Bob Sehlinger's Blog

The Christmas season is my absolute favorite time of the year. Growing up, one of the little things I loved most was getting an Advent calendar and counting down the days until Santa would be coming down the chimney. As I grew older, I had to leave Advent calendars in the rear view mirror,* but I still miss that daily countdown building anticipation to the big day. So, we’re going to start a virtual Advent calendar here at TouringPlans. For 2014, we are going to countdown our favorite drinks at Walt Disney World and the Universal Orlando Resort.

Criteria: Drinks can be alcoholic or nonalcoholic. Drinks can come from any venue on property as well as the Disney Cruise Line. Bonus points awarded for atmosphere where drink is served. Any drink with glow cubes is immediately disqualified. Ready? Let’s go!

DAY TWENTY THREE: Duff Beer at Duff Brewery (Universal Studios Florida)

“Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.” – Homer Simpson (photo by Brandon Glover)

Just as Universal Studios Florida itself will celebrate its 25 year anniversary in 2015, The Simpsons television show celebrated its silver anniversary this year. Since 1989, Homer and the gang in Springfield, USA have been making us laugh with hilarious observations on American culture. One of the longest running gags of the series is Duff Beer, Homer’s favorite drink of choice. Universal made Duff Beer a reality in 2013 when it expanded its own Springfield area of the park with Fast Food Blvd, Bumblebee Man’s Taco Truck, Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl, and Duff Brewery.

Duff Brewery has seating around the bar along with many tables nearby facing the Universal lagoon and the London Waterfront facade of Diagon Alley. In trademark Simpsons fashion, Duff Brewery has hilarious mock beer ads, along with nods to the iconic show itself, such as full size topiaries of the “Seven Duffs” (a takeoff on Disney’s Seven Dwarfs.) Duff Brewery offers Duff, Duff Lite, and Duff dry in bottles, along with Duff and Duff Lite on draught. For people of a certain age, Duff Beer is synonymous with growing up as Aunt Beru’s Blue Milk on Tatooine or Butterbeer in Hogsmeade village.

Part of the “7 Duffs” topiaries outside Duff Gardens. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Lagoon-side seating behind Duff Gardens. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Duff, Duff Lite, and Duff Dry all being fed from the same container. (photo by Brandon Glover0

Wonderful ads abound at Duff Gardens including this one featuring Santa’s Little Helper as Suds McDuff. (photo by Brandon Glover)

“Duff Beer. Oh yeah!” – Duffman (photo by Brandon Glover)

Sorry, no Duff Extra Cold, Duff Raspberry, Lady Duff, Duff Red, Duff Christmas Ale or Duff Zero available. (yet) – photo by Brandon Glover)

PREVIOUS DRINKS OF CHRISTMAS:

DAY ONE: Shark Attack at Chez Alcatraz

DAY TWO: Grand Marnier Slush at Epcot

DAY THREE: Flaming Moe at Moe’s Tavern

DAY FOUR: Sunken Treasure on the Disney Cruise Line

DAY FIVE: Mai Tai at Emeri’s Tchoup Chop

DAY SIX: Avocado Margarita at La Cava del Tequila

DAY SEVEN: Pumpkin Fizz at the Three Broomsticks

DAY EIGHT: Old Fashioned at Belle Vue Lounge

DAY NINE: PBR in a Paper Bay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort

DAY TEN: Bay Lake Sunset at Top of the World Lounge

DAY ELEVEN: Tongue Tying Lemon Squash at the Leaky Cauldron

DAY TWELVE: Sugar Cane Mojito at Dawa Bar

DAY THIRTEEN: Pint of Guinness at Raglan Road

DAY FOURTEEN: Hog’s Head Brew at the Hog’s Head

DAY FIFTEEN: Burnt Orange at Todd English’s bluezoo

DAY SIXTEEN: Fishy Green Ale at Fountain of Fair Fortune

DAY SEVENTEEN: Balsamic Grand at Palo

DAY EIGHTEEN: Buffalos and Bacon at The Cowfish

DAY NINETEEN: La Fin du Monde at Epcot

DAY TWENTY: Dragon Scale at the Hopping Pot

DAY TWENTY ONE: Maelstrom Margarita at La Cava del Tequila

DAY TWENTY TWO: Carl’s Combo at Rose & Crown

See you tomorrow for the next entry into the 25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown, where we are going to head into Epcot’s World Showcase. If you had fun, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! and Saturday Six articles, or, for your listening pleasure, check out the Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast. Your humble author can also be seen producing typos at an inhuman rate on Twitter: @derekburgan

Special thanks to crack staff photographer Brandon Glover and Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. Be sure to also check out Brandon on The Park Blogger podcast with co-hosts Aengus Mackenzie and Brian Carey.

*That is an absolutely lie. I still buy an advent calendar every year with chocolates in it, and I also buy an annual box of Christmas Crunch, but we’ll keep that between us.