In case it wasn’t clear from our obsession with Halloween decor and gingerbread-flavored everything, we love ALL holidays in Disney World!
And not just the biggies, either. From National Polka Dot Day to National Irish Coffee Day, we’re ready to celebrate any and all occasions! Just in time for the latter, one of our fav Irish spots in Disney Springs is celebrating in style, and we’re here for every sip.
For fans of whiskey-infused coffee (*raises hand*), National Irish Coffee Day is a pretty big deal. Taking place January 25th, it’s an apt opportunity to cheers to this boozy drink at the one and only Raglan Road in Disney Springs!
Naturally, this Irish pub is going all out for the holiday, and we showed up for an early peek at their specials, and let us just say, y’all are in for a TREAT!
On January 25th, Raglan Road is doing a special offer for guests all day long. The January 25th Wakeup Call is “You buy the coffee, the whiskey is on us!” Not only that, but the restaurant is rounding out its regular menu with EXTRA coffee-based creations, like the Bush-Tail Nitro, the Iced Irish, and the Bailey’s Shake.
Raglan Road was kind enough to give us a sneak peek of all this Irish Coffee action. They also showed us how to make these drinks, which will come in handy when we’re at home and have a hankering for them.
Plus, we tried a few bites, because how can you say no to something called “Shepherd’s To Die For Pie”?! So let’s start with the star of the show: the Irish Coffee. Per Raglan Road, the traditional medley is a finely-tuned mix of coffee, whiskey, sugar and cream.
This version uses a teaspoon of brown sugar, which gives the drink a slightly sweet flavor, but don’t worry about it being too sugary, because the Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey packs plenty of punch!
In fact, the whiskey is so strong—easily the most prominent flavor in the glass—that it kinda overwhelms the coffee flavor, which we didn’t mind.
Since the drink is layered, the flavors hit at different times. The cream on top lends a smooth sweetness at first, which gives way to darker/stronger notes from the whiskey-fied coffee underneath. Then it finishes with a brown sugar aftertaste, since that’s the ingredient placed in the cup first!
Naturally, your reception of this drink will vary based on the ratio of coffee to whiskey you prefer. If you like your java with a hefty kick, then this is right up your alley. But if you’re looking for something more coffee-forward, you might just want…a coffee? Also, the $15.99 price tag may seem a tad steep if you’re used to standard coffee prices, but when you factor in the amount of whisky in here, we think it’s worth it.
It’s Irish Coffee time in Animal Kingdom!
Looking for something on the cooler side? Raglan Road has an iced boozy beverage called the Iced Irish!
At first glance (and sip), it may seem like regular Irish Coffee, but this thing is filled with surprises! It’s got Paddy’s Irish Whiskey, sure, but also Butterscotch Schnapps and Bailey’s Salted Caramel. Clearly, this one is sweeter than the standard, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially since the most pronounced flavors are butterscotch and caramel.
And due to all that sweetness, it totally masks just how deceptively boozy it is. The coffee flavor itself is pretty muted. If you’re the kinda coffee person who likes to add plenty of cream and sugar, then this is the Irish Coffee for you!
The Iced Irish also goes for $15.99, which isn’t too bad considering you get more than one type of booze in here!
Revisit our first review of the Bush-Tail Nitro at Raglan Road!
Next we tried the Bush-Tail Nitro, which gave us lots of “Got Milk?” vibes thanks to the layer of thick cream on top. It contains brown sugar syrup, which provides an unexpectedly sweet flavor, but it’s a little tricky to get to it due to how thick that cream layer is.
But once we broke through, we were quite pleased! It’s not too sweet and not too strong—it’s the Goldilocks of Irish Coffees! The strength of the Nitro Cold Brew and Bushmills Irish Whiskey were balanced and covered by the sweetness of that brown sugar syrup.
Compared to the Iced Irish, this is less sweet and more balanced. But anyone who prefers dark black coffee will likely not be a fan, since it caters more towards cold-brew coffee drinkers. The Bush-Tail Nitro also costs $15.99, which again seems like a pretty fair price for the quality of the ingredients…and the hefty amount of alcohol!
And speaking of hefty amounts of alcohol, we obviously had to balance all this out with some Irish eats, so we sampled some Raglan Road favorites!
Disney Recipe! Colcannon Soup from Raglan Road!
The Whiskey BBQ Lollipop Chicken is loaded with flavor, thanks in part to the fact that the BBQ sauce takes four hours to make, and adds the perfect tangy kick! This is one the best tasting BBQ sauces we’ve ever had.
The chicken, which get their “lollipop” look with plump little morsels at the end of the bone, comes with roasted corn and chives that adds to the heap of flavor and color here. Tender and succulent, they’re the definition of “lip smacking,” sorta like a fancy version of chicken wings. So if you’re a chicken wing fanatic, or just a BBQ lover in general, you’ll enjoy this Lollipop Chicken
Our only criticism is that we wanted more meat! Since this was all sooooo delicious, it would have been nice to have more chicken in our serving. Also, even though we loved the sauce, it is quite heavy and sticky-sweet. We realize that it could be off-putting for anyone who prefers a lighter BBQ sauce. You can try the chicken for yourself for $16.99.
Another barbecue spot in Disney Springs has a NEW rye whiskey flight!
Now that Shepherd’s To Die For Pie we mentioned? It lives up to its name! It’s a pretty classic Shepherd’s Pie, but it comes with smoked mashed potatoes and a red wine jus, which really brings the whole dish together.
The ingredients are super fresh, and coupled with the fact that it’s presented beautifully, this is seriously one of the best Shepherd’s Pies we’ve had! That’s also thanks to how it tasted, with the smokiness of the potatoes and the strength of the red wine. The beef is braised and pulled, making it ridiculously tender, and it pairs perfectly with the wine and the roasty root vegetables.
This is cool-weather comfort food at its finest, but if you’re looking for something on the lighter side, you might want to skip. But for us, when our sole criticism of a dish is that we wish we had a larger portion, then you know it’s “to die for”!
Clocking in at $24, the Shepherd’s To Die For Pie is a bit pricier, but you get fresh ingredients and robust flavors. Classic Shepard’s Pie fans would love.
Next, we tried the Drunk Mussels! Steamed in Bloomsday Pale Ale and garlic broth, it’s got an extra kick that we weren’t expecting—yet welcomed with open arms (and mouths).
Honestly, it feels lighter than the other dishes we tried, which was kinda refreshing. Even the “Skinny Chips” (aka french fries) on the side felt light-ish!
That being said, the mussels themselves are quite plump, and the portion is gigantic! Which is great, because we could swim in that garlicky sauce! The key here is to dip each mussel in the sauce to bring all the flavors together. We actually wish we had more of that brothy goodness. But for all shellfish fans out there, this one is for you!
As a lighter option on the menu, it’s an amazing bowlful. Anyone who is not much of an adventurous eater, though, may want to stick with something more classic, which Raglan Road has plenty of!
The Drunk Mussels are $25, and a great price for the abundance of bivalves.
A newer addition to the menu is the Pull The Boxty, which is as delicious as it is fun to say! Sorta like an Irish casserole, it’s a stack of boxty potato cake, ham hock, caramelized onions, and Dubliner cheese. So yeah, hope your New Year’s resolutions are over… .
There’s a lot going on here, but the key is to get a little bit of each ingredient in each bite to get the full experience.
The boxty potato cake is the largest thing here, but the ham hock and onions were still the most pronounced ingredients, probably because the ham was so tender and salty. Also, be forewarned that this is VERY onion-y, so you may want to tread lightly if you’re onion-averse.
The cheese, however, was the most muted. When everything is combined together, it tends to disappear a bit, although we did detect a bit of lingering sweetness.
For a plate that’s so loaded on ingredients and textures, it didn’t have quite the same kick that the other dishes have here. It was still delicious, but the least memorable of the food. This dish is $16.
Although we never need a holiday excuse to eat and drink at Raglan Road, National Irish Coffee Day is on January 25th, so be sure and swing by for these extra boozy treats—and a few good eats!
Another restaurant in Disney Springs is doing boozy FROZEN coffee!
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Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant to attend their preview for National Irish Coffee Day. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ
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