Tag: St Augustine

The St. Augustine historic district has a plethora of restaurants. While walking around I came across a unique looking restaurant that offered fresh Florida seafood and cocktails. Boat Drinks Bar seemed like the perfect stop for a quick bite to eat and something to quench our thirst from the hot Florida sun.

The inside was colorful and fun. Even their menu was fun. It had a beach bar vibe.

I ordered a Bushwacker. This is not a common drink that I find in Florida, it is more of a Tennessee or Alabama drink. This frozen cocktail contained St Lucian rum, cacao, coffee, and amaretto mixed in their coco-pina slush. They even sprinkled some cinnamon on top.

This was definitely a different take on a bushwacker. It tasted more like coffee than the chocolate flavor I am use to. It wasn’t bad, just different. It was perfect to cool off from how hot it was outside.

While there I wanted to get something to munch on. I looked over the menu and my eyes went directly to the charbroiled oysters. It was a half dozen oysters with garlic butter, michelada sauce, and pecorino cheese. Michelada is a blend of Mexican beer, tomato juice, hot sauce, lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce.

This sauce had a wonderful savory flavor. I have never had this sauce before but it went really well with the briny taste of the oysters and the saltiness of the cheese. The pressed Cuban bread they served on the side was an excellent way to soak up the sauce on the plate. The scallions they sprinkled on top were also a nice addition, adding a little crunch. This was an interesting take on charbroiled oysters that helped them stand out.

Boat Drinks Bar was a fun place to pop in. The bar staff was friendly and the kitchen staff was hopping.

This is a great place for a snack and drink. Check them out at www.boatdrinksbar.com

Enjoy!

T

St. Augustine is a wonderful city in Northern Florida. It is rich with history that you can take tours to learn about. They have several ghost tours that are fun as well. There are several distilleries and a winery that you can visit for free tours and sample tastings. I have been to a few of them already and even wrote about them. During this weekend getaway I learned about a distillery that I never knew about.

City Gate Distillery was tucked away towards the end of the cobblestone streets of old historic St. Augustine.

You walk in and they check your ID right away to make sure everyone is legal. They had some tanks and work stations set up, but no one was working at them the day I visited, probably because they were so busy doing tastings.

The first station that was set up was their whiskeys. They offered three flavors.

• Smoked Maple Whiskey – This was a blend of maple and brown sugar; it is charred in an oak barrel that adds a touch of spice. When you first sip it, you can definitely taste the maple. As you finish it, there is a sweetness of butterscotch but for me if the host did not say this I would not have picked up on the butterscotch.

• Peanut Butter Whiskey – This was my favorite whiskey. The smell of roasted peanuts, butter, and coffee come together to offer a sweet and salty whiskey. I felt that there was a hint of chocolate that helped pull out the peanut butter flavor even more.

• Salted Carmel Whiskey – The aroma of vanilla, caramel, and sea salt was enhanced by the oak barrel. This had a quality about it that would make this a great dessert whiskey.

The second station introduced three different spirits.

• Sweet Tea Vodka – This was an amazing vodka that tasted just like true Southern sweet tea, just with a kick. I could see this being added to some lemonade and making a fantastic Arnold Palmer.

• Limoncello – I would never have expected to find this here. But considering we are in Florida and there is an abundance of citrus fruits, this drink is perfect. The zesty lemon shines through with both a sweet and sour taste. This would be great for sipping however, putting a splash of tonic or club soda to this for a little bubbles would take them limoncello to the next level.

• Coconut Rum – What an amazing tropical flavor with the combination of fresh coconut and vanilla. Just pouring it over ice will give the impression that you are drinking a pina colada.

The third station was all about moonshines.

• White Lightning – This is the classic clear moonshine that you will find all over Tennessee. It’s corn based and carries a kick.

After tasting it straight, they combined it with their homemade passion fruit sour mix. This helped breakdown the moonshine to something that was a little easier to drink. The passion fruit had a nice sweetness to it.

• Orange N’ Cream – This tastes just like the classic ice cream treat. The only difference is this was not creamy. They used authentic Florida oranges along with vanilla that helped create that creamy taste. This was my overall favorite spirit I tasted all day.

• Apple Pie – This is also a very traditional moonshine flavor. Combining fresh apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar to create that classic apple pie filling taste. By them adding a hint of graham cracker, they made this moonshine unique in the market place.

Also after tasting this straight, they added it to their Ancient City spice mix. This created a unique cocktail that made me feel like I was sitting by the fire at Thanksgiving.

The tasting experience was wonderful at City Gate. The staff is all very knowledgeable and able to answer all kinds of questions. They also have everything for sale there so you can enjoy every option at home. Make sure to check them out if you are visiting St. Augustine.

www.citygatespirits.com

Enjoy!

T