Article by Sarah Wyatt
Photographs by Darrell Scattergood
I’ve just returned from an immersive, topsy-turvy cocktail adventure. The Alice: An Immersive Cocktail Experience is the maddest tea party I’ve personally attended in Florida. I savored this theatrical, alternate reality experience that took me down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass.
This adults-only event, up and running in half a dozen cities, has found its way to the whimsical pop-up experience currently running at The Oliv Bar, located at 745 North Magnolia Avenue in Orlando. The experience will run at this location through mid-August. For those both curious and curiouser, this is the tea party to end all tea parties. This event has been a huge hit, selling out Sydney and Melbourne before beginning the US tour, then selling out in multiple cities such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Denver.
The Mad Hatter, March Hare, and White Rabbit welcomed us. They adeptly hinted and ad-libbed to make our experience move efficiently. My companion and I enjoyed 90 minutes of madness, where the actors took us on a journey of clues, cupcakes, and curiosities.
We solved riddles and brewed teapot cocktails as we embarked on our very own mad adventure at The Alice. We created our concoctions under the watchful eye of The Mad Hatter. Each table solved riddles and challenges just like Alice and unlocked all the ingredients to create our own enchanted brews. The actors have created a cool, interactive event that is perfect for a date night, corporate event, or adult celebration.
The first drink arrived in a shot glass. The second was cleverly concocted by combining three small bottles of colored liquids which we earned by answering riddles. The liquids were emptied into a tea pot that erupts in smoke and is then poured over ice. The third cocktail arrives frothing with a contest.
It was all fun and games until someone stole the Queen of Hearts tarts and the room must decide who did it. I intentionally threw them for a loop by falsely confessing to the crime in front of the group. The cast said that was a first.
For guests who do not imbibe, fear not. The program’s imaginative mocktails are more than a mere afterthought. The drinks and Eat Me sugar cookie are well spaced in the 90 minutes.
The whimsical room consists of about eight tables with wonderful props such as half of Alice’s body hanging down through the ceiling, an enormous Cheshire Cat mouth and eyes, and giant playing cards. There are also cuckoo and office clocks, plastic flamingos, and playful faux flowers.
The guests in the room on our evening readily interacted with one another. For those who crave seclusion, the space can be leased privately for holiday parties and un-birthdays.
This 90-minute alternate reality experience in Wonderland costs $43 per person and includes a welcome shot, two cocktails, and an Eat Me cookie.
For more information, visit www.thealicecocktailexperience.com.
