I Tried 8 NEW Mocktails at Epic Universe and There’s a Clear Winner

I got the chance to step into Universal’s new Epic Universe park for the FIRST time this past week and had the time of my life!

There’s so much to explore in these five new lands, and while I wanted to ride all I could and see the shows, I was also on a mission to try EIGHT different mocktails around the universe. I successfully tried all of them over the course of two days, and I have some STRONG feelings on some of them!

I’m gonna go ahead and rank these from my least to most favorite, and I’ll admit, I had to think HARD about some of these, and even I surprised myself with my top three.

8. Monocane Mocktail

Last on the list is the Monocane Mocktail from The Burning Blade Tavern in Dark Universe. There are essentially no ingredients listed for this, so it was really hard to nail the flavor down, but it was essentially blue syrup (that turned green and sparkly in the light) with soda water (or perhaps it was Sprite? Again, very hard to tell).

This was really just fancy soda. Yes, the color change was cool and I didn’t mind the flavor, but I couldn’t even tell you WHAT it was. It had a hint of sour to it, enough that I almost wondered if the flavor was sour apple, but it was hard to pinpoint. I wouldn’t exactly call it refreshing since it’ll warm up fast on a hot day, and there are no ice cubes to help it out. Overall, it was meh — a cool concept, but I wouldn’t get it again.

7. First Light Mocktail

The First Light Mocktail was the first mocktail I tried on my trip, and it’s located over at Meteor Astropub in Celestial Park. This is made with Monin blue raspberry syrup, Monin vanilla crème syrup, blue prism powder, Minute Maid blue raspberry, Sprite, and sweet cream cold foam with a galactic sugar sprinkle.

This was okay — again, just reminded me of fancy soda, but I did appreciate the cold foam and pop rocks on top! I wish the blue raspberry flavor had been a little stronger, and honestly, I think I would have enjoyed this way more as a frozen drink — I think the cold foam would have gone even better with it then.

6. Occamy Tea

The flavor profile of the Occamy Tea over at Bar Moonshine in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic was very similar to the one over in Burning Blade Tavern, because it’s essentially the same idea, just different colors and execution.

This is described as a cooling blue refresher served with a magical tea bag that transforms to a glittering purple when mixed in, so again, really nothing on the flavor. However, I rank this much higher than the Monocane Mocktail because you actually get to put in the tea bag (which just looks like a piece of cotton candy, but I wasn’t complaining) and swirl it around to make the transformation happen yourself.

Again, sure, this was refreshing in a way, but I wasn’t a big fan of not being able to pinpoint the flavor. It wasn’t bad by any means, and the color change really was magical in a way, but I wouldn’t get it again.

5. Yaknog

Just barely making it into the top 5 is the Yaknog at Mead Hall in Isle of Berk! This is a dessert Malted chocolate and cinnamon drink with whipped topping. Essentially, it’s just fancy chocolate milk.

However, I’ll be the first to admit that I really enjoyed the cinnamon taste in there, which I wasn’t expecting! I felt it really enhanced the sweetness of the malted chocolate, making this drink a little more fun.

This will especially be a hit for kids, I think, but would I get it again? Maybe, as long as it wasn’t a super hot day outside, because typically dairy-heavy drinks don’t digest well on those extra hot days.

4. Papa Rangi’s Elixir

I surprised myself by putting Papa Rangi’s Elixir from CelesTiki in Celestial Park as high as number four, but after some serious debating, I’m sticking with it. This is made with Sprite, orange juice, blood orange syrup, vanilla syrup, red prism powder, and a dried blood orange slice.

Honestly, this had a little too much orange for my taste, and I personally wouldn’t get it again due to my own flavor preferences, BUT it truly did strike me as a flavor profile that’s much closer to an ACTUAL mocktail! 

Unlike many of the others, it didn’t just feel like “fancy soda” — the ingredients were complicated enough to impress me, that blood orange slice really finished it off nicely, and thanks to those ICE CUBES (!!!) it was an actual refreshing drink that would stay cold for a while. While I wouldn’t get it again, if you love orange, I do recommend it!

3. Enchanted Oak Sap

The Enchanted Oak Sap from The Plastered Owl in Celestial Park (amazing name, by the way, points to you, Universal) is a drink for those who enjoy a VERY specific flavor profile. It’s made with Ginger purée, lime juice, rosemary-infused simple syrup, and club soda with an orange wheel.

The moment I read that there was ginger in here, I knew I wouldn’t be a fan (again, my own personal preferences), but it makes it into the top three because this SCREAMS mocktail! In fact, I think these exact same ingredients, PLUS alcohol, would make a pretty solid cocktail for those who enjoy these flavors, and that really impressed me. So if you’re looking for something that really makes you feel like you’re drinking with your friends WITHOUT the alcohol, this is the one to go with.

2. The Eccentric Orbit

Second on my list, and the last one that really felt like a true mocktail, is The Eccentric Orbit from Bar Zenith in Celestial Park. This drink is made with Grenadine, stone fruit and tart cherry syrups, purple prism powder, cocktail cherries, and Sprite.

Originally, I didn’t know how I would feel about this because I’m not the biggest cherry fan, but I really enjoyed this one! It helped that it felt slightly less carbonated than the other drinks I’d had, which I really appreciated; those ice cubes do a great job at keeping the drink cool, and I loved its presentation even though it was pretty simple.

It didn’t just seem like elevated soda to me, and I really enjoyed that it only had a hint of artificial cherry flavor. I truly would call this refreshing and do highly recommend!

1. Thé Fraise

And that means the number one spot goes to Thé Fraise at Le Gobelet Noir in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic! This drink is SUPER simple, and I really debated putting it as number one because it’s much more of a tea than it is a mocktail, but it was the only drink I would get time and time again.

True to its name, this is a refreshing strawberry-mint iced tea, and I am now thoroughly OBSESSED. You want refreshing? This is IT. It’s not carbonated (and considering nearly everything else on this list is, I HIGHLY appreciated this change of pace), and those flavors mix together beautifully.

The strawberry doesn’t taste artificial and blends fantastically with the regular iced tea flavor. While I didn’t taste a ton of mint, I personally didn’t mind that since I’m not a big mint fan, but I think even if that were to change, I’d still prefer this drink above all others.

I’m so excited to tell you more about my trip to the park and help you plan your upcoming vacation! Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Epic Universe news!

How to Get Into Epic Universe Early

Which of these mocktails would you want to grab? Tell me in the comments!

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