From Classic to Creative, Pensacola’s Margarita Scene Has It All
Salt or no salt? It’s the cocktail that keeps everyone’s thirst quenched: the margarita.
Four Pensacola Cocktails You can Make at Home
Needing and missing the taste of Pensacola? The flavors of your favorite beach destination are closer than you think. Enjoy a taste of Pensacola in your own kitchen with these signature recipes.
While you can't be on vacation 365 days a year, you can have a taste of it on the regular. Here are four signature Pensacola and Perdido Key drinks to wet your whistle while you're at home.
Bushwacker
If Pensacola had an old faithful, the Bushwacker would be it. It all started back in 1975 when the Sandshaker’s original owner Linda Taylor visited Sapphire Beach Village, St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands and tasted a drink they called “Bushwacker.” The drink was so delicious that the owner decided to try it out on the customers back home at the Shaker. After much experimentation with various ingredients, the Shaker came up with its own recipe for the Bushwacker. Since then, just about every restaurant on the beach has a variation, heck there's a whole festival dedicated to this frosty beverage! You can find all sorts of variations across the barrier island including banana, strawberry and even some topped with a caramel liqueur, but none will ever beat the original.
Bushwacker
4 oz. Cream of Coconut
2 oz. Kahlua' Coffee Liqueur
1 oz. Bacardi Black Rum
1 oz. Creme De Cacao
4 oz. Half-and-Half
Vanilla Ice Cream
Pour ingredients into a blender with two cups of ice and blend. Serve with chocolate syrup and a cherry.
Painkiller
Casino Beach Bar, where every day feels like vacation. Take your kitchen to a sunny state of mind with the painkiller. You’ll feel like you’re on island time once you taste this cocktail, complete with notes of fresh Florida orange juice and coconut. Now all you need in your yard is a hammock!
Painkiller
1 oz Sailor Jerry
1 oz Silver rum
1 oz Fresh Orange Juice
3 oz Pineapple Juice
.25 oz of Creme de Coco.
Mix ingredients into a Collins glass and top with .25 oz Papa Pilar's Dark Rum. Garnish with a slice of orange and freshly ground nutmeg.
23-Star Salute
A restaurant as classy as they come, Jackson’s Steakhouse boasts an award-winning chef, white tablecloths and a staff that will make you feel like family. This cocktail commemorates the annexation of Florida by the United States that spawned Pensacola's American heritage.
23-Star Salute
1.5 oz Mitchers Rye
1 oz brandy
.5 oz triple sec
2 dashes orange bitters
Muddle an orange slice in a glass, add a cherry, 1/2 oz honey, lime juice, and simple syrup to the spirits, store, and enjoy.
Blueberry Bama-Jama
Talk about a drink with a story! Jeff and Jenny Pennington, owners of Pickers Vodka, were vacationing in the Pensacola Bay Area from Nashville. The two met by chance at the Flora-Bama, fell in love and later got engaged at the same place! After continuing to vacation in Perdido Key for years, the two approached their favorite watering hole about carrying their signature vodka. The vodka brand is the official well of the Flora-Bama, in addition, they all carry their three flavors – blueberry, pineapple and blood orange, all of which are made with real fruit. I love this drink because it is quick, easy and refreshing! Buy that pre-packaged lemonade for once, we encourage it!
Blueberry Bama-Jama
1 1/4 shot of Pickers Blueberry Vodka
Pre-packaged lemonade
Mix ingredients with ice and serve
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