At the end of the beaten path of Downtown Disney, in the loving embrace of Disney’s first hotel lies a gem hidden to some. A calm place where weary travelers can rest, have a drink, and shrug off the stresses of crowds and lines. Speaking of lines, you will rarely find one here. What you will find is a menu of classic cocktails, great beer, and a decent selection of wines.
Clearly I am not writing about the calamity that surrounds Trader Sam’s. Great as the place is, the wait can sometimes deter even the most stalwart guests. No, I want to tell you all this evening about a lounge that is more low-key. A lounge that mostly succeeds in evoking a sense of the past. I want to tell you, my fine libation explorers, about the Lounge at Steakhouse 55.
If you recall some of the history of the Disneyland Hotel from the recent podcast, there have been a lot of changes to this hotel. One of the biggest came when the hotel added its conference center. If you have ever participated in a runDisney event, you know all about this building. Even so, unless you have eaten at Steakhouse 55 (and you should!), you have probably missed this corner.
The Steakhouse itself is located in a small corner off the main lobby of the conference center building. The entrance to Goofy’s Kitchen is right around the corner, but you are looking for a cozy lounge with a bar and lots of comfy chairs. The hostess station for Steakhouse 55 is in front of the area.
For a corner off a busy thoroughfare, it is surprisingly isolated. If you are sitting near the edge of the area, you might catch a bit of the traffic associated with the conference center or families going to Goofy’s. That means noise, y’all. Some seats face the lobby where you can see the action that you are desperately trying to avoid. Stay calm! Soon, the cocktails will calm you enough to people watch in peace.
The cocktails here are similar to those at many of Disney’s lounges and restaurants. If you like the Smoked Turkey or Captain’s Mai Tai at Hearthstone Lounge, you’re in luck. If you want some variety you’re, well, also in luck. Some classic cocktails live on that slim one-sheet in the front of the menu. The sort of drinks that were probably out of style back when Walt and Jack Wrather could have had a sip together.
The Aviation is a classy drink, combining the flavors of dry gin with sweeter liqueurs and tart lemon. It looks a pretty picture too, with its lemon peel garnish and its purple hue. I have seen this drink more and more of late, but the first time I encountered it was here. It’s pretty simple to concoct, as the instructions below will show.
More of a Manhattan fan? Give the Scofflaw a try. It starts with the same basic components of rye and sweet vermouth, but it adds more sweetness with house-made grenadine. Fresh lemon juice cuts that sweetness before it gets too cloying. I guess you could also try out a Manhattan. Served up instead of on a giant ice sphere like at Carthay, this version is a bit sweet. Bulleit Rye and sweet vermouth will do that to a Manhattan. Ask for extra bitters if you need to spice it up.
More classics! A French 75 is gin, lemon juice, sparkling wine, and simple syrup. It’s a classy-looking drink that sticks to the lemon theme in this place. You can also select a Side Car, with cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice. Seriously. All of the menu’s specials have lemon in them.
Attempts to get some specials out of my bartender on my last visit were unsuccessful. He was quite willing to make some standards like a Cosmo, but declined to offer anything else off-menu. Considering his skill in slinging the Steakhouse-specific cocktails, this wasn’t much of an issue. We stuck to the script on this visit.
A few beers are always on tap, including some of those brands that must not be named. Personally, I skip past the entire list and order an Anchor Steam. Copper-kettle-brewed with a pleasing copper color. A light, malty flavor to accompany firm hopping and a below-5% ABV. It’s the beer I order at least once every time I hit the west coast, the yang to my Disney World Yuengling. Plenty more beers are available in bottles and cans. The draft list currently includes Anchor Steam, Chimay Triple, and Deschutes Black Butte Porter. The lounge hosts one of the best beer lists at the Resort.
Wine! Connected to the extensive cellars at Steakhouse 55, there is a lot to choose from. Unfortunately, you won’t have the expertise of a sommelier to help you navigate this list as you might while dining inside. Suffice it to say, if you are into wine, there is bound to be something you enjoy on this list. Almost every selection is a California wine, including those Disney favorites from Fess Parker, and MacMurray estates.
In all, the Lounge at Steakhouse 55 is a pleasant experience. Make a slight effort and you can ignore the kids waiting for their character dinner. The décor certainly helps, and so do the great servers. Out of the five or six times I have visited this lounge, I have yet to be disappointed. Even that night during the conference when a bunch of college students took over the place.
On to the recipe!
The Aviation
2 oz Beefeater dry gin
¼ oz Rothman & Winter crème de violette
¼ oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur
½ oz fresh lemon juice
Garnish: a single Luxardo maraschino cherry
To mix this drink, add all ingredients to a shaker with plenty of ice. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass with a cherry in the bottom. Simple, right?
OR IS IT?
Disneyland’s bartenders seem to make a version fairly close to this recipe. Very few distilleries are making crème de violette these days. Rothman & Winter claim to make their liqueur in the same way the spirit used to be made. Bitter Truth also makes a fair version that turns the drink a deep blue. We have also found two Colorado companies making the drink, each with different sweetness and color levels. In any case, Disneyland uses the Rothman & Winter version from Austria.
This drink has become a staple in our household since we first saw it. We have found a few bars in Colorado (where I live, BTW), that make their own versions. Disney’s has a fair amount of sour bite, implying a little more lemon juice. When I make one for my wife, I increase both the violette and maraschino a bit to half an ounce each. Then I increase the lemon to two full ounces to balance.
Take some time and try this one out for yourself. Different gins will also add a completely different spin on the drink. I find that more artisanal gins with more herbal character tend to miss the mark, the gin fighting with the rest of the flavors. Disney’s selection of Beefeater works great, but so does Tanqueray. This one is all about balance, folks, so play around with your ingredients until you find something you enjoy.
Sure, there’s probably a more accurate way of creating a drink, but don’t you want to make it your own? That’s what libation exploration is all about!
Until next time, explorers!
