best friends on a quest to bring you all things boozy
Category: Travel – Where to Drink
From pub pedals on St. Augustine Beach to drinking abroad in Barcelona and Greece, learn about the Boozy Blondes’ favorite travel destinations and their recommendations where to visit!
There is one thing the girls love almost as much as a great drink – and each other – MAGIC! ✨ Did you know there is a underground, super exclusive speakeasy/house of magic in downtown Nashville? Tune in to hear all about House of Cards, the hidden gem underneath the Johnny Cash Museum – but don’t worry…no spoilers. You have to experience the magic for yourself!
The DOE for this episode is rum and ginger beer – a Boozy Blondes favorite!
So again, House of Cards is an exclusive speakeasy-esque bar/restaurant/house of magic in downtown Nashville. It’s located UNDER the Johnny Cash museum around 3rd and Broadway. Once you arrive at the museum, there is a doorman who will direct you to the private entrance to House of Cards. You go down a secret tunnel and enter into a whole other world. There’s an amazing hand-crafted bar that offers one of the largest liquor selections in the region, there’s a multimillion dollar collection of art, European antiques, and ancient magical artifacts. There are no windows, tons of red velvet curtains draped all around, old magic show advertisement posters and tall columns throughout the space.
Once we checked in we were greeted and offered a tour of the dining room. Our guide showed us where the main magic show was held, where the floating magicians would be performing, he pointed out artifacts and pointed us in the direction of the courtyard which features a 19-foot waterfall.
They will take a group photo for you inside since photography is not allowed – except in the bathroom and in the courtyard.
Reservations are highly recommended, and the dress code is strictly enforced. At the time of this recording, you can book your table no sooner than two weeks in advance. So set your alarms and calendar reminders because tables fill fast. Dress code is dress to impress and if you don’t abide by it, they will not grant you access:
MEN: Sports coat or dinner jacket and button up dress shirt is mandatory. Dress pants suggested, dress shoes required. No light or torn jeans.
LADIES: Cocktail or formal dresses, elegant skirt and blouse, dressy rompers or dressy tunic (hip-length) and slacks combinations, and pant-suits (matching blazer and pants) with dress shoes is required. No denim of any kind, nor casual wear.
The food is phenomenal. Menu selections include octopus, beer tartare, foie gras, steaks, elk, lamb, porkshops, sea bass, etc, etc. Complimentary tickets to the main magic act are included with an entree order, but you cannot purchase tickets separately to this show. Then there are rotating magicians on the floor which you can go see at any time. We waited until after dinner to do all the magic, but you can go see the magicians on the floor while you wait for your dinner to be prepared.
House of Cards is 21 and over, except during Sunday brunch when all ages are welcome.
The girls include some tips for visiting House of Cards:
Set a reminder to make your reservations. This place is extremely popular, so 14 days out, secure your spot. They do accept walk-ins, but you’re taking a chance there will be availability.
If you don’t get a reservation, you can try to get in to enjoy cocktails on the patio or at the bar. You’ll be able to see the roaming magicians, just not the main act. Dress code still applies.
Dress to impress. The dress code is strictly enforced so use this as an opportunity to get all dolled up.
Bring cash to tip the magicians and the photographer. The group photo is complimentary, so it’s nice to tip the photographer.
Arrive early and enjoy a drink out on the patio before dinner and stay late to enjoy the magicians and an after-dinner drink or cigar.
Be prepared to be engaged. There is a lot of audience participation.
The magicians we saw were Mark and Shadow. You can follow House of Cards on Instagram. Please message us on Instagram if you’ve been to House of Cards and share your experience with us!
Get ready lushes, we’re off to Music City – Nashville, Tennessee! The Boozy Blondes served themselves a hearty helping of all things country during a recent visit to Nashville, and in this episode, they recap 9 bars they hit on and off Broadway. Tune in to hear where they went and why you should add these places to your next trip to Nash-Vegas!
The DOE is whiskey (bourbon), of course! Chrissy is drinking a “funky” old fashioned with Brothers Bond bourbon called Bond Fire S’Mores! Molly is drinking a smoked old fashioned with Angel’s Envy.
Before the Boozy Blondes made it to Broadway, they met their friends at Pins Mechanical, a boozy adult playground about 7 blocks west of where the honky tonks start on Broadway. Pin’s slogan is “when life gives you balls, play with them!” and the girls did just that! At Pins you can enjoy an abundance of games from old school arcade games and pinball to Skee Ball and ping pong to giant garbage can beer pong and bocce and so much more! You can follow Pins on IG to check out all the fun. If you’re an active drinker like the Boozy Blondes, then this place is definitely for you!
From here the girls walked to the Grand Hyatt Nashville to visit the rooftop bar lou/na. Offering stunning views of the city and serving delicious cocktails (the blondes recommend the espresso martinis), lou/na is one of the newest and most glamourous rooftop bars in Nashville. lou/na was inspired by the Louisville and Nashville railroad that passed directly through the site of the Grand Hyatt for a century! Be sure to follow lou/na on IG.
Speaking of railroads, across the street from the Grand Hyatt is the historic Union Station Nashville Yards. This luxury boutique hotel was first a bustling terminal and architectural marvel with its Gothic design. It’s stunning. Check out Bourbon & Boxcars Tea if you’re here on a Thursday, but you never know what special event could be happening! The Boozy Blondes walked into a Harry Potter pop-up bar when they were here! Check out the Boozy Blondes’ reels on IG to see how magical it was!
At this point it was time to tackle some honky tonks. The girls had a goal of six and, spoiler alert, they achieved their goal! These are the places they hit:
Tune in to hear about the drinks, the music and the fun at each of these places. There are over 30 bars along Broadway in the heart of Nashville, so the girls knocked out about a 1/5 of them!
Have you visited these bars? Share your pics with us! DM us on IG or email us!
Check Beer Spa off the Boozy Blondes’ boozy bucket list! (Then add it again 1000 more times because the girls want to go back again and again and again!) Since the Boozy Blondes Podcast inception, the girls have wanted to visit the Beer Spa in Orlando, Florida, and now they are dishing all the details and pro tips to make the most out of your visit.
The Beer Spa offers rooms to accommodate 1 - 4 adults. Each room has a (or two) soaking thermal tub(s), which is a bath of Beer Spa’s signature beer treatment, infrared sauna, chill hay lounge, full bathroom, and complimentary, unlimited self-serve beer. Beers from Ivanhoe Park Brewing in Orlando were on tap when the blondes visited, and for a $10 up-charge you can add sangria, wine and Prosecco to your experience. The girls brought boozy bros along for this adventure, so they reserved the two-tub, four-adults room, and added the sangria to their experience.
They reserved the room for 60 minutes, and Beer Spa staff recommends you soak for up to 45 minutes, then enjoy the sauna and/or hay bed for the remaining 15 minutes. Some benefits of the soak are:
beer yeast: considered an extremely healing ingredient and contains B vitamins and saccharides, which help exfoliate, purify and renew the skin while locking in moisture
hops: a natural sedative plant brimming with antioxidants, anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory properties
hydrotherapy: soaking in warm water allows your pores to open to enhance skin absorption, it can improve your mood and increase positive emotions, it gets the blood moving increasing circulation and relaxing tight muscles.
aromatherapy: the smell of hops treats insomnia and has an anti-anxiety effect in the body
If you enjoy saunas, there are many benefits to spending time in there. It enhances collagen production strengthening and rejuvenating skin complexion. It improves circulation and lowers blood pressure. It detoxifies and relieves joint pain and muscle soreness and helps the body release endorphins!
The Boozy Blondes share some pro-tips from this experience during the episode too:
Go! Enjoy it!
Wear your bathing suit under your clothes
Add the extra 30 minutes (60 minutes flies by and the girls wish they had more time to experience all the room had to offer)
Don’t be surprised when you pull up the building – it’s in an unassuming strip mall
Bring cash to tip the Beer Spa team
Shower while you are in your beer spa room (even though they advise you wait 2 hours to shower)
If you’re not a beer drinker, add the wine and sangria option for $10
Don’t forget about your wet bathing suits after the trip – they will smell like an old bar mat in the plastic bag if you leave them in there too long
There are plenty of photo ops and Instagrammable places in Beer Spa, so prepare to have some extra time to take fun pictures! We got our custom swimsuits at Rave Suits.
The Boozy Blondes kick off Season 3 of the Boozy Blondes podcast with Volume 3 of the Jax Ale Trail series! If you listened to Jax Ale Trail Vol. 2 in Season 1 of the podcast (Episode 021), the blondes promised to bring a valuable and resourceful episode in Vol. 3. (Vol. 2 was a little fuzzy, so while entertaining, there were some gaps in the details, but come on, who hasn’t forgotten some things while day drinking?) Listen in, and you’ll see they achieved that goal! Tune in to this aggressive leg of the Jax Ale Trail (5 breweries plus 3 bonus beach bars) to learn about what Jax Beach in Northeast Florida has to offer the drinking crowd.
The DOE is Jekyll Brewing Sour Thangs Orange Cranberry, a 5.5% fruited sour. Jekyll Brewing happened to be the first stop on the Ale Trail too. With the boozy bros in tow, the girls stopped here first for “quality beer, delicious food and chill vibe,” as its slogan reads. It did not disappoint. Jekyll Brewing has five locations where they brew beer and also distill spirits and make wine! A triple threat! Chrissy drank the Pack of Mules made with ginger beer, lime and house vodka. (Insider tip, you can order this drink with gin or bourbon if you prefer.)
Molly enjoyed a flight of Earth Mother (4% Cucumber Lime gose), Sour Thangs Watermelon, Lime & Hibiscus (5.5% Sour), Moon Peeps (5.2% blackberry flavored Belgian Wit) and Southern Juice IPA (6.3%). Phil also enjoyed Southern Juice and Rainer drank the El Chapo Margarita infused with jalapeño. The group had their base food here too splitting fish and chips, pork sliders and pork rinds.
The group headed west and crossed the street to check out Green Room Brewing, Jacksonville Beach’s first microbrewery! This brewery has an extensive tap list with 7 permanent taps and 9 rotating taps, releasing a new beer every Thursday! This pet-friendly brewery does not serve food, but you can bring your own. Chrissy loved the She Doesn’t Even Go Here (5% blueberry seltzer) and Molly couldn’t decide on just one, so indulged in another flight: Count Shakula (6.2% Oatmeal Stout), Fruit on the Bottom – Apricot Peach (4.2% sour), Diamond Blueberry (5% blonde ale) and Panty Vigilante (11.8% Belgian Quadruple with black currant). Phil enjoyed a NEIPA Hazy and Rainer had a spicy Mexican lager – La Ola.
Ink Factory Brewing was next, a short walk to the west of Green Room. This brewery is home to a microbrewery, cowork and espresso bar – the Boozy Blondes office dream! Caffeine fix in the morning, work in one of the conference room, then head downstairs to happy hour. What more could you ask for? Ink Factory had great beer and even better swag – there’s a surf shop here too! Think of this brewery like a bakery – fresh beer on tap every day, but once it’s gone, it’s gone for the day. So get here early to enjoy all the taps. Chrissy had a 7% Bahama Breeze seltzer – Breezy Bits. Molly and Phil got the Fun Foam (6% Milkshake IPA), and Rainer drank Factory Kolsch (5.2%).
It was time to eat again, and THE BEST food truck was parked at Ink Factory. Hard Pressed Burgers. Jacksonville’s best burger according to the Boozy Blondes. Definitely made the top 5 list of Chrissy’s worldwide best burgers list! Follow them on Instagram to see where they will pop up next and do yourself a favor – EAT ONE. It’s a simple smash burger with thinly shaved onion, house pickles, garlic aioli and American cheese. The meat mix is house made, and the girls are still drooling over this burger.
A half mile west of Ink Factory is Southern Swells Brewing Co, the fourth stop on Jax Ale Trail Vol. 3. Southern Swells offers a full bar! The patio is pet friendly, and while they don’t serve food, their share a courtyard with Talkin’ Tacos, so you can get your beer snacks there. The group played a game of shuffleboard while enjoying their drinks – Chrissy sipped on The Duval, an 11% electric blue sweltzer cocktail complete with a mustache swivel stick. Molly enjoyed Spicy Cukes, a 6% sour ale infused with cucumber and jalapeno and Phil had Karate in the Garage (6.8% NEIPA). No one can remember what Rainer drank here.
This day happened to be the first Jacksonville Jaguars preseason game, and with 75% of the group excited for this event, they hurried farther west down the street to Engine 15 Brewing Co. to catch the game. Engine 15 hosts 30 tap lines! Try to find a beer you won’t like here! Chrissy drank Sour Sara (5.8% strawberry guava sour) and Molly drank It’s Your Blood (5.2% Irish Red Ale). Phil enjoyed Sunday Funday (4.6% session IPA) while Rainer had the J’Ville Lager (5%).
The theme for this adventure was food every other stop, so it was time to eat again. The girls each had a hot dog and chips, and Molly added mac and cheese to hers which was reminiscent of Kraft blue box – so perfect for this point of the day!
So they did it! They hit the five breweries in Jax Beach, but the night wasn’t over yet. The group grabbed an Uber and started their tour of three Jax Beach staples – Lynch’s Irish Pub, The Ritz and The Brix. Lynch’s offers a full bar, live music, a menu packed with Irish staples and 42 beers on tap!
The Ritz and The Brix are located near each other. The Ritz opened its doors in 1945 and it still a “great place to meet” almost 80 years later! The Brix has a great outside courtyard and a million giant-sized tvs inside great for watching the game.
To wrap up the gang hit the Waffle House across the street from their hotel for some class late-night bites.
The blondes went four for four on Jax Beach breweries listed in their Jax Ale Trail passports (Jekyll Brewing opened after the passports the blondes own were created)! Predictions for Vol. 4 are that the girls will travel around Jacksonville’s southside area.
Be sure to follow all these fun locations on Instagram and stay tuned for Jax Ale Trail Vol. 4!
Tune in to the effervescent Boozy Blondes as they whisk you away to the tropical Caribbean islands of St. Thomas and St. Kitts. During their 2022 Thanksgiving Cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas (listen to Episode 043 for more details on all this ship has to offer), the girls disembarked at St. Thomas and St. Kitts – and naturally they preplanned to make the most of their moments here. This episode offers tips and tricks to planning your own excursions whether it be off a cruise ship or direct destination!
The DOE is rum and ginger! The Boozy Blondes love their spiced rum and ginger beers – it’s definitely one of their travel go-to’s and a cruise favorite!
If you take anything away from this episode the girls have three very important must-do’s when planning your excursions.
Research and preplan
Book private transportation
Bring a cooler bag
The first port on the itinerary was US Virgin Island, St. Thomas. On the agenda – Tree Limin’ Extreme ziplining! Tree Limin’ is about a 15-20 minute drive from the port, so the girls arranged private transportation before leaving for their cruise. They recommend calling Tree Limin’ for driver referrals or a Google search will work. The girls spoke with three drivers before hiring Karl! Pro tip – download WhatsApp before leaving on your trip to communicate while in the islands.
Before zipping through the St. Thomas tree tops, the girls made a pit stop at the World Famous Mountain Top – gift shop, bar, cafeteria – on top of St. Peter Mountain, the highest point on St. Thomas and home to its world famous banana daiquiri. The girls did not try the famous drink, rather ordered their go-to rum and ginger beer! Here you experience breath-taking panoramic views of over 15 islands! It’s stunning and definitely worth the trip up – especially while sipping on your favorite cocktail!
After ziplining and appreciating spectacular views from high above the trees, the girls made their way back down the mountain to Greengos Caribbean Cantina for margaritas and tacos! This is close to the port and not far from St. John Brewers, founded by two college classmates who bought one-way tickets to the Virgin Islands after tiring from the 9-5 hustle years ago! They enjoyed the Love City Hibiscus Pomegranate hard seltzer, Juicy Booty IPA and more rum and ginger beers on the bayfront before heading back to the ship.
The next day was a Thanksgiving Day to remember for the girls – they rented a Jeep and spent the day exploring the independent country, St. Kitts! The Boozy Blondes along with their Boozy Bros all donned matching Hawaiian print outfits – each couple split a top and bottom. They bee-lined off the ship for the first liquor store they passed to pick up Old Monk Rum and ginger beers to bring along for the ride (this is where the cooler bag is essential).
On their self-guided tour the Boozy Blondes hit the following stops:
Airy and Open with full bar and extensive seafood menu
Located at Dieppe Bay
Local resident was in the water here giving his horse a bath!
If you’re planning a trip to St. Thomas and/or St. Kitts, this episode is a must-listen-to to help plan your visit and make the most of your time at these beautiful islands! If you want more details, message the Boozy Blondes on Instagram or send them email!
The blonde booze cruisers are back with another episode packed with valuable information for anyone planning a cruise. Since Episode 013, the girls have added a combined four cruises to their resume! For the best overall cruise-planning and packing tips, be sure to listen to Booze Cruise Vol. 1, but if you’re an old pro like the Boozy Blondes, Booze Cruise Vol. 2 dives deeper into holiday cruising, European cruising and transatlantic cruising!
The DOE for this episode is a Lemon Gin Fizz. Served over ice, this summertime libation was crafted with Barrhill Gin, fresh lemon juice, rosemary simple syrup and splash of soda, garnished with a rosemary sprig.
The girls spent Thanksgiving 2022 on board Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas. At the time, it was the largest ship in the world. Holiday cruising comes with its list of pros and cons as the girls discuss, but there is no question how much fun they had on the Wonder. From amazing specialty dining restaurants (faves are Hooked Seafood, Wonderland and The Mason Jar) to themed parties to Boardwalks and Central Park, listen in as the girls take you through their Thanksgiving adventure at sea – and spoiler alert – landed a bonus day! The cruise stopped at St. Thomas and St. Kitts – listen to Episode 045 to hear all about the adventures the girls had in the islands!
During the 2023 Independence Day holiday weekend, the Boozy Blondes cruised on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas (fitting, right?) with friends and family to celebrate Chrissy’s birthday. When the ship stopped at Nassua, the girls introduced their dirty dozen to one of their most favorite places – Rip Ty’d Brewing! You can listen to their interview with owner Christine Albury in Episode 019! This was a down and dirty 3-night party cruise and the group definitely got the most of the short voyage celebrating Chrissy with an 80s-themed night and onesie party!
Chrissy took one for the team and cruised on MSC’s Sinfonia out of Venice, Italy, to the Greek Islands. It’s an older, if not oldest, ship in the fleet, and although certainly not in style, it did take Chrissy to her ultimate bucket-list place, Santorini. English was not the first language on this ship, so none of the trivia hosts, comedians, etc spoke English during their performances. However the beer selection on Sinfonia was second to none!
Lucky for Chrissy she sailed on Sinfonia before boarding onto a world of luxury on Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady. She sailed on this transatlantic cruise from Miami to Barcelona and gushes about the amazing food, mezcal tasting, free Champagne parties and kid-free sailing. She reminds listeners drink packages are not offered on Virgin Voyages, so this is one big difference booze travelers need to remember when booking a Virgin cruise.
The girls break down these three cruise lines and decide they are each best for the following:
Royal Caribbean = drinks, parties, families
MSC = beer selection, European travling, commuting
Virgin Voyages = foodies, adventure seekers, adults only
Tune in for more details like all there is to explore on Wonder of the Seas and a breakdown of the Splash of Romance package on Virgin Voyages – you’re granted permission to board!
The girls are headed back to the 305 in this episode and explore more fantastic neighborhoods of Miami! From South Beach to Wynwood and Brickell to Little Havana, those boozy blondes definitely make the most of their time, absorbing as much culture and libations as possible!
Today’s DOE is palomas! It seems fitting with the tropical vibe this episode brings. When it’s time for refills the girls add some mezcal – what do you think? Do you like regular or smokey palomas?
The girls began this adventure together with brunch at Limonada Breakfast Bar + Brunch in South Beach. They loved their time here, enjoying the avocado toast and starting their day off as boozy as possible drinking tequila from a coconut and a refreshing gin Limonada. The drinks didn’t stop here, because one of the great bonuses about Limonada is that it has drinking games! Wheel of Fortune, Shake for Shots and Beat the Glass. Shout out to Gaston (@gastoncipriani), the fantastic bartender who helped the blondes start their boozy day right!
From here the girls headed to the Wynwood neighborhood to one of their faves, Cerveceria la Tropical to interview their new boozy bestie Harold Perez Mendoza (@haroldprz). You can learn all about this brewery in Season 1, Episode 020 and take an even deeper dive in Season 2, Episode 038. Things got pretty boozy while the blondes were here, but can you blame them? Beer was flowing straight from the tanks!
Harold escorted the girls to their next bar, Beaker & Gray, armed with Ohh! Icy Wtr and a bottle of La Original Reserva beer. Beaker & Gray is one of the best restaurants and craft cocktail bars in Wynwood and three amigos indulged in rum old fashioneds. Harold had to leave for a wine event (he is definitely a boozy bro!) so he pointed the girls in the right direction to carry on their adventure. First stop – food.
Huge shout out to Love ‘n Gyros, the first Greek gyros shop in Miami serving, you guessed it, gyros and also some amazing French fries. Fantastic street Greek food! Just what the blondes needed to carry on.
Beaker & GrayLove ‘N GyrosThe SylvesterSuvicheSuviche
They still needed some more food, so they ventured across the street to Suviche, a Peruvian restaurant with an Asian kick. With both inside and outside seating, this popular place was pretty packed when the girls arrived. They each had a cocktail, sushi and noodles. With enough food back in their systems, they carried on to their last stop in Wynwood – The Sylvester.
The Sylvester offers cutting-edge cocktails, culturally-influenced sounds and a nostalgic ambiance. The owners also own Beaker & Gray, so it appears the girls have a type. While things were pretty fuzzy at this stop, both girls distinctly remember how carefully crafted their cocktails were.
Day 2 was a Chrissy solo mission. She impressively completed an aggressive schedule! She started at the Loews Miami Beach pool bar with an Aperol Spritz and got her plan together. She wandered past the famous life guard towers on South Beach and headed north to Lincoln Road Shopping District, eight blocks of shops and restaurants scattered with cool sculptures by Richard Orlinski. Chrissy stopped in Wilde on the Porch just as the rain started and enjoyed a mojito.
From here she absorbed some nostalgic PA vibes in Sweet Liberty, offering a selection of food and drinks from sophisticated to simple to downright delicious. She opted for the Fancy Paloma and oysters. Sweet Liberty won Tales of the Cocktail Spirited award and was ranked one of the world’s 50 best bars in 2017!
After eating her dozen oysters (east coast? west coast? she can’t remember!), Chrissy managed to get to the rooftop bar at One Hotel – WATR at the Rooftop. Note, you need a room key to access the elevator, so without a room or dining reservation, it might be hard to get up here! But luckily, our stealthy blonde found a way and passes on the fabulous details in this episode. While she was here, there was a photo shoot taking place with a model and a jungle cat! Chrissy enjoyed the amazing views, live DJ, a coconut water and some edamame before moving on.
Broken Shaker was next although not on her list – she heard a party going on and went to investigate. It’s a hidden courtyard tucked inside the famous Freehand Hotel with incredible cocktails. Broken Shaker has been nominated for two James Beard awards, was named one of the world’s 50 best bars twice and was awarded the best American hotel bar at Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards.
Since it was time to eat again, Chrissy next found herself at Hoja Taqueria inside the Generator hotel. It’s a mezcal bar! She ordered a mezcal old fashioned and carne asada tacos with chips. When she left here, she dipped into the Faena Hotel to check out the gigantic mastodon fossil, four restaurant, three bars, amazing gardens and beautiful artwork.
The grand finale on Day 2 was a visit to Cecconi’s at Soho Beach House, where she instantly felt whisked away to the golden era of Italy. Cecconi’s sits in the courtyard on the ground floor of Soho Beach House and offers amazing Italian cuisine and made Chrissy a lactose-free pizza that she washed down with a glass of Pinot Noir.
Day 3 started off as another solo mission for Chrissy as she rented bikes and rode south to the Beacon Hotel, a 1936 art deco style boutique hotel. She had a mimosa and breakfast and absorbed the whole South Beach scene!
Chrissy met up with Molly later that afternoon to Interview Maria Littlefield, co-founder of Owl’s Brew Boozy Tea! Listen to the interview (Episode 036) to learn about this boozy alternative made with real ingredients that are actually good for you!
After the interview the girls parted ways again and Chrissy went to explore Little Havana. She started at Cafe la Trova which is ranked #6 on the list of North America’s 50 Best Bars and #21 on the list of the World’s 50th Best Bars! To say Chrissy loved this bar is an understatement – she came back here three times! The bartenders, known as cantineros, took Chrissy under their wing and made her feel at home.
From here she wandered through Calle Ocho in the heart of Little Havana. It’s full murals, art, shops, restaurants, music and Cuban culture. Her walk led her to Ball & Chain where she enjoyed great music, great food and great drinks, including the best rum old fashioned ever! Shout out to Ellwood, her friendly and attentive bartender, and she made friends with the epic jazz band members.
Although it was time for her to head back to South Beach, Chrissy got drawn into Olds Havana because of the great live music coming from the establishment! This bar is the most authentic Cuban bar in Little Havana. Olds Havana is the place to order a mojito – they can serve 300 – 500 a night here! She again made friends with the incredible band and shared mojitos with them. Shout out to @andresalejandroficial and the band. #groupie
Day 4 – shocker – back to Little Havana for Chrissy! She started at Cafe la Trova to attend the Master Class with Maestro. The Maestro is Salvatore Calabrese, and he’s basically the godfather of the craft cocktail. Chrissy was honored to attend (Boozy Blondes dream!) and was extremely impressed with Salvatore and his team and the knowledge they are sharing with the next generation in the beverage industry.
From here Chrissy went to get lunch in Brickell at Sexy Fish – one of the coolest bar restaurants she’s ever seen! And you just have to see it for yourself – it’s maximalism design on steroids. Julio was her amazing bartender and even met her for drinks later!
Following her lunch at Sexy Fish, Chrissy grabbed dairy-free ice cream wrapped in cotton candy at Icy-N-Spicy on South Beach (another Boozy Blondes dream!). She swung back by the hotel to meet Molly and field drinker Tanya at the pool bar for a drink, then went to the Versace Mansion for a St. Germain spritz.
Next on her list was Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery, a bartender-owned speakeasy on South Beach. Swizzles offers over 150 rums where the mixologists craft sophisticated cocktails – like the Japanese Highball which was what Chrissy ordered. She stopped at Sunny’s to grab an empanada (when you listen to the episode, if you take a drink every time Chrissy orders an empanada, you’ll have a decent buzz going by the end of the episode!) while she waited for her Uber to go BACK to Cafe la Trova!
The Salvatore Calabrese and the Donovan Bar team takeover was happening, and Julio, the Sexy Fish bartender, met Chrissy to explore the special menu. Donovan Bar is in London and offers a cocktail menu curated by Salvatore. A new must-see for the Boozy Blondes abroad!
One final stop before wrapping up her evening was to grab a Cuban sandwich at El Pub – great for late night food; they are open late!
Leaving Miami, Molly made one last stop in Wynwood at Coyo-Taco serving up delicious Mexican street food. There is a speakeasy in the back – a garage bar with tequilas and mezcals, craft beer and paletaritas (popcicle-based margarita cocktails)!
This episode covers A LOT and gives listeners insight on a variety of different bars in multiple pockets of Miami full of fantastic drinks, food, bartenders, brewers, music and culture! Be sure to share photos with the blondes if you venture to any of these places! Cheers!
Tune in as the blondes recap their visit to historic downtown Sanford, Florida, a hidden gem of bars and breweries located just northeast of downtown Orlando. At the time of this recording, there are over 20 boozy destinations within a few walkable blocks. This episode covers fifteen of them, so settle in with your favorite libation, and take notes – there is a lot to see (hear) here!
The first stop on the boozy tour was Dees Brothers Brewery. Dees Brothers believe there’s a beer our there for everyone, and they brew them. Molly had a flight with Radler, a 4% lager, Centennial Blonde, a 4.5% blonde ale, Beans & Brew, a 5.2% English ale with coffee and vanilla, and Cotswold Ale, a Dees Brothers core beer, an English Amber Ale at 4.2%. Chrissy had the Wild Tonic Hard Kombucha, raspberry and goji rose flavor at 5.6%.
This was a great place to start because they have a full kitchen and offer vegan cheese, so the blondes split a grilled cheese and mac and cheese. The food is fantastic here!
After Dees Brother, the girls headed towards Suffering Bastard inside of Tuffy’s Bottle Shop & Lounge, but got distracted by Loggerhead Distillery which they passed on the route. John, who was working, welcomed the group in and they sampled all Loggerhead has to offer – vodka, gin, moonshine, rum, bourbon, etc, etc. Chrissy’s favorite was the Apple Pie Moonshine and Molly’s favorite was the Key Lime gin, bottles of both of which left the distillery with the girls.
After tasting all that Loggerhead had to offer, it was time to eat again, and thankfully, Suffering Bastard offers food along with its amazing selection of craft cocktails. The blondes had a reservation here because this speakeasy is small and very popular. Chrissy ordered the State Puff Painkiller (this drink had been on her radar for years!) and Molly ordered the beginner level Mai Tai (beginner level was not by choice). These drinks were accompanied by the potstickers, pork sliders and dragon fruit sliders.
The pub crawl continued from here. Next stop was The Sullivan Public House, a great Irish gastropub with live music and snug where the group got to sit. Molly drank a Guinness and Chrissy had Jameson and ginger.
Moving on towards home, there was one more stop on the tour – the Wild Wild West End Honky-Tonk Saloon. Unfortunately the night gets a little fuzzy here for the blondes – they put a lot of drinking time in up to this point! This bar is a Sanford live music pillar and it recently added a courtyard, which had a food truck parked here, so Chrissy ordered chips and guac while Molly ordered shots.
This concluded night one in Sanford, and day two was just as busy/boozy! The girls met up with Florida Hop Mama, Ashley at Celery City Craft. Armed with Brew-Hoos (Yoohoo, Irish whiskey and espresso vodka) and a flight, the blondes chatted with fellow blonde boozer Ashley outside in the beautiful courtyard. Celery City offers over 50 beers on tap and has a full bar. Sushi & Seoul provides the food on site, and though the girls didn’t eat here, the plates look delicious!
While the blondes were at Celery City, their husbands enjoyed some time across the street at The Station. This sports bar has a firehouse theme and even an Air B&B upstairs! If your favorite team is playing while in town, this is where you want to catch the game.
For lunch, the blondes made reservations for the The Old Jailhouse. Formerly a jail, the building still has the original prison cell block door and prisoner ledger! The craft cocktails were delicious – Chrissy had a rum and ginger and Molly had the fall specialty drink, Witches Trial – gin, lime juice, Cardamaro, Cherry Heering, Peychaud’s Bitters, House Serrano Chile & Fennel Seed Syrup.
After lunch the girls headed home for a break before the evening stops which started at Deviant Wolfe Brewing. Four friends started this brewery who was to promote balance in an active lifestyle, community involvement, accepting environmental responsibility and socializing with friends and family all while enjoying craft beer. The girls split a flight and really enjoyed the Sourmanjaro. It’s a 5.1% kettle soured blonde ale conditioned on African coffee beans – such a unique flavor! They also loved the Besitos de Coco, a 5.9% toasted coconut and vanilla bean brown ale.
From here, the girls made a pit stop at Henry’s Depot Food Hall & Cocktail Bar. They were looking for espressos, but the coffee shop was closed. This is a great place for a group with different culinary preferences because everyone can order from different restaurants, but sit together either inside or outside.
After checking out Henry’s, they made their way to Tuffy’s – host to Suffering Bastard where they went the night before. Tuffy’s is huge, and to the girls’ delight, they had espresso martinis on tap (Chrissy) and Lavender Tom Collins on tap (Molly)! The girls were in heaven! Tuffy’s offers a fall bar, fire pits, live music, creative seating (an airstream, pontoon boat, etc) and plenty of games like bocce and cornhole.
To end the night, the girls visited Hollerbach’s Willow Tree, a long-standing Sanford staple. What started in 2001 with 7 employees has expanded to add a rooftop beer garden with 70 employees! Hollerbach’s offers an authentic German experience with German bands, German food and German boot-drinking challenges! Here they ate dinner and enjoyed old fashioneds (Chrissy) and mules (Molly). Next time the girls will attempt the das boot challenge!
Molly left town the next morning, but Chrissy kept the boozy tour going! She started with the Food Truck Wars taking place that morning and moved to Community Brew House. If you are a home brewer, this is the place for you – from supplies to classes, you can get all you need to take your brew game to the next level. This brewery offers small, artisan batches to foster new ingredients and new ideas. Chrissy enjoyed a pumpkin sour here. While they don’t have a kitchen, you can bring outside food here.
From here was Wops Hops, Sanford’s first micro-brewery. Chrissy enjoyed a flight here to include Cloudy Jen (named after her beertender!), a 6.8 New England Hazy IPA, Pope’s Poison, 5.9% spiced/herbed beer, Cyn City, a 4.4% strawberry kiwi sour and Moles & Assets, a 4.5% nitro stout with molasses.
The grand finale on this Sanford Trip was the city’s namesake, Sanford Brewing Company. In the heart of historic downtown Sanford, this brewery has over 100 seats offering craft beer, meads, ciders and specialty sodas. Chrissy had the Resting Beri Face Sour and loved it – until it made her sick later because it contains lactose, which she didn’t know when she ordered it. The brewery has a kitchen and live music.
Lushes, if you enjoy great drinks, creative brews and delicious food, make Sanford a must-visit destination on your list. The girls insist, this town will not disappoint their fellow booze travelers. Cheers!
Settle in, lushes! We are crossing the pond and drinking abroad today! We highly recommend this episode if you’re planning a trip to Greece or Italy, or if you’d like to live vicariously through one of the Boozy Blondes and her fabulous trip overseas!
The DOE is aperol spritz (3 parts Champagne, 2 parts aperol, 1 part sparkling water over ice). In Italy spritz is big, made with any aperitif + Champagne + fizzy water. All the locals drink spritzes (especially as a day drink) and most often they are served with crisps (chips) or snack towers. This is your pro tip – order a spritz, it’s the best value – for about 5€ you get a drink and snacks!
Chrissy’s trip spanned over 19 days – and it was full of planes, trains and automobiles. And boats. Her trip was in late March/early April which is typically the off-season in Italy and Greece. During the off-season you can expect a low amount of tourists, it’s easy to get into restaurants, hotel rates are discounted, but the weather is hit or miss and not everything is open. Locals recommend traveling In September.
In this episode Chrissy shares travel tips, favorite bars and differences in the drinking culture as she takes listeners through her adventures in Italy and and cruising through Greece. She visits:
Milan, Italy
Venice, Italy
Padua/Padova, Italy
Verona, Italy
Madonna della Corona, Italy
Bolzano, Italy
Kotor, Montenegro
Mykonos, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Bari, Italy
One drinking culture difference in Italy – the coffee game is strong. Coffee bars are actual bars, and there are different trends for different times of day. In the morning grab coffee and snacks, breakfast pastries or meatballs. Meatballs for breakfast?! This may be the one exception to Molly’s “no morning meat” rule. They sound delish. Don’t get comfy though; locals enjoy their coffee and snacks while standing at the bar and move on. Starting around 11am the coffee bars start serving spritz and chips (crisps) – unlike breakfast, you can sit down for this one. Later in day, around 7 pm-ish is cicchetti (happy hour), then after 8pm, it’s time for wine with dinner.
Chrissy’s favorite bars in Italy:
– Vino Vero (Venice) – Chrissy enjoyed a cooking class in Venice with Lorenzo. (Lorenzo’s house made the favorite bar list too). He recommended his favorite at Vino Vero, Amarone wine.
Chrissy boarded her cruise ship from Venice and immediately noticed a big difference from the cruises the Boozy Blondes frequent in the Caribbean (listen to Episode 013 Booze Cruise for tips to making the most out of your weekend cruise). This particular European cruise was filled with young families, the drink package was not a priority (she was willing to bet she and Phil were the only ones with a drink package – they were ship favorites with the bartenders!), the activities were not in English, and it was a “commuter cruise” – people were boarding and debarking in all the ports. But similar to the Caribbean cruises, the ship docked in beautiful places!
The first stop was Kotor, Montenegro which was so picturesque or rather, Game of Thrones-esque, as Chrissy describes it. There were cats everywhere (they are protected), and Christmas is very big there. Chrissy recommends Caesar’s Wine Bar for the best charcuterie board and inexpensive wine.
The next port was Mykonos – a party place in season, but it was pretty much shut down when Chrissy was there. It reminded her of a little Venice and she visited Mykonos Brewing Company with Yoshi! (This is the only brewery on the island). She recommends Katerina’s Bar on water with great views and Captain’s.
There was one place Chrissy wanted to visit more than anywhere else – Santorini! “I had happy tears the whole time!” she says. While more places were open here than in Mykonos there still weren’t many tourists. If you visit, go to the Meteor Cafe in Oia and the Venetsanos Winery. Guests can take a tour here, and they offer a tasting flight with a meat and cheese board.
The last port was Bari, but Chrissy didn’t get off the boat this day. Perhaps an excuse to go back?
Chrissy’s parting tips in this episode:
You know it’s a long day of travel to get overseas – it helps to have airline club level (check out airline credit card deals if you aren’t currently a member) – long layovers = expensive bar trips otherwise
book First class on trains – she experienced both First and General fares and the ease of logistics and lack of stress in First Class is well worth the price
Pay for the international data plan for phones – download google maps and gps routes to avoid getting lost when there is no service or Internet
When in Venice, splurge for a private water taxi, not a vaparetto (Chrissy describes a vaparetto as a bus on water – it’s only 7 to 15 euro OW or you can buy daily, weekly or monthly passes, whereas a private taxi is about 90 euro but it takes your door to door rather than a random vaparetto stop. When you arrive in Venice, depending where the stop is in relation to your lodging, you may have to drag your luggage through streets quite a ways
Have you traveled to any of these locations? What are some of your must-sees?
Get ready to soak up some beach vibes with the Boozy Blondes as they pedal their way through their favorite St. Augustine Beach bars! Whether it be dive bars, boujee resorts, local haunts or tourist highlights, St. Augustine Beach has it all!
The DOE is painkillers for an extra tropical, beachy vibe. Chrissy has nailed the recipe:
5oz pineapple/OJ juice (premixed from the store)
1oz coconut milk (regular coconut milk, not the thick, super delicious stuff. The regular milk saves you calories and sugar though!)
The pub pedal tradition started July 16, 2013, when the boozy blondes corralled a handful of friends and executed an 8-mile ride, covering four bars. The route has changed over the years, but the level of excitement, fun and fabulous drinks for each journey has not. In fact, in Episode 3 (Pub Pedal – St. Augustine Craft Breweries), the girls tackle four local breweries on their bikes.
This particular pub pedal started at Little Margies FA Cafe. Little Margies is a small beachside restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and wine, beer and Champagne.
Next stop was a strenuous pedal to the top of the Embassy Suites driveway mountain (seriously, it’s pretty steep). This is not your typical Embassy Suites. It’s right on the beach and it’s stunning. The girls love this resort with the Rhum Bar, Harvest and Reel restaurant and their favorite, Castaway Cantina pool bar. You can’t not feel like you’re on vacation when you sip a tropical drink at the beautiful watering hole!
Normally on their beach pub pedals the girls stop at the St. Augustine Beach Pier for a hot dog and a game of bocce after the Embassy. The pier is home to a splash park, fishing pier and beach access. On Wednesdays in the summer it hosts Music and Art by the Sea an evening of live music, art show and food trucks. But on this particular pub pedal, the girls skipped the Pier and rode over to Jack’s BBQ.
Jack’s has been a St. Augustine Beach favorite since 1945! It’s “one block from St. Augustine Beach and features a brewery, pool, multiple bars, pool tables and unofficial mascot, Jack’s Cat.” Patrons can walk right up from the beach and enjoy a full bar and good food – especially the fries. Recently Jack’s owner Brud Helhoski opened Bootlegger Beach Brewing on site!
The St. Augustine Beach Pub Pedal ended with another beach favorite, Tides Oyster Co & Grill, otherwise lovingly known as “the old Dunes,” because Dunes Cracker was the name of this bar during early St. Augustine life for the girls. Tides offers nightly events like trivia, live music and Flip Night and serves up awesome oysters and wings.
The girls don’t have enough time (or booze tolerance) to visit all their favorite St. Augustine Beach bars during a pub pedal, so they switch up their route from time to time. Salt Life Food Shack is a new kid on the block and definitely attracts the tourists. They offer fun specials like Sushi Tuesdays and Oyster & Margarita Thursdays as well as transportation to their location if you are within a certain radius!
Beachcomber opened in the 1940s just like its neighbor across the street Jack’s and has seen some transformation over the years. Currently it offers a full bar and pretty fantastic menu! It’s the closest you can get to eating on the beach in St. Augustine; some tables are literally in the sand!
Sunset Grille is an all-time favorite for the girls. With its Key West atmosphere and extensive menu, it attracts locals and tourists alike “somewhere on A1A.” Another all-time favorite for its food is Mango Mango’s. The bar offers beer and wine and fun wine-based cocktails and homemade sangria.
Burrito Works Taco Shop and Café 11 are two other spots for fantastic food and assortment of drinks. The Taco Shop is a great spot to grab a bite after a day on the beach; and you can visit them in downtown St. Augustine as well! Café 11 is a music venue hosting some popular names and serving up delicious food – “the combination of locale and cuisine attracts tourists for weekend brunch, hipsters for the music, retirees for the pork barbecue and surfers for a daily dose of buffalo chicken panini.”
Last but definitely not least on the must-see beach bars list is Panama Hatties. Panamas recently endured a major face-lift and looks amazing. The girls have fond memories of crazy nights in the formerly beach-weathered dive bar by day/sleazy club by night and are impressed by the much-needed renovations. Panamas was first established in 2001 and reestablished in 2019.
So whether they are reminiscing of beach nights past or checking out the new establishments on the beach, the girls love St. Augustine Beach and any opportunity to lather on the sunblock and pedal their way to their next cocktail with the salty sea breeze at their backs!
Boozy Blondes 