Hook’s Barbery on the Disney Wish not only allows you to access grooming services in Captain Hook’s quarters but also a hidden bar!
Small, unassuming, and lacking heavy foot traffic, Hook’s Barbery is easy to miss aboard the expansive Disney Wish. Located on Deck 4, Hook’s Barbery is a fully functioning barber shop where gentlemen can treat themselves to a traditional shave, haircut, and relaxing eye and facial treatments…all while relaxing in Captain Hook’s quarters!
But, most guests don’t know that Hook’s Barbery also serves as a ‘secret’ speakeasy-style bar where expertly trained bartenders craft handmade Old Fashioned cocktails! From choosing your own bourbon to the phenomenally subtle Disney touches inside the Barbery, let’s review the full Old Fashioned experience!
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Accessing Captain Hook’s Private Speakeasy
Photo by Maria Salerno
A reservation is required for any of the barber services, but anyone can walk into Hook’s Barbery for an Old Fashioned no reservations required! Just grab one of the comfy leather chairs, and the bartender will know exactly why you’re visiting.
We arrived at Hook’s Barbery a few minutes before the speakeasy portion opened for the day, and you would truly never know about the drink service until the bartender opens the deeply stained wooden doors that reveal an impressive three-tiered display of bourbons and whiskeys!
Build Your Own Old Fashioned
Photo by Maria Salerno
While Hook’s Barbery does feature a menu highlighting their different bourbon, whiskey, and rye offerings, the choice is truly that of the guests inside Hook’s. Guests are invited to build their Old Fashioned cocktails from the ground up in tandem with their bartender’s suggestions.
Tip: While every spirit on display is available to choose from, make sure you ask about pricing before you make your final decision. The bourbons at Hook’s Barbery range in price from $20 to $2,000 per drink!
Once we decided on a bourbon, the bartender next asked what flavor profiles we most enjoy. After the consultation, she asked me to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the ingredients she listed: cherry, orange, rosemary, and chili. Once she had a good handle on what myself and the other member of my party were after, she got to work!
Photo by Maria Salerno
She began by muddling Blis aged maple syrup with freshly-smoked orange peel, toasted, freshly-cut rosemary leaves, and a chili pepper before adding my bourbon of choice over ice. The other member of my party opted for the bartender’s own ‘secret spice’ Old Fashioned mix in lieu of individual ingredients. Our bartender hailed from Jamaica, and she described her secret spice and syrup blend as a liquid version of a Jamaican spice cake: slightly sweet with evolving layers of flavor.
Drinking in the Atmosphere
Photo by Maria Salerno
Our bartender took her time making our drinks, explaining what she was doing and what she was using at each step of the process. Usually, bartenders rush through drink-making aboard a busy cruise ship, but her detailed approach really gave us time to enjoy the space. Instrumental pirate shanties play in the Barbery, and although we were chatting, the experience was one of the most relaxing experiences we had on the sailing.
While our bartender mixed our drinks and told us stories about traditional reggae artists from Jamaica and where she draws her inspiration in her drink-making, I felt myself sinking further and further into the comfortable dark leather chair. When she set down my coaster, though, is when I really started to take in the details.
Photo by Maria Salerno
At that moment, I immediately remembered whose quarters I was occupying. Long, deep scratches are carved into the side tables, signaling that a Captain with a very big metal hook often sets his Old Fashioned cocktails on these very same tables.
The Old Fashioned Cocktails
Photo by Maria Salerno
Although we chose the same bourbon, the two Old Fashioneds we received could not have tasted any more different! The smoked orange, toasted rosemary leaves, and dried chili pepper combined to create a very bright and very easy-to-drink cocktail. First, I tasted the brightness of the orange and the slight sweetness of the Blis maple syrup before the flavor changed to bring out the depth of the bourbon. The finish was smokey and definitely reminiscent of chili and rosemary!
The Old Fashioned, made with our bartender’s secret mix, was slightly sweeter and featured much more of a deep, spiced flavor. The sweet cherries blended seamlessly with the secret syrup she used in her concoction, and a lovely cinnamon-spiced flavor came through at the finish. No one flavor was prominent, but the evolution of flavors from sweet to smoky to spicy made this cocktail the perfect one to savor slowly.
Photo by Maria Salerno
Overall, the experience at Hook’s Barbery is a very relaxing one that is not meant to be rushed. From choosing your own bourbon to selecting ingredients and finally sitting and sipping in the highly-themed Captain’s quarters, the experience at Hook’s Barbery is one you won’t find at any of the Disney Parks or on any other Disney Cruise Line ship. Here, you are encouraged to taste every flavor, indulge in the surroundings, and let the sounds of pirate shanties lull you into that coveted vacation mindset.
