Creamy bushwacker with chocolate drizzle and a cherry at LuLu's waterfront restaurant in Gulf Shores

50 Ways to Get Your Bushwacker On

in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

January 10, 2025

We believe it's always 5 o'clock somewhere here on Alabama's Beaches, and our drink of choice is a bushwacker! This creamy cocktail is every ice cream lovers' dream. A bushwacker on the beach is the ideal way to keep cool and unwind while vacationing in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. It's impossible to visit our shores without having one (or two or three)!

A creamy bushwacker cocktail drizzled with chocolate syrup, served in a glass with a cherry on top at Cobalt restaurant in Orange Beach, Alabama

But what's in it that makes it taste so good?

Many places offer their own variation of a bushwacker, but most restaurants and bars have similar base ingredients. Commonly used ingredients for a bushwacker include rum, coffee liqueur, crème de cacao, cream of coconut, and ice cream or milk and ice. These are blended and typically served with whipped cream or chocolate syrup, plus some unexpected bushwacker delights.

Bushwacker at the beach at Pink Pony Pub in Gulf Shores

50th Anniversary of the Bushwacker

2025 marks 50 years since the bushwacker came to the United States, and we're celebrating all year long! From the classic creamy cocktail to delectable desserts and fun-flavored bushwackers, there are so many ways to enjoy this iconic creation. Each month brings a new theme, from Mocktails in January to Holiday Sweets in December, offering fresh twists and flavors to discover. Our shores are home to dozens of fantastic restaurants where you can find bushwackers and bushwacker-inspired dishes.

Vintage photo of Flora-Bama Lounge & Oyster Bar in Orange Beach, known as the 'Home of the Bushwacker"

History of Bushwackers

Bushwackers have been a staple of the Alabama Gulf Coast for 50 years, but this frozen delight originated in the Virgin Islands. The manager and bartender of Ship's Store, Sapphire Pub, accidentally crafted the bushwacker in 1975 while experimenting with ingredients to create a tropical twist to a White Russian. The drink was named after Bushwack, the beloved Afghan Hound of two patrons who fell in love with the bar’s new concoction. The delicious cocktail was soon brought back to the US by visiting bartenders, including The Sandshaker in Pensacola. After trying the drink at The Sandshaker, Flora-Bama owner Pat McClellan perfected the bushwacker recipe and began serving it at his iconic beach bar.

50+ Spots to Get Your Bushwacker On

Here are 50 spots to get your bushwacker on to celebrate the 50th anniversary! From iconic Bushwacker restaurants to beachfront bars, these locations serve some of the best bushwackers and bushwacker-inspired creations all year long, each with its own unique twist on this classic coastal favorite drink.