Gabrielle Russon
Hidden Springs Ale Works is known for making sours and stouts at its brewery in Tampa. But these days, the business is selling its beers somewhere unexpected: at Orlando theme parks.
Hidden Springs has partnered with Aquatica Orlando, SeaWorld’s water park, to sell a commemorative release for the park’s AquaGlow special ticketed nighttime event this Summer.
The AquaGlow beer — which comes in a decorated can labeled in neon colors and images of sea life to promote the event — is a wheat beer with hints of marshmallow, blueberry, blackberry and raspberry.
“It’s one of those things that it sounds ridiculous to put marshmallows into beer until you have it, and then you’re like, ‘OK, well, that really works,” said Josh Garman, Hidden Springs’ brew master and co-founder. “We kind of wanted to come up with something that was approachable for the average consumer but also interesting enough to be a little bit extra.”
The marshmallow adds a fuller body, bringing out hints of vanilla, Garman said.
Garman is “kind of like the Willy Wonka that brings it all to life,” said Blake Levison, a brand strategist for Hidden Springs, which brewed about 4,000 cans for the water park’s after-hours event.
Hidden Springs’ exclusive pour is the latest — and probably not the last — of Florida breweries’ synergy with Orlando’s theme parks. Forget the White Claw or the Bud Light. You can buy good craft beer at the parks and, in some cases, find something extra unique.
Hidden Springs is working with Disney World to make a special beer for Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts next year.
And a SeaWorld company spokesman said the reception has been strong for the AquaGlow beverage, so the company is considering more commemorative beers in the future.
It’s not the first time Hidden Springs has partnered with United Parks and Resorts, the Orlando-based company that owns SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica Orlando.
Last year, Hidden Springs made an exclusive hazy IPA to celebrate SeaWorld’s 60th anniversary.
This year, the two companies started working together again to develop the AquaGlow beer.
“A custom beer felt like a natural fit. Something exclusive, fun, and local,” said SeaWorld spokesman Thais Ordine.
“Once the concept was in place, we worked closely with the Hidden Springs team to bring it to life. They were fantastic creative partners, bringing both brewing expertise and a strong sense of brand identity to the table. We had discussions around the flavor profile we were aiming for — something refreshing and approachable for summer nights in the park, and they took that feedback and ran with it. We were also involved in the creative direction of the can design, making sure it aligned with the AquaGlow branding and overall park aesthetic. It was important to us that the beer felt like part of the event story, not just an add-on.”
AquaGlow runs on select nights through Sept. 27 at Aquatica. Tickets start out at $49.99.
