If anyone knows a smuggling mission can work up a thirst, it’s Oga Garra: Black Spire Outpost’s de facto mob boss and the no-nonsense alien proprietor of Disneyland’s new bar. You won’t see the grumbling new addition to the Star Wars universe, but you’ll occasionally hear her barking orders in her buzzing, rogues-welcome tavern at the heart of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the sprawling 14-acre land that finally opens on Friday. That is, you’ll hear her through the beats of a Droid DJ set, the din of banter you could only hear at a trading outpost, and the gurgling of some of the galaxy’s finest (and strangest) cocktails all colorfully churning away behind the bar.
Disney’s new Star Wars-themed land includes a marketplace, rides, an antiques shop and dozens of other ways to explore the new planet Batuu, but if you’re looking for a bubbling, foaming, smoking taste of the galaxies in liquid form—or you simply need a place to escape the evil forces of the First Order—head to Oga’s Cantina faster than the Millennium Falcon can jump through hyperspace.
Oga's Cantina at Star Wars: Galaxy's EdgeThis is the cantina you're looking for. Find out more about the 'Star Wars' bar opening at Disneyland on Friday. http://bit.ly/2W2fILW
Posted by Time Out Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 29, 2019
It’s the only public spot serving alcohol in Disneyland proper—yes, you can still find beer, wine and booze in California Adventure—and while the drinks are some of the most inspired tipples we’ve seen in a theme park anywhere, the setting is just as imaginative. To get there, you’ll need to buy regular admission to Disneyland, and unless you’ve managed to snag an opening-month reservation to Galaxy’s Edge, you’ll have to wait until June 24, when the land opens to all. But once you’re in the park and have passed through the caves at the edge of Frontierland, you’ll enter a galaxy far, far away—and a cantina that’s equally transportive.
Oga’s fashioned her bar after the Mos Eisley cantina—of A New Hope fame—and whether you’re a pilot, a gunner or a ship engineer (à la the roles you’ll play in the land’s first ride, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run) you should feel just as much at home in the seedy digs as Han would. There are a handful of tall, plush booths tucked into alcoves carved into the wall, an ideal seat for making under-the-table deals. Into standing and keeping an eye on the door? Drink at the long, horseshoe-shaped bar that wraps itself around a lineup of cocktails, beer, wine, cider and non-alcoholic options all on tap and powered by a ship’s run-down hyperdrive engine. In fact, that power source is so rundown that when the team pours out too many drinks too quickly, the entire system’s been known to shudder to a stop—and the bartenders might just take out a mallet and start pounding the thing into working order again.
Much like the rest of Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, there’s detail everywhere. Frogs puff out their chests in large aquariums atop the bar, laying the tapioca “eggs” that make their way into the Carbon Freeze and Oga’s Obsession concoctions, while the symbol of smugglers is spray painted in red on the walls. Even the DJ—Droid RX-24, former pilot of Tomorrowland’s beloved Star Tours ride—plays hits from the Star Wars universe while adding quips of his own. (“I’d tap my foot… if it weren’t bolted down!”)
But you didn’t come here for the DJ set, no offense to RX-24; you’re here for the drinks. On the boozy side, there are plenty of theatrics. The Fuzzy Tauntaun ($15) involves peach vodka, peach schnapps, orange and tangerine juice served in a tall, ribbed glass that practically overflows with “buzzz” foam that tingles your lips. The Bespin Fizz ($17) is a blend of rum, yuzu purée, pomegranate juice and cranberry juice covered in a cloak of “cloud”-like dry ice. There’s the Jet Juice ($14) made with bourbon, chili liqueur, grape juice and lemon, not to mention a tiki-leaning Yub Nub ($42), which comes served in a souvenir mug depicting Endor.
There’s beer on tap, too, some specifically made for Galaxy’s Edge, so if you’re in the mood for a Gold Squadron Lager (from Blue Point), a White Wampa Ale (by Ballast Point), a Gamorrean Ale (via New Belgium) or the Bad Motivator IPA (thanks to Sierra Nevada), you can snag a cup for around $12, or opt for a $75 beer flight of all four served in souvenir glasses resembling rancor teeth.
There’s cider on tap, too (the Spice Runner, by way of Angry Orchard Cider Co., $11), plus wine from Sonoma’s Goldschmidt Vineyards—though the cantina proudly declares that the teal-colored Toniray ($13) was formerly produced on planet Alderaan. (It’s chardonnay.)
Young smugglers or those who prefer to keep their wits about them on Batuu should turn to non-alcoholic drinks, which come in equally theatrical forms: The Blue Bantha ($13) features the galaxy’s famed blue milk, and while you can find blue and green milks at a stall near the First Order’s base, in the cantina, it comes topped by a large vanilla sugar cookie. There’s Black Spire Brew ($7) cold brew with falernum, passion fruit and citrus for a bit of a non-booze buzz, and the Moogan Tea ($7) is a wild mixture of iced black tea, chocolate milk, vanilla and cinnamon.
There’s even a non-alcoholic tiki spin in a commemorative mug—but we’re certain that after one sip, you’ll look happier than the porg on the keepsake cup. After all, you didn’t have to milk the banthas to get these drinks.