Spice Runner – Angry Orchard [Oga’s Cantina, Galaxy’s Edge, Hollywood Studios, Disney World]

It is not every day you get to write a review as cool and ‘out of this world’ as the one we write today.

Back in November, while in vacation to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, we had the fortunate experience of getting a reservation for Oga’s Cantina – inspired from the Cantina in Star Wars: A New Hope. Galaxy’s Edge, only have opened 3 months prior in August of 2019, is a very understandably popular place that you typically must reserve well in advance, and are limited to 45 minutes, 2 drinks maximum per visit.

Located in Batuu, the imagined world for Galaxy’s Edge, Oga’s Cantina is a bit hidden and hard to find, but we can only assume that was by design – as a secret place for pilots who are well connected in the community. Nestled in a dome building design, all seats and bar spots are situated circularly around the central bar, that features many unique pipes and containers from which pre-made cocktails and draught drinks come from. With all bartenders and staff in costume, your stay there includes various live entertainment bits – including drinking chants led by the bartenders – and of course, DJ Rex who spins “the galaxy’s best songs” as he puts it. If your curious, yes, he does play that song.

Wanting to take full advantage of our experience there, we decided to start with some of their famous cocktail concoctions before getting to the cider. We ordered 3 cocktails that included: the Fuzzy Tauntaun, a peachy drink which had ‘Buzz Button Tingling Foam’ on top, that gave our lips a good sensation/burn for about 10 minutes straight; the Bespin Fizz that smoked from some sort of chemical reaction originating from the bottom of the drink, but trust us, this was unbelievably good with yuzu, pomegranate and white cranberry juices mixed in; and the Jedi Mind Trick that was a creamy mix of honey dew and kiwi flavours. All three were very tasty and unique, and heavy on the alcohol and the wallet.

Finally, we had arrived to the only cider available there, brewed by Angry Orchard – the Spice Runner – appropriately named after the smugglers class featured in many of the movies. Brewed exclusively for the two Oga’s Cantinas in both Florida and Disneyland in California, it was a must try for us before leaving. Served in a tall and funky glass, it seemed very appropriate for the vibes of the Cantina. At 5%, it is a very vivid red colour, almost translucent appearing, and it has a light aroma of crisp and creamy sour-green apples.

The cider from start to finish is Millennium Falcon smooth, with quickly appearing mulling spices that taste and feel very warming to the mouth and body. It is creamy apple pie forward, with a mixture of apple flavours – especially those of green apples. The cinnamon is rather strong and is the strongest spice of them all, with a bit of mild cloves and nutmeg detectable. Tart, crisp and a slightly thick/syrupy mouthfeel, it is medium lingering and it ends on some mid-level vanilla notes that appear only close to the finish. This cider reminded us of a few other apple pie flavoured ciders, but with more mulling spices and with a unique green apple-focused take on it.

The Spice Runner Cider was very good and enjoyable to consume; however, we must admit, the atmosphere and the whole experience was much better – Oga’s Cantina is an incredibly imagined experience where the attention to details at all levels makes for a truly spectacular experience. This is a must-do experience for all Star Wars fans, so we recommend booking a reservation early to avoid disappointment (or just keep checking the reservation system as new availability comes up all the time).

Aside from the obvious browsing the marketplace and riding the two signature attractions in Galaxy’s Edge, we also recommend trying the beers brewed exclusively for Galaxy’s Edge at the quick service restaurants – in particular, the lavender-forward ‘Gold Squadron Lager’ at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo near by.

Side note: Bethany tried to get a high-five from Chewbacca and was shut down pretty quick. These characters are truly alive and well from the spirit of the movies.