Drinkie Review: We drank every cocktail at Epcot’s new GEO-82 lounge
An adults-only speakeasy at the exit of Spaceship Earth serving up Disney’s most ambitious cocktails to-date? One-thousand percent yes, please.
GEO-82 is the newest lounge at the Walt Disney World Resort, and is the first of its kind for a number of reasons. Breaking from tradition, it’s a location inside Disney’s theme parks where Guests have to be 21 and older to enter. But beyond that, it’s noteworthy because the mixology masterminds of the Disney’s Flavor Lab have pushed the limits on the park’s cocktail game. And this is a theme park already known for their unofficial “drinking around the world” crawl through the 11 countries of World Showcase. Our advice? Skip that crawl and enjoy the signature cocktails here instead. The result was a stunning afternoon spent watching the Florida clouds roll by as we sipped some stunning drinkies from the comfort of our air-conditioned perch. Would we recommend it? Absolutely.
Inspired by the “grand and miraculous spaceship”
Guests exiting the park’s Spaceship Earth attraction are greeted by a finale of interactive video games and colorful projections that continue the ride’s theme of technological advancement. But keen-eyed observers may just spot a gold-hued hallway near the exit. Large hexagon tiles mimic the geometric pattern of the huge sphere outside. A friendly Cast Member checks Guests in at a podium before they’re whisked upstairs to a waiting area. This is the entrance to GEO-82, its name a play on the Greek word for earth and the theme park’s opening year of 1982. We waited a few minutes in the plush lobby before being escorted to our table overlooking the World Celebration promenade of the park. The lounge itself is modern but comfortable, with huge wraparound windows and plenty of interesting décor details. The strangest aspect of this space is that it’s filled only with the giggles and shrieks of happy adults – for better or worse, there’s not a child in sight. They feature a small selection of bites, but the real showstoppers here are their expertly crafted cocktails. There’s beer, wine, and non-alcoholic sips too, in addition to a full bar for standard drinks. But if you know Seriously Nerdy, you know we’re here for the themed cocktails!
How to get there: Get those tickets and rezzies
GEO-82 is nestled just underneath the giant Spaceship Earth sphere, and requires a ticket to Epcot to enter. But more importantly, at this time, GEO-82 is an in-park dining location that books up very quickly. If you’re curious about how to make Disney dining reservations, or want to know how far in advance you need to book, check out the official FAQ page here. The lesson; dear reader? Make those rezzies 60 days out so you can experience GEO-82 for yourself. They may have walk-up availability or last-minute cancellations, but if this one is on your Disney bucket list, make sure you reserve it in advance.
What to order: We drank the entire menu and now we want to live in the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow full-time
We visited GEO-82 with our pals Brandon and Emily, so we had assistance sampling all nine featured cocktails on the menu. Each of us has a different palette when it comes to our cocktail preferences, so presented below is a summary of our collective thoughts.
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Caramelized Leek Martini (Fords Gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambéry, Caramelized Leek, Pickled Onion)
Right off the bat: this is a stunning, savory martini. None of us really consider ourselves martini drinkers, but I would drink this cocktail every dang week if that’s what all martinis tasted like. It’s impossibly cold and smooth, with a tang from the caramelized leek and pickled onion. It almost reminded me of the sweet and savory vinegar that you’d find at the bottom of your cucumber salad. The kind you can’t help but sop up with rice or a soft roll. It felt refined yet adventurous, almost like the 21+ equivalent of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival’s iconic Pickle Milkshake. This was my favorite cocktail at GEO-82, but not everyone in our party loved this.
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Brown Butter Old-Fashioned (Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon, Brown Butter, Maple, Hella Cocktail Co. Mexican Chocolate Bitters)
Our group decided that this is the gateway cocktail for bourbon if you don’t consider yourself a bourbon fan. If you’re unfamiliar with fat-washing a cocktail, it’s about to change your life. It’s a process where fat is melted, liquor is added, and the liquid is cooled so that the fat can harden and be removed. The resulting booze has a roundness to it, and subtle flavor is imparted. It’s magic. Here, they use a double-oaked bourbon with browned butter to soften the sharp edges of the whisky. It's combined with maple and a dash of chocolate bitters and garnished with a gourmet cherry and a cheeky orange peel for a superb cocktail. The ice even has a little Spaceship Earth stamped into it! Emily, our bourbon skeptic, finished this drink on her own, declaring it to be the cocktail equivalent of Butterbeer.
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Strawberry and Coconut ‘Right Hand’ (Campari Liqueur, Coconut Cartel Añejo Rum, Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth, Strawberry)
Cocktail fam, am I the only one who didn’t know that a negroni made with rum is called a Right Hand? (And after further research, the negroni-style combination of Campari with sweet vermouth and a spirit becomes a Rosita with tequila, Mela d'Alba with brandy and a Boulevardier with whisky. Fascinating!) GEO-82 has two cocktails on the menu that feature strawberry and Campari, and each have their own twist. (If you’re a Campari fan, I’d recommend trying the Right Hand as a first drink and the Strawberry Black Pepper Sour for your second. It’s a whole journey!) Their Right Hand has some roundness from the coconut and some depth from the strawberry. I know there will be people that just see coconut and strawberry on the menu and order this thinking they’re going to get a sweet “vacation in a glass” treat. This is not that drink. In fact, none of the cocktails at GEO-82 are that drink! They’re sophisticated sippers meant to be enjoyed, not sugary slushies with two shots of booze and a curly straw. This drinks like a negroni, a little dry from the Campari, a little sweet from the vermouth, with just a touch of fruitiness from the coconut rum and strawberry. A notorious negroni-hater, this was Alex’s favorite drink on the menu. That’s right. GEO-82 is over here upsetting all our expectations.
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Clarified New York Sour (Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon, Lustau Amontillado Sherry, Yuzu, Lemon, Red Wine Float)
I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but Brandon dislikes New York Sours and he loved this New York Sour. Sensing a trend here? Like all great New York Sours, this one uses a really nice whisky, bright citrus, and that classic red wine float. The difference here was balancing some of those dry wine notes with lovely sherry and adding a little zip with yuzu. Because of the wine float at the top of the glass, the drink changes as you drink, starting out more wine-forward before slowly dissolving into a bright yuzu lemonade as you make your way down the glass. This is one of the more refreshing drinks, and we could see ourselves reaching for this after a warm day at Epcot.
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High Brow Batanga (Tapatio Reposado Tequila, Ramazzotti Amaro, Kola Nut, Lime Cordial, Salt, Bubbles)
When Martha Stewart declares a cocktail the drink of the summer, that cocktail is indeed the drink of the summer. Or at least that was the case for Summer 2024, when the bar scene exploded with these limey, salty tequila and Coke drinks. (They say the secret is to stir the drink with the knife you used to cut the lime, and that’s such a badass step to any recipe.) GEO-82’s Batanga is bougie, though. She brings her own soda to the party, combining amaro, kola nut and carbonation to mimic the flavors of the classic Coca-Cola. This is a tequila-forward drink, so it’s not for the faint of heart, but it is such a creative interpretation of a simple drink. All our tequila drinkers happily downed this little beauty.
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Strawberry Black Pepper Sour (Campari Liqueur, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, Strawberry, Lemon, Black Pepper)
The right-hand side of the menu at GEO-82 is more spirit-forward, so by our second round, we were in full geek-out mode. The Strawberry Black Pepper Sour is probably the most complex drink on the menu, and could easily be underestimated at first glance. On paper, she sounds fruity. In a coupe glass, she looks dainty. But she is neither of these things. She’s a roller coaster. And with every sip, you’re transported through the bitter orange of the Campari, the sweetness from the strawberry, and the faint spice of pepper, before the cloying dryness of the maraschino liqueur smacks you in the mouth. For cocktail nerds like us, we’re delighted to see advance-level cocktails like this on the menu at a theme park. Hats off to you, Flavor Lab.
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Peach Shrub Whisky Smash (Toki Suntory Whisky, Lustau Amontillado Sherry, Peach and Mint Shrub, Bubbles)
This drink is especially cool because it comes with a nibble. A small cracker with peach preserves and mascarpone cheese compliments all the peachy, minty goodness of this bubbly little monster. The sour vinegar base of the shrub complements the lighter flavors of the Toki whisky, and the sparkling wine and sherry give it a nice backbone. This one was soft and approachable, but the whisky and shrub gave it some complexity. Maybe because it comes with a snack bite, or maybe because it happened to be our last drink of the day, but this one would be a lovely dessert sipper.
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Electron (Siete Misterios Doba-Yej Mezcal, Carrot, Cinnamon, Lime, Hella Cocktail Co. Orange Bitters, Pink Peppercorn)
I’m not gonna lie: Mezcal is a very specific flavor. And it’s not a flavor that I have fully come to appreciate just yet (It’s still giving me tequila-in-a-tire-fire vibes. Alas). To combat the divisiveness of mezcal, a lot of places recently seem to temper their mezcal with a lot of sugar or fruit to try to mask it. This is especially true in theme parks, yo. The Electron has no such mask. The Electron is happy to give you full mezcal, along with some really clever flavor accompaniments. The carrot and cinnamon take a backseat to some citrus-forward notes, and the pink peppercorn gives it a faint buzzy-ness that sticks on your tongue. For the mezcal drinkers at our table, this was a homerun. For the mezcal noobs, this was still fun to try. And you know what? We’re going to call that a win.
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Brûlée Banana Highball (Toki Suntory Whisky, Lustau ‘Don Nuño’ Oloroso Sherry, Banana, Coffee, Cacao, Bubbles)
This was the most controversial drink for our group, and not just because one-quarter of us hates banana flavor. This cocktail has a lot going on – from the nuttiness of the Don Nuño, to the coffee and chocolate, the real-banana-not-candy-banana flavor and the addition of bubbles. Basically you have chocolate chip banana bread alongside a latte. But the most controversial part was the bubbles. This drink felt like maybe it wanted to be served on the rocks, but instead decided to study abroad and become a highball. I liked it quite a bit, and thought it was kind of refreshing and playful, but I don’t disagree that the bubbles may be muting a lot of the intricacies of this drink. I did love the real brûléed banana garnish, and I couldn’t help but hope that the banana was lovingly grown in the in-park greenhouses over at Living with the Land.
Why it’s unique: quality cocktails in a beautiful space (that happens to be in a theme park)
Sure, GEO-82 is especially impressive because they’re presenting elevated craft cocktails inside one of the most famous theme parks in the world. But even if GEO-82 was a standard bar in Orlando, it still would be noteworthy. The Caramelized Leek Martini was easily a top sip of the year for me. The interior décor and sweeping views of the theme park were stunning. I felt attention to detail in every element of the lounge. And anytime I’m back at Epcot, you can bet that I’m going to try to get a reservation for GEO-82! It’s impressive enough to warrant a visit, especially for the grown-ups looking to relax and recharge for a few minutes.
The summary:
Visit GEO-82 if…
You’re an adult looking for a fun, exclusive escape at Epcot
You want to experience Disney’s most impressive cocktail lineup
You’ve got an adventurous drink palette
Must-Orders
Caramelized Leek Martini (gin-based)
Peach Shrub Whisky Smash (whisky-based)
Strawberry Black Pepper Sour (bitter-based)