Hokondo Matusu, Novah Tah

I’m sure some of you have heard about the feeding frenzy that took place recently at Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar on WDW Radio. You should give it a listen, seriously, but if you need the short version to read ahead: half a dozen gentlemen sat down and sampled one of every food item on the menu and a fair amount of the beverages offered. While the food was given ample sound bites, I thought that some of the drink reviews could use a bit more fleshing out.

Let’s start out with the fact that there are 60 beverages on the menu, not counting your basic Coca-Cola products. They include everything from wine, sake, draft and bottled beer, four non-alcoholic signature concoctions, and 16 signature libations. For today’s review, I’m not going to do a disservice to the beverages I didn’t try, or those that I only had a single sip of. That said, however, between several visits I’ve been able to wet my whistle with four of Jock’s offerings. Here’s what I thought of The Scottish Professor, Hovito Mojito, Reggie’s Revenge, and Hail Marty.

The Scottish Professor (Monkey Shoulder Blended malt Scotch Whiskey, Hendrick’s Gin, Pear Nectar, Simple Syrup, and Fresh Lemon Juice)

Yes, this was scotch and gin, but for me it tasted an awful lot like one of my favorite cocktails, the old-fashioned. You’ll notice a citrus theme going on with a number of the beverages at the Hangar Bar. Perhaps it’s the location or just that Jock, like me, preferred the zing offered up by using various types of citrus in his drinks. Either way, you’ll be as smooth as Indy’s dad sipping on one of these cocktails.

Hovito Mojito (Barsol Quebranta Pisco, Fresh Lime Juice, Mint, and Simple Syrup topped with Soda Water)

Pisco is a brandy-type spirit found in Peru and Chile, but it does the trick in this modified mojito. It is a classic combination and tastes great. The mint is especially pronounced in this glass, but the flavors provided by the mint, syrup, and lime don’t entirely mask the pisco, which is wonderful because a couple of these could get you very tipsy, very quickly.

Reggie’s Revenge (Florida Cane ‘Orlando Orange’ Vodka, Midori Melon Liqueur, White Cranberry Juice, and Fresh Lime Juice)

You can see the bright green vat of Reggie’s Revenge as soon as you approach the counter. In fact, all of the mementoes and maps that you should be paying attention to behind the bar could go unnoticed with this neon concoction sitting there. Named for Jock’s pet snake, this is one of the easy sippers of the menu, so take it easy! It plays well between the sweet and sour sections of the palate, but if the Reggie on your swizzle stick starts to slither, it’s time to call it quits!

Hail Marty (Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey bottled in Bond served with an Ice Sphere)

The ice spheres are made in house, and you can see the machine that creates the spheres sitting right in the middle of the dining area. What else can I say about the Hail Marty? The Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel bourbon is some of the smoothest bourbon I’ve ever tried, and I would love to have some sitting on my shelf at home.

I took a sip of the Air Pirate’s Mule, Anything Goes, and Cool-headed Monkey, and I would recommend any of these as well. Many of these drinks will come with souvenir glasses, but currently none of these are in stock (including the Cool-headed Monkey that was available briefly). There are specialty swizzle sticks that come with Reggie’s Revenge and the Hovito Mojito, and they come at no additional cost.

As Jock Lindsey was a world travel, so too were his tastes, which means there are drinks from all corners of the globe and something for every taste. The beer and wine offerings are just as varied as the libations, if those are more your speed. Have you given the worldly flavors of the Hangar Bar a try? If so, what was your favorite beverage?