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Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Shh! 4 secret menu drinks at Universal Epic Universe
The bartenders in the Burning Blade Tavern love it when patrons drop by the pub tucked in the back of the Dark Universe-themed land at Universal Epic Universe in Orlando, Florida, and say "Dr. Jekyll sent me." The cryptic introduction is a subtle nod to the bartenders that the patron is about to order one of four drinks from the Burning Blade secret menu. Universal Beverage Program Manager Joshua Franck refused to acknowledge the existence of a Burning Blade secret menu during media previews for Universal Epic Universe. "Unfortunately, as far as I know, there is no secret menu," Franck said during an interview in Dark Universe. Burning Blade Tavern and Dark Universe opened in late May as part of the 750-acre theme park featuring more than 50 rides, attractions, shows and experiences. The Burning Blade is hard to miss in Dark Universe - with the windmill atop the restaurant bursting into flames every 15 minutes. Inside, the old mill restaurant is themed as a hangout for monster hunters with their trophies covering the walls. The Burning Blade menu features classic pub grub - hamburgers, wings, bratwursts, pretzels, beer, wine and cocktails. The Burning Blade secret menu drinks all fall into the $14 to $19 price range. Universal Creative planted Easter Eggs all over the park for fans to find and the Dark Universe is full of them. You have to listen carefully to the audio soundtracks playing in Dark Universe if you want to discover the secret drinks on the Burning Blade menu. The best place to discover secrets about the Universal Monsters-themed land is at the window of the Dr. Jekyll Apotheker next door to the Das Stakehaus restaurant. Every 30 minutes, visitors can hear Dr. Jekyll loudly arguing inside his apothecary - and he might just tell you what to order at the Burning Blade Tavern. Epic Universe visitors are always coming into the Burning Blade Tavern and suggesting new cocktails for the bartenders to make, according to Franck. "We love the fact that our guests have so many ideas and they're so passionate," Franck said. "If we hear that people are requesting things, we take a look at them. We may add things to the menu." Here are the four secret menu drinks available at the Burning Blade Tavern. Crossbow The Crossbow combines Strongbow Gold Apple Cider and Darkthorne Mead. It's like a Snakebite beer cocktail without the beer. The mead replaces the stout or lager in the traditional half-and-half recipe. The Crossbow was the first secret menu drink discovered by Epic fans and has proved so popular that the Burning Blade has already added it to the menu. "It is a recent add," Franck said. "It is something that guests came in and wanted to construct themselves. We took a look at it and we said, 'We really like this idea.'" The Disney Food Blog ordered the Crossbow when it was still a secret menu item and found the cocktail to be the perfect blend of sweet and tart. "It's pretty sweet, but that combination of the cider and the mead helps cut through some of the sweetness of the cider and the tartness of the mead," according to the Disney Food Blog. "It's honestly the perfect balance in our opinion, and it offers a nice option for people who don't want sugary, syrupy drinks or beer." The once-secret Crossbow now shows up on the Burning Blade online menu but is still not available for mobile order. Smoking Jacket Smoking Jacket is another beer cocktail - this time with the beer remaining in the mix. Darkthorne Mead is still the star here, combined with a Reaper's Reserve caramel-spice brown ale from Florida's Crooked Can Brewing. The drink is named after the Invisible Man's jacket - which is a close color match to the cocktail, according to theme park junkie and foodie Paige Bryant. "You can definitely taste the cinnamon, nutmeg and clove in this drink," Bryant wrote on Instagram. "The mead adds a nice sweetness to it and kind of gives it more of a fall flavor." Jekyll's Remedy Jekyll's Remedy remains a secret menu item in part because the drink's test tube souvenir shot glasses did not arrive in time for the grand opening of Epic Universe. Jekyll's Remedy includes a mix of vodka, peach schnapps, sour mixer, cardamon and clove extracts. Hyde's Reagent Hyde's Reagent is the companion drink to Jekyll's Remedy - intended to be sipped side by side by drinking companions. Mr. Hyde's cocktail includes a mix of tequila, orange liqueur, creme de cassis, sour mixer, simple syrup and chipotle essence. The Jekyll and Hyde drinks still can't be found on the Burning Blade online menu, but they can be mobile ordered through the Universal Orlando app. Franck declined to discuss the Jekyll and Hyde secret menu cocktails. "What I can tell you is that we're always working on new ideas and we have new things that will be coming in all the time," Franck said. "We'll be refreshing these programs continually and will always have something new and exciting." _____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Condé Nast Traveler
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
Universal Just Opened Epic Universe, the First New US Theme Park in 26 Years
After six years in the making, Universal Epic Universe officially opened its doors on May 22—and the brand new theme park is already attracting crowds of travelers. The 750-acre development in Orlando, Florida, is the first new US theme park to open in over two decades. Featuring 11 rides based on fan-favorite franchises like Harry Potter and How to Train Your Dragon, Epic Universe is poised to usher in the next era of American theme parks, with advanced ride technology, a diverse range of dining options, and even a 500-key Loews Hotels Signature Collection property on site with direct access to the park. 'The excitement is that there's so much here,' Adam Rivest, vice president of creative management for Universal Creative, tells Condé Nast Traveler. 'Everybody gets to experience it a little bit differently." Below, everything travelers need to know about the new theme park. Celestial Park Upon entering, visitors are welcomed through a 'portal' into the cosmos-themed Celestial Park, a central area that serves as the crossroads between all four of the other franchise worlds. If you arrive hungry, you're in the right place. Celestial Park features a range of eateries, from the seafood fine dining restaurant Atlantic (its upstairs bar is known for one of the best views of the park) to the pan-Asian The Blue Dragon, decked out with neon Asian night market signs. This section also has two attractions of its own. The family-friendly Constellation Carousel moves in tune to seven different songs and becomes especially ethereal come nightfall. Then there's the thrilling Stardust Racers, a dual-track roller coaster with speeds up to 62 mph flying up to 133 feet high—guests can choose from two track options, yellow or green (there's debate among theme park enthusiasts as to which provides more thrills, but we preferred the green at night). The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Ministry of Magic is one of the park's most anticipated attractions. Universal/Kilby Photo The Wizarding World of Harry Potter From Celestial Park, travelers can then enter four more worlds via different portals. One of the most anticipated, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic marks Universal's third development centered around the blockbuster franchise. This one transports guests into the magical world of 1920s Paris, with towering facades reminiscent of the Champs-Elysees. The main attraction, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, attracted the longest queue (lasting five hours) on opening day. To make the lines more bearable, grab a Butterbeer crepe to nosh on while you wait. Super Nintendo World Another portal travels up a pair of escalators into the cartoonish land of Super Nintendo World. It's the third global Universal park to include one, after Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood. However, this world is far more expansive than its California counterpart, and is divided into two sections: Super Mario Land, including rides Mario Kart Bowser's Challenge and Yoshi's Adventure, and Donkey Kong Country with the Mine-Cart Madness, as well as interactive coin collections through its Power-Up Bands, available for purchase. How to Train Your Dragon One portal away is How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, a whimsical section filled with animatronic fantastical creatures and interactive elements at every corner. The family coaster Hiccup's Wing Gliders is here, as well as Dragon Racer's Rally, where each guest can flap the wings of their own dragon to control their soaring. The Broadway-style show The Untrainable Dragon also impresses with its special effects, including a dragon soaring over the audience. Dark Universe In Dark Universe, the final portal combines all of Universal's monsters under the umbrella of Victoria Frankenstein's experiments. Here is where you'll find another one of the park's most buzzed-about attractions: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, a dark ride with eerie twists and turns (and a few surprises). The area's vampire-themed Das Steakhouse has also already attracted hype, rumored to have already been the inspiration for a Saturday Night Live sketch.
Travel Weekly
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Travel Weekly
Epic Universe: A new era for Universal Orlando Resort
ORLANDO -- Universal Orlando Resort is abuzz with one word: Epic. Executives, media and theme park enthusiasts converged on Central Florida for the May 22 opening of Universal Epic Universe, the third theme park at Universal's Orlando campus, and several days' worth of preopening previews and activities. "We are so excited to welcome you today -- dare I say, emotional — to Universal Epic Universe," said Brian Robinson, executive vice president and chief creative officer of Universal Creative, during a media event. "This park is a game-changer, folks, and the most technologically innovative park we have ever built." Karen Irwin, president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort, said that Epic "changes everything" for Universal's Florida property. "It truly transforms Universal Orlando Resort into more than a full week's vacation destination," she told media during a reception. "And I think you're going to love it." Epic Universe is home to five themed worlds, including Dark Universe; How to Train Your Dragon -- Isle of Berk; Super Nintendo World; and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter -- Ministry of Magic. The Atrium of the British Ministry of Magic in the queue of Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, a ride in Epic Universe. Photo Credit: Jamie Biesiada And the one world that isn't based on intellectual property is the one that centers them all: Celestial Park. Guests enter Celestial through the Chronos Tower, Epic's main portal. It's a dynamic structure that hints at astronomical and mythological elements, a theme that follows throughout Celestial. The backbone of Epic Universe, Celestial welcomes guests at the park's entrance as well as toward the back, through the 500-room Universal Helios Grand Hotel, which has its own dedicated park entrance. Celestial was purposely designed with plenty of greenery and water features, Robinson said. "This is the world that put the 'park' back in 'theme park' -- lush gardens, dancing fountains, serene locations," he said. It is also home to several dining locations, wet-play area Astronomica, the Constellation Carousel and Stardust Racers, a dual-launch coaster with tracks measuring 5,000 feet. The coaster rockets riders up to 133 feet in the air as fast as 62 mph. Fyre Drill is a water ride in How to Train Your Dragon -- Isle of Berk, one of the five worlds in Epic Universe. Photo Credit: Jamie Biesida Adam Rivest, vice president of creative management at Universal Creative, spent the past eight years working on Celestial as one of its producers. "When we approached this project, we wanted to look at something that would be a differentiator for this park," Rivest said. "We looked to the great European gardens and how those have always been a place where people can come together and share experiences and relax and kind of decompress from their week and their days. We felt like that's what Celestial Park wanted to be." The park boasts not only a high thrill in Stardust Racers but also gardens and waterways, spaces where guests can decompress after Epic's other thrills, Rivest said. "I tell everybody to make sure that you take the time to actually experience the space," he said. "Don't live through a camera. Don't live through your phone. Put it away, talk with the people you're with. Use Celestial Park as what it was designed for: a place to connect."
