy some appetizers (fried green tomatoes, anyone?) from the lounge menu, a variety of drinks, and some live music. 

Before looking at their drink menu, I knew I wanted the drink to have either a whisky or moonshine base since both of these capture the essence of the Wild West and Fort Wilderness. Luckily, about 90% of their specialty drink options are made with either of those two liquors, so I had plenty of choice. Moonshine won! I also knew I wanted the least sweet cocktail option; I like my drinks booze-forward. Moonshine + not sweet led me to the Gullywhumper (ingredients listed below). 

When I went to create this drink at home, I couldn’t find actual moonshine. Here in Ontario, Canada, you buy hard alcohol from one government-owned chain of stores, and, well, let’s just say the options aren’t as robust as you can find in the US. After some research, I learned that moonshine is the equivalent of unaged whisky or white whisky. Problem solved (see below for my substitutions). I mixed it all up and now it was time for the taste test. I was a little worried it would be too sweet, but one sip assured me that wasn’t the case. I was hooked! This is a refreshing cocktail that would be a great addition to an outdoor bbq or picnic. 

Now, let’s talk presentation. A glass mason jar felt right for Fort Wilderness; the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue serves all of their drinks in mason jars, so it was a nice homage. We served the drinks with a tiny cowboy hat souvenir (as you get to know me, you will realize that I love tiny hats, this isn’t the last one you will see) and a cute Chip or Dale clothespin to secure the hat when serving. Garnish with a maraschino cherry (I am from the 80s and grew up on Shirley Temples) and serve chilled with ice. 

Menu Description and Recipe: 

▪ Ole Smoky White Lightnin’ 

▪ Bols Peach Schnapps 

▪ Pineapple Juice 

▪ Cranberry Juice 

Kathy’s Interpretation: 

▪ 1oz White Owl Whisky 

▪ 1oz Dr McGilliguddy’s Peach Liquor 

▪ 2:1 ratio Cran to Pineapple Juice 

▪ Maraschino Cherry 

▪ Tiny Cowboy Hat – presented by Chip n Dale 

I hope you enjoy our version of the Gullywhumper. Fun fact: this is an actual word. I thought it was just whimsical nonsense, but, on further investigation, a Gullywhumper is a local flash flood caused by an intense rainstorm. I could have used this term during the Toronto Gullywhumper of 2013. I hope I never have to use it in that context again (she says as she looks off pensively into the distance). But I will use it again when I make this delicious beverage this summer! Thanks for pouring a drink with me. I hope you enjoyed it and we will see you next week for our next cocktail adventure!