Flavors of Florida Review: Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ Cocktails

Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ was our second to last stop while trying out the Flavors of Florida food. The Florida kitchen is home to some tried, and true Southern eats, but two specialty cocktails.

This year’s event saw the inclusion of a Key West Shrimp Cocktail and a Florida Crush Cocktail.

The Key West Shrimp Cocktail was a surprising and refreshing twist on a “shrimp cocktail.” This appetizer is large enough to share and tantalize the taste buds in Florida’s summer heat. The stacked deliciousness included cabbage, avocados, mango, cucumber, homemade cocktail sauce, and interlaced shrimp to top it off.

Homemade buttermilk crackers accompanied the cocktail, making it seem like a nacho as you piled it onto the cracker. Your tastebuds experienced a little salt, acid, heat, and sweetness.

It was delectable, and depending on which bits you scooped onto the cracker, you experienced variations of tastes. Various textures, from the soft mango and avocado to crisp cucumber, cabbage, and crackers, to the firm bite of shrimp. Definitely, a dish I would order several times over again.

Regarding the Florida Crush Cocktail, I should have had a second! This mix of oranges and strawberries with vodka hit the spot. The drink was not heavy on the vodka but light and refreshing. There was only a hint of strawberries, as in two little specks in the glass. The orange was the start of this drink. If you enjoy a drink that is not too sweet and also not too strong, this one’s for you.

Check out our other reviews of Disney Springs’ Flavors of Florida eats here! The event will run from July 1st through August 13th. No special tickets are needed for this, but I would recommend showing up early because lines quickly formed everywhere.