Tag Archives: cocktails

May 18, 2025 · 1:20 AM

ICEBAR Orlando Launches Epic Summer Sips and Delish Dishes By Sandra Carr

ICEBAR Orlando, the coolest lounge in Central Florida, is on a mission to make this summer epic with its beat-the-heat concoctions.

I enjoyed chilling out at the largest, permanent ice bar in the world, featuring more than 70 tons of hand-carved ice, while sampling cool cocktails and tasty treats during a media preview event on Thursday night.

The bold-to-be-cold establishment features an ice bar and the Fire Lounge. It’s kind of like having Heat and Snow Miser from the animated show, “The Year Without a Santa Claus,” under one roof but in this case, both bars play well together and get along beautifully.

The Fire Lounge at ICEBAR Orlando. Photo by Sandra Carr.

ICEBAR Orlando is joining in the fun by celebrating the opening of Epic Universe with its neighbor, the Universal Orlando Resort, when the new theme park opens on Thursday, May 22 and throughout the summer.

Epic Universe logo. Image courtesy of the Universal Orlando Resort.

“ICEBAR Orlando is always cold and fun and a great escape from the heat,” said owner Thom Kerr. “Our drinks are fairly unique and some have a dry-ice-type-of-experience. The ice bar also has a tiki theme, which is the perfect place to hang this summer.”

The savory soirée included five new specialty drinks in the Fire Lounge, which are the Cosmic Chill, Dragon Fury, Ministry Mule, Peach Royale Martini and Vampire’s Kiss.

ICEBAR Orlando’s new summer cocktails. Image courtesy of ICEBAR Orlando.

Since I was driving, I sampled some but not all the delicious drinks. The Cosmic Chill and Dragon Fury are fruity and fabulous and Ministry Mule is the ICEBAR Orlando’s terrific take on the Moscow Mule.

The most fun one in the bunch is the Peach Royale Martini because its presentation includes a smoke bubble on top. After the bubble pops, smoke billows from the glass.

The Peach Royale Martini with a smoke bubble on top. Photo by Sandra Carr.

The Peach Royale Martini with smoke billowing from the glass. Photo by Sandra Carr.

There are four other mystical martinis with the smoke-bubble effect on the menu, which include the Orange Drop, Very Berry Cosmo, Passion Fruit Fizz and Malibu Dream.

I’m a rum girl who loves sweet, tropical cocktails so I tried the Passion Fruit Fizz. The incredible ingredients include Bacardi rum, passionfruit puree, pineapple juice, triple sec, orange bitters and sour mix. The marvelous mixture was very yummy!

The Passion Fruit Fizz with a smoke bubble on top. Photo by Sandra Carr.

The Passion Fruit Fizz with smoke billowing from the glass. Photo by Sandra Carr.

The Arctic meets tropical in the ice bar this summer! The polar paradise is decked out with ice-carved tikis and a tiki-themed throne and colorful surfboards.

ICEBAR Orlando has a tropical theme this summer. Photo by Sandra Carr.

ICEBAR Orlando’s walls are adorned with colorful flowers and surfboards. Photo by Sandra Carr.

I’m striking a pose with a penguin on a tiki-themed, ice throne at ICEBAR Orlando! Image courtesy of Sandra Carr.

The 1,375-square-foot, air-locked ice bar features three new custom cocktails, which are the Banana Barrel, Obliviate Elixir and Galaxy Dream.

I ordered the Banana Barrel, which is a remarkable rum drink. The ingredients include Cruzan banana rum, RumChata and vanilla mix.

The Banana Barrel is marvelous and merry without the monkey business! Photo by Sandra Carr.

Bottoms up! The 18-degree bar also serves The Epic Shotski to four patrons on a skiboard. The shots include raspberry vodka, mango, pineapple, lemon lime soda and grenadine. I sampled the smooth, specialty shot and I’m happy to report it’s worth the ski trip!

I sampled The Epic Shotski with two polar pals at ICEBAR Orlando! Video courtesy of Sandra Carr.

I also paired some of my shaken-and-poured drinks with amazing appetizers and delectable dishes, including the Sweet and Spicy BBQ Chicken Flatbread, Cheesy Moon Bacon Sliders, shrimp skewers and steak tacos. I didn’t have a chance to try the Pizza Logs but other media guests loved them!

The Sweet and Spicy BBQ Chicken Flatbread has a kick and is the perfect pairing! Photo by Sandra Carr.

The Cheesy Moon Bacon Sliders were bodacious! Photo by Sandra Carr.

Kickstart your night with blackened, garlic shrimp skewers tossed in herb butter and served on a bed of spicy, pineapple salsa with avocado lime and sweet thai chili sauce or cilantro lime crema dressing on the side. Photo by Sandra Carr.

The twosome included steak topped with onions and an avocado spread and served on soft tacos. Photo by Sandra Carr.

Another way to get relief from the sizzling temps is with gourmet, liquor-infused ice cream. The small but mighty and packaged, boozy dessert comes in five flavors, which are the Espresso Martini, Strawberries and Rosé, The Old Fashioned, The Highland and Truffle and Coco Loco.

Strawberry is my favorite ice cream flavor so I selected the sensational Strawberries and Rosé champagne combination. This frozen delight is a sorbet and the healthiest option in the bunch. The bouquet of ingredients also include Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé bubbly and St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, which is a French liqueur made with hand-picked, fresh elderflowers and no artificial flavors.

The Strawberries and Rosé sorbet was scrumptious and sweet! Photo by Sandra Carr.

Experience these new bites and booze blends at ICEBAR Orlando now through Monday, Sept. 1. The summertime festivities will include a weekly challenge with giveaways, patio games and live, ice-carving performances. There will also be special parties all summer long, beginning Memorial Day weekend.

Attendees can watch live, ice-carving performances every weekend at ICEBAR Orlando. Photo by Sandra Carr.

All guests who present an Epic Universe ticket at the front door will receive complimentary admission into ICEBAR Orlando Sunday through Thursday and half-off entry ($10) on Friday and Saturday.

The ice bar excursion includes a thermal coat, gloves and complimentary photo with a specialty, digital-photo frame. Admission is $15 in advance online and $21 at the door.

Besides the munchy menu and innovative cocktails, the Fire Lounge also includes DJs spinning the beats and dancing and doesn’t charge a cover. Bottle and VIP services are available for an elevated experience or special occasion.

Happy hour in the Fire Lounge occurs Sunday through Thursday from 5-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5-7 p.m.

ICEBAR Orlando is located in the heart of the tourism corridor at 8967 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819.

The ice bar and Fire Lounge are open Monday through Wednesday from 5 p.m.-midnight; Sunday and Thursday from 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Ages 8-20 can experience ICEBAR Orlando from 5-9 p.m. and 21 or older close the joint after 9 p.m.

Learn more about ICEBAR Orlando’s history and other tremendous tidbits in my Savvy Scribe blog from February 2020.

RumFest Brings Tropical Spirit to Orlando By Sandra Carr

The rain couldn’t keep revelers away as they quenched their tropical thirst during the 14th Annual RumFest at the Wall Street Plaza last Saturday.

The festival featured more than 20 different rums, live music by local reggae band Hor!zen and DJ RED i spinning the island beats. Attendees sipped concoctions, played with beach balls and had a passport stamped by the rum company representatives for a chance at winning a year’s supply of rum during a drawing.

VIP ticket holders experienced the Red Stripe Terrace at the Monkey Bar, which included complimentary Red Stripe beer, select rum cocktails and Caribbean-style snacks along with RumFest sampling.

RumFest 2018 Flyer

My husband Dan and I have been attending RumFest since the very beginning and look forward to our rum rendezvous every year!

Dan and I are striking a pose during the 14th Annual RumFest at the Wall Street Plaza.

The first stop was one of our faves Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum. The retro-inspired rum brand served its Cherry Jerry and handed out buttons and koozies. The delicious cocktail tasted like a cherry-flavored drink and was mixed just right with rum, pineapple juice and grenadine ingredients.

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum’s Cherry Jerry cocktail.

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum’s Cherry Jerry recipe.

The Kraken Black Spiced Rum poured its Cephalopunch, which features the same ingredients as Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum’s Cherry Jerry, but with less grenadine. For those of you who aren’t anatomy aficionados, the drink’s name refers to a human’s head.

The tasty concoction made me want to sit back and relax while enjoying the tiki vibes. Create your own cocktail with this rum recipe.

The Kraken Black Spiced Rum’s Cephalopunch.

RumChata never disappoints with its Dirty Banana. The creamy and tasty cocktail is always popular during RumFest and worth the wait. Ingredients include two parts RumChata and one part banana liqueur shaken and poured over ice.

RumChata’s Dirty Banana cocktail.

RumChata girls served the Dirty Banana cocktail.

The Dos Maderas’ Pineapple Smash didn’t make a big splash. The cocktail tasted watered down with hardly any rum.

Dos Maderas’ Pineapple Smash cocktail.

The rum excursion continued with Bayou Rum. The Louisiana rum company presented its Gator Bite during the festival. This flavorful and perfectly blended cocktail contained its silver, spiced and satsuma rums mixed with pineapple, orange, cranberry and lime juices. If there was a rum concoction competition during the festival, then this drink would have won hands down. Create your own Gator Bite with Bayou Rum’s recipe.

Bayou Rum’s Gator Bite cocktail.

Bacardi, one of the RumFest sponsors, had not one, but three cocktails this year. The options included the Coconut Colada, Limonade and Rum Punch. Dan and I sampled the Coconut Colada, which was a refreshing cocktail that urged me to hang out in a beach cabana. The ingredients included Bacardi coconut rum mixed with pineapple juice and served over ice.

Bacardi Coconut Colada, Limonade and Rum Punch

Barcardi’s Coconut Colada, Limonade and Rum Punch cocktails.

Captain Morgan has provided festivalgoers with unique cocktails in the past, but decided to keep it simple with just Captain and Coke this year.

Captain Morgan’s Captain and Coke cocktail.

Country musician Kenny Chesney wanted to give back to his island adventures by launching Blue Chair Bay Rum five years ago. The Caribbean rum presented its Pineapple Paradise during the festival. The concoction was creamy like RumChata’s Dirty Banana, but didn’t make its mark since you couldn’t taste the pineapple or any other tropical ingredients. However, I was impressed that the rum company’s representatives provided attendees with mini Caribbean cocktail recipe books, so they can create their own drinks at home.

Blue Chair Bay Rum’s Pineapple Paradise cocktail.

Blue Chair Bay Rum’s Caribbean cocktail recipes.

Blue Chair Bay Rum’s Caribbean cocktail recipes.

Bounty Saint Lucia Rum’s Spirit of Saint Lucia and Don Q’s Pina Fizz cocktails were uber popular during the festival because both rum companies ran out of their mixtures before Dan and I could sample their cocktails.

Bounty Saint Lucia Rum’s Spirit of Saint Lucia cocktail.

Don Q’s Pina Fizz cocktail.

RumFest is a wonderful opportunity to sample new rum brands and cocktails and experience the Caribbean in the heart of downtown Orlando. The annual rum festival occurs in June or July, so add the event to your summer calendar next year.

Lion’s Pride and Soccer are a Perfect Match By Sandra Carr

Gather your purple-pride posse before or after an Orlando City Soccer Club match and dine in style at the Lion’s Pride Soccer Pub & Grill in downtown Orlando’s Church Street district.

I experienced a filling, five-course foodie feast served by attentive staff during the restaurant’s media tasting event last week. The sports-dining destination, which is celebrating its one-year anniversary in May, serves delicious and moderately-priced dishes created by executive chef Scott Phillips.

I was welcomed with a glass of bubbly and presented with the first course, featuring peppered tuna with sweet Thai chili sauce drizzled on top, avocado relish and cilantro lime slaw paired with a mini Blue Moon draft and fresh orange wedge. The sweetness complemented the fresh and healthy sides and beer sample, which is my favorite, go-to wheat beer.

Peppered tuna with sweet Thai chili sauce, avocado relish and cilantro lime slaw.

The starter course continued and included two petite brisket soft tacos with shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, queso blanco and chipotle aioli paired with a Samuel Adams Winter Lager. The small but mighty duo was delicious and coupled with the brew. The brisket was tender and blended well with the fresh ingredients. The mixture didn’t fall out of the soft taco shells, which was a plus.

Two petite brisket soft tacos with shredded iceberg lettuce, diced tomatoes, queso blanco and chipotle aioli.

Round two featured a caprese salad with good-sized red and yellow vine-ripe tomato slices and round chunks of buffalo mozzarella garnished with basil oil and balsamic glaze and paired with a glass of Terra d’Oro 2015 blended Chenin Blanc. The elegant salad’s veggies were deliciously compatible with the rich, buffalo mozzarella and basil oil and balsamic glaze. The glass of wine complemented the flavors even more with each sip.

Caprese salad paired with a glass of Terra d’Oro 2015 blended Chenin Blanc.

Next was a shrimp and lobster risotto with creamy Parmesan cheese and parsley sprinkles paired with a Lion’s Pride signature, hand-muddled lime margarita. This was the creamiest risotto I have ever eaten, and was my favorite dish during the tasting. The medium-sized shrimp and lobster pieces were mixed smoothly with the Parmesan cheese and gave comfort food a whole new meaning with its refreshing margarita counterpart. More, please!

Shrimp and lobster risotto with creamy Parmesan cheese.

The fourth dish, a blue cheese filet with garlic boursin mash potatoes and red wine demi-glaze with two generous-sized asparagus and a carrot paired with a glass of Emmolo 2015 Merlot from the Napa Valley was a hearty meal. The medium-cooked, juicy and tender filet with melted blue cheese was oh so good! The fresh-out-of-the-garden vegetables and the dollop of garlic boursin mashed potatoes made the meal even more satisfying with the glass of Merlot.

Blue cheese filet with garlic boursin mash potatoes, red wine demi-glaze, asparagus and carrot.

Two desserts provided a sweet ending to the tasting. The thick, chocolate mousse with whipped cream paired with a Lion’s Pride whiskey-based red sangria adorned with a fruit skewer balanced the rich and sweetness nicely. The Romeo and Juliet, a guava-filled Phyllo dough pastry with white cheese queso blanco, was complemented with a glass of passion fruit pureed champagne and took an edge off of the sweet journey. The Romeo and Juliet is ideal for folks who like a light baked good as a snack or after dinner.

Chocolate mousse with whipped cream paired with a Lion’s Pride whiskey-based red sangria and the Romeo and Juliet complemented with a glass of passion fruit pureed champagne.

Phillips was a Tribeca neighborhood chef in New York City for many years. His goal was to create a menu with an array of selections for everyone’s taste.

“The menu features a variety of different kinds of cuisine,” he said. “I didn’t want to stick to a typical sports-bar food menu. I wanted it to be a bit upscale.”

Besides the menu, I was impressed with the building’s transformation. The restaurant was formerly Bliss Ultra Lounge and Phineas Phogg’s, which was renowned for its nickel beer every Wednesday night back in the day. The décor features a casual-style design with warm, natural tones and a comfy ambiance that makes you feel right at home while watching a soccer match on the pub’s flat-screen TVs. I’m happy to report that some of the original brick panels were saved during the renovation.

Lion’s Pride Soccer Pub & Grill

On the second level, soccer fans can score a VIP experience with Church Street views, a gold-tone leather sectional sofa with a glass soccer ball-shaped coffee table, purple leather stadium seats, tables with purple chairs, a mural of the Orlando City Soccer Club’s mascot Kingston, a long bar with a marble top and a private party room.

An upstairs wall features a mural of Orlando City Soccer Club’s mascot Kingston.

I’m posing on the gold-tone leather sectional sofa on the second level of the Lion’s Pride Soccer Pub & Grill.

Soccer fans can hang out with a brew or cocktail while seated at tables that can accommodate large groups, be mesmerized by a vintage World Cup soccer ball collection and purchase Orlando City Soccer Club and Pride merchandise on the first floor.

View a vintage World Cup soccer ball collection on the first floor of the Lion’s Pride Soccer Pub & Grill.

Purchase Orlando City Soccer Club and Pride merchandise on the first level of the Lion’s Pride Soccer Pub & Grill.

Watch the Orlando City Soccer Club and Pride’s home or away soccer matches, World Cup soccer matches from June 14 through July 15, 2018 and any sporting event while chowing down at this lion’s lair.

Tag Archives: cocktails

ICEBAR Orlando Launches Epic Summer Sips and Delish Dishes By Sandra Carr

RumFest Brings Tropical Spirit to Orlando By Sandra Carr

Lion’s Pride and Soccer are a Perfect Match By Sandra Carr

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