Raise a Glass to the Bushwacker’s 50th Anniversary on Alabama’s Beaches
Media Contact:
Kay Maghan • Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism
[email protected] • AlabamasBeaches.com/Media
1-800-745-SAND • 251-974-4625 (direct) • 251-752-8448 (cell)
GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, ALA.
Raise a (frosty, frothy) glass! The twin-city beach communities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama, are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their signature drink, the “bushwacker,” all year long.
The traditionally creamy, frozen cocktail – which originated in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1975 and came to Florida shortly thereafter – has now become synonymous with Alabama’s Beaches … so much so that the region now boasts a Bushwacker Trail. All year long, restaurants and bars all along the 32 miles of sugar-white sandy beaches of coastal Alabama are joining in on the fun with celebratory events.
HISTORY
The bushwacker’s roots can be traced to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the drink was first concocted at a pub – and named in honor of a dog called Bushwack – in 1975. It made its way to the Florida panhandle and then over to the bar at the legendary Flora-Bama roadhouse, which straddles the Florida-Alabama state line. The bushwacker’s popularity steadily grew, and now the frozen cocktail is the signature drink of Alabama’s Beaches. And it all makes perfect sense for an “islandy” beverage to be so popular here, because – though people don’t always realize it – Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are indeed located on an island along the Gulf Coast.
INGREDIENTS
While everyone likes to put their own personal twist on the recipe, most mixologists use similar base ingredients in the bushwacker: rum, coffee liqueur, crème de cacao, cream of coconut, and ice cream or a combination of milk and ice. Once blended, the decadent cocktail is traditionally crowned with whipped cream or chocolate syrup (or both!).
BUSHWACKER MOCKTAILS
For the kids, teetotalers and the sober-curious, mocktail versions of this famous beverage can be found in various formats throughout the destination. On their “Secret Menu,” (scroll all the way to the bottom of the menu), The Yard Milkshake Bar offers a Virgin Bushwacker, featuring blended vanilla ice cream with chocolate drizzle. It’s topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and a cherry. At Bahama Bucks in Orange Beach, you can order up a bushwacker-flavored shake … and a snowball fight on the side! The Bushwacker Sno features a Jamaican rum and white coconut flavoring combined with Chocolate Bahama Rama Mama (chocolate ice cream and tropic crème). A bucket of 60 SnoBalls that are freshly packed in a large cooler can be purchased separately for a fun-filled snowball fight at the beach. At High Tide Daquiris & Mimosas, beverage-seekers can order up a mocktail Bushwacker Flight.* The four-flavor flight includes classic, strawberry, banana and peanut butter bushwacker samples. The Hangout in Gulf Shores also features a mocktail version of the bushwacker* on its frozen cocktail menu year-round.
12 MONTHS OF BUSHWACKERS
We feel like a theme always makes things more fun … and the restaurants and bars along Alabama’s Beaches agree. Throughout this year, the region is providing a series of reasons to visit through “12 Months of Bushwackers.” In honor of Dry January, this month’s theme is “Mocktails” and AlabamasBeaches.com features a list of places to enjoy specialty virgin bushwacker, including an elevated mocktail at 8 Reale OBAL. February’s theme is Mardi Gras – yes, they celebrate that here, too! – and there’s much more fun on the horizon throughout this year.
THE BUSHWACKER TRAIL
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism coordinated The Bushwacker Trail so visitors seeking the signature drink can quickly find delicious options throughout the destination. A three-day itinerary provides a sampling of the area’s best bushwacker variations … including bushwacker-themed coffee, desserts and unique takes on the drink. If you’re ready to embark on a bushwacker sampling spree, tours are offered by land and sea. By land, The Surfside Shuttle offers a private, four-hour “Bushwacker Tour” to spots around the island. By sea, Island Time Private Boat Charters provides a menu of two-, three- and four-hour bushwacker cruise charters.
AND THAT’S NOT ALL …
In honor of the 50th anniversary, there’s now a list of 50 places to get your bushwacker on along Alabama’s Beaches.
We’d love to know … which stop will be at the top of your list?
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