Joy of Tea
For a look at all of Epcot’s quick service reviews, see this post.
The Joy of Tea Stand is located on the World Showcase promenade across from the rest of the China Pavilion. It’s the red kiosk on the left.
Snacks and Non-Alcoholic Beverages:
Considering the small size of the kiosk, and the fact that China staffs it with just two or three cast members, the menu is relatively diverse.
Joy of Tea’s various non-alcoholic teas and drinks are typically sizable and refreshing, making them good options during the heat of the day.
My favorite is the Bubble Milk Tea with Sweetened, Peach flavored Black Tea and Tapioca Pearls. It enjoys a sweet flavor and creamy texture, and all of the boba balls are fun to try to slurp up with the thick straw.
Joy of Tea serves six cocktails, in addition to draft and bottled beer. You can pull up the current menu on DisneyWorld.com here.
The Tipsy Ducks in Love was once a seasonal beverage, but is now available daily. It’s also not necessarily for the faint of heart. Unlike the cast members at most places that spritz a half ounce of Bacardi under your non-alcoholic frozen lemonade, the Chinese pull out chilled bottles of Jim Beam bourbon and load you up on top. This is a strong drink, and you’re talking to someone who mixes a quarter of generic diet cola into a glass filled three quarters of the way with Evan Williams and ice. If you like bourbon and coffee, you’re going to like this. But it tastes strongly of bourbon, which makes it ideal for bourbon lovers and not ideal for those who want something like the Frozen Jim Beam Lemonades or Grey Goose Slushes.
This time we have the Canto Loopy on the left. Cast members mix it with Vodka and Cantaloupe juice. While refreshing, I didn’t taste any vodka whatsoever. If there was some, the cantaloupe juice masked it perfectly, but I doubt that’s the case. It may be more luck of the draw than anything.
The Kung Fu Punch is a Festival favorite, mixing sweet citrus flavors and a lot of vodka. The flavors should be a little more familiar to most than the cantaloupe in the Loopy. Joy of Tea now makes the drink available all year.
The BaiJoe Punch with Chinese Bai Jiu Spirit, Lychee, Coconut, and Pineapple is another Epcot Festival holdover. It’s one of the most refreshing cocktails available in World Showcase. It tastes faintly of pineapple, lychee, and sweet coconut, while still maintaining a surprisingly thin, easy-to-sip consistency. It packs a considerable punch as well.
The Mango Gingerita with vodka and rum is another light, fruity drink with a serious ginger burst of flavor.
The Ritzy Lychee in back with Cognac and Vodka adds caramel and sugar to a drink that’s boozy without being too alcohol forward. It’s hard to pass up Courvoisier, even when Jim Beam is plentiful.
I wouldn’t recommend doing a lot of snacking here. All of the various egg rolls and other snacks sit in a warmer until a guest eventually orders them. They’re rarely fresh. For better options, consider Lotus Blossom Cafe, where Pot Stickers and Egg Rolls are also on the menu. That makes the Lucky Combo a pretty easy skip, too.
I’d recommend the Foo Beer draft, which is a dark amber ale with a mild sweetness and just a little carbonation. It’s quite drinkable and considering it’s actually from China, worth pursuing. I haven’t seen it elsewhere. If you prefer Tsingtao in a bottle, Joy of Tea would be happy to crack one open for you.
Overall, Joy of Tea may surprise you on the diversity of its current drink menu. China is actually one of the best Drink Around the World options. Those looking for authentic non-alcoholic drinks should also be pleased with what they find.
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