Served on the Rocks

There are times when we love a dining location in Walt Disney World so much that we simply must shout it from the rooftop. Of course, in doing so as a community, we sometimes find that our favorite quiet place to eat or drink turns into a bustling, over-crowded establishment pretty quickly, which tends to make us rethink such proclamations and keep these places a secret. One of the worst kept secrets in all of Walt Disney World, however, is La Cava del Tequila in Epcot’s Mexico pavilion.

The dive-sized tavern specializes in all things tequila, along with a few pleasant appetizers, and is perfect to get together with a small group of friends. The staff is always friendly and quick with a suggestion based off of a few fact finding questions or with expert information. I’ve sampled a fair portion of the menu here, but the beverage I keep coming back to time and again is the Specialty Margarita known as the Cucumber Margarita.

The great thing about the menus at La Cava del Tequila is you don’t have to wonder what your drink is comprised of. It’s all right there for you in print. In the case of the Cucumber Margarita, it includes: “El Mayor premium silver Tequila, orange liqueur, caramelized pineapple juice, fresh basil, cucumber, agave nectar, served on the rocks with a cactus-lemongrass Himalayan salt rim.” Does that seem like a lot of work for a single drink? It is, but they hand craft each of these drinks with pride, from muddling the basil and cucumber to expert pours on the liquid ingredients, and it shows!

The Cucumber Margarita has all of the fresh ingredients that you would use to make this margarita at home. Although, if we’re honest with one another, we generally don’t make complex mixed drinks at home on a regular basis, do we? (I’m obviously not looking at you Andy Jackson!) While most alcoholic beverages in Epcot would make you sluggish as you slog your way around World Showcase, I find the Cucumber Margarita refreshing. The scent of basil whets the palate and gets the taste buds salivating, while the use of agave nectar as a sugar stand-in mellows the beverage. The longer the margarita sits, the longer the cucumber segments have to absorb the liquid, which in turns creates fresh pickle pieces to chew on. The cactus-lemongrass salt is a sweet and tangy complement to the rest of the drink.

The Cucumber Margarita is my favorite adult beverage in one of my favorite places to hang out with great friends in Epcot. And this is coming from someone who is not the biggest fan of tequila. I’m sure you’ve all ventured into La Cava del Tequila before, but if you haven’t what are you waiting for?! Whether you’re a regular at the out of the way establishment in Mexico or not, I hope you will take my advice and try the light, fresh, and expertly crafted Cucumber Margarita the next time you’re there.