Clink! You’re sitting on the beach and toasting to another summer day. But what is it that you’re sipping on? Is it the perfect summer cocktail? With the variety of bars and people in Destin, it is hard to determine a perfect summer cocktail for every individual out there, but The Log set out to a few different bars to find some contenders for the season’s ideal creation.
“Something about summer makes people want to go out and have a good time,” said McGuire’s Irish Pub Bartender Matt Molina.
First stop was The Craft Bar where The Log met Manager and Bartender Adrian Simmons, who said there were two cocktails that stood out in his mind as summer cocktails.
The first was a concoction of vodka, simple syrup and citrus muddled with watermelon and cucumber. He called it the “summertime.”
“It uses classic summer ingredients,” said Simmons.
The next used ingredients that Simmons said he believes represent summer as well. This beverage includes bourbon, simple syrup and citrus muddled with mint spring and peach. Both mixtures are shaken and served over ice.
But the search was not over, yet. Just a bit farther down the road, hidden behind the bustling tourist destinations of Destin is Lucky’s Rotten Apple, where the locals got involved with finding the perfect summer swill.
“We aren’t lacking creativity here,” said Bartender Courtney McCallister.
With some experimenting and help from the bar’s patrons, McCallister created the “Float your boat,” an infusion of Not Your Father’s Root Beer and vanilla vodka to create a unique kind of root beer float.
“What is more summer than a root beer float?” said Paul Cornish, bar patron and boat captain of the “Sure Thing.”
Still, there were more cocktails to be found around town, so stepping over to McGuire’s Irish Pub, the search continued.
Molina crafted a cocktail that he explained he and his friends would always make in large quantities for any fishing trips or other outdoor activities, calling it “Orange Gatorade.”
But don’t think that you will get hydrated off of this sports drink in the sun.
The name fit this combination of orange vodka, cointreau, sour mix, sprite and cranberry juice’s taste.
Our next stop was The Red Door Saloon where Bartender Brandie Jablonski and Manager Michael Gutierrez.
The pair agreed that the bar’s “Bushwhacker” would be the perfect summer concoction.
This blend of rum, crème de cocoa, milk, half and half and amaro reminds the two of a milkshake, which they said that they believe a milkshake is what summer is all about. Jablonski said having something frozen and cold in the summer is a necessity.
Gutierreze said that while this bar holds a steady crowd throughout the year, the summer always brings in packs of people.
“It gets a little crazy,” he said.
The whole city might start to get a little crazy, but whenever you need a break from the summer heat, crawl over to one of these local watering holes and order your perfect summer cocktail.