Hops & Barley - Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Epcot Food & Wine 2018 Hops & Barley

Hops & Barley, introduced in 2005, returns for its 14th year for the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, taking place August 29 – November 23, 2019.

Menu for Hops & Barley at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Food:

New England Lobster Roll: Warm Lobster with Fresh Herb Mayonnaise and Griddled Roll – $8.25
New Brunswick Slider: Slow-braised Beef Brisket “Pot Roast Style” with Horseradish Cream and Crispy Fried Onions on a Potato Roll with Pickled Vegetables on the side – $6.00
Freshly Baked Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Icing (V) – $4.25

Beverages:

*Price per bottle is an average price of the spirit at your local liquor store.

North Coast Brewing Co. Blue Star Wheat, Fort Bragg, CA (4.5% ABV) – $4.50
3 Daughters Brewing A Wake Coffee Blonde Ale, St. Petersburg, FL (5.0% ABV) – $4.50
Heavy Seas AmeriCannon APA, Baltimore, MD (5.75% ABV) – $4.50
Beer Flight – $9.75
Angry Orchard Rosé Hard Cider, Walden, NY (5.5% ABV) – $4.50
Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands ($30/bottle) – $6.00
Broadside Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles ($15/bottle) – $5.00

Photos of Menu Items from Hops & Barley at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

New England Lobster Roll: Warm Lobster with Fresh Herb Mayonnaise and Griddled Roll – $8.25

Epcot Food and Wine 2018 Hops and Barley — New England Lobster Roll: Warm Lobster with Fresh Herb Mayonnaise and Griddled Roll, $8.25 (Courtesy of easywdw)

A hefty price tag here thanks to the lobster. Fortunately, in the last year, Epcot moved from a lobster salad to actual lobster chunks. That’s both a positive and a negative. Positive, because yes, it’s real lobster, and when you get a nice bite it’s a pleasant surprise. Negative, because your roll may only have a small portion of the pricey protein. It’s a gamble, for sure, but potentially a really tasty one.

New Brunswick Slider: Slow-Braised Beef Brisket “Pot Roast Style” with Horseradish Cream and Crispy Fried Onions on a Potato Roll with Pickled Vegetables on the Side – $6.00

Epcot Food & Wine 2018 Hops & Barley Slider — New Brunswick Slider: Slow-Braised Beef Brisket “Pot Roast Style” with Horseradish Cream and Crispy Fried Onions on a Potato Roll with Pickled Vegetables on the Side, $6.00

We feel cheated on this one after viewing other people’s portions. The beef brisket is absolutely amazing. There’s an underlying spiciness to the meat that’s flavorful and delicious, and it’s succulent enough that a knife isn’t needed to cut into it—a fork will do just fine if you don’t plan on scarfing it down like a sandwich. There’s potential value here if you get a decent cut and portion of the beef brisket. However, like the Lobster Roll, this one, too, is a gamble in that you can wind up with a small portion like we did, and it’ll have you wondering what happened to your $6 sandwich. It’s so good we think you should roll the dice.

Freshly Baked Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Icing – $4.25

This carrot cake is served warm and with a delectable cream cheese icing on top. The flavors match a proper carrot cake, and we feel this dessert is safe for even the pickiest of eaters. At $4.25 you can’t go wrong.

Beer Flight – $9.75

Epcot Food & Wine 2018 Hops & Barley Beer Flight — Beer Flight, $9.75: North Coast Bewing Co. Blue Star Wheat, Fort Bragg, CA (4.5% abv); 3 Daughters Brewing A Wake Coffee Blonde Ale, St. Petersburg, FL (5% abv); Heavy Seas AmeriCannon APA, Baltimore, MD (5.75% abv)

Beer flights! A great way to try three unique beers. Fortunately, these are all pretty interesting and worth the price to try them. The coffee blonde ale is the only real miss here, with an artificial flavor permeating the overall essence of the beer.

Angry Orchard Rosé Hard Cider, Walden, NY (5.5% abv) – $4.50

From Angry Orchard: “Angry Orchard Rosé Cider is made with rare, red flesh apples from France. Each apple is crisp, juicy and red to the core, adding an irresistible rosy blush and apple-forward taste with a refreshing dry finish.”

Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands ($30/bottle) – $6.00

From Mer Soleil, their Reserve Chardonnay is “layered on the nose, with enticing scents of warm brioche, roasted almonds, citrus and honeysuckle. Entry is soft, and the palate features a distinctive creaminess, filling and slightly coating the mouth. Flavors of lemon blossom mingle with toasted oak and a hint of buttery richness. A vibrant acidity offers balance and freshness, lingering on the finish with a final, playful kick of brightness.”

Broadside Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles ($15/bottle) – $5.00

According to Broadside, their Cabernet Sauvignon “exhibits attractive aromas of ripe blackberry and red cherry, framed by a touch of oak. It’s supple and open-knit on the palate, with a juicy core of fruit and light structuring tannins, concluding with a long finish.”