Hello lushes! The Boozy Blondes are asking the Boozy Bros to fill their 6-packs with their favorite St. Augustine bars in this 6 Pack To-Go episode. Rainer and Phil have plenty of experience enjoying libations around their town and break down their favorites for you.
Rainer leads the episode through downtown St. Augustine and eventually moseys over the bridge. What do you think of his 6-Pack?
Forgotten Tonic | upscale drinks and food with an intimate environment. Big fans of the owner John (listen to John’s interview from Season 1! It’s Episode 004) and love the holiday theming around Halloween and Christmas!
Barley Republic | Irish pub downtown with a great happy hour and live music. Bars upstairs and downstairs with music on both levels.
Stogies | cigar bar with a great outdoor space. Big fans of the owner Jeff and love the amazing bands he brings in to play here! This is an OG and the group really appreciates how it’s remained a classic downtown for over 25 years!
Conch House | Restaurant + bar + marina, this place is another classic. Between Reggae Sundays, killer painkillers and goombay smashes, tree house dining and crow’s nest bar space, Conch House always dishes out a great time.
Rainer throws in a “bonus beer” to his pack and gives Jack’s a honorable mention – a definite group favorite. You can hear more about this episode in the above mentioned Episode 023.
Phil takes the mic next and fills his 6-pack with any place that serves beer and food. #priorities How do you rank his 6-Pack?
Ice Plant | step back in time at the Ice Plant which shares a space with the St. Augustine Distillery. Enjoy amazing craft cocktails and delicious food in this swanky spot!
Bog Brewing | The group agrees this brewery has the best logo in town – and also a great outdoor space, and of course, beer! You can hear more about Bog in the above mentioned Episode 003. Pro tip – order the torta from the permanent food truck on site, Taco My Blessing.
It’s another match! Forgotten Tonic! Phil dares to say, Forgotten Tonic serves THE BEST cocktails in town! (The group agrees!)
Old Coast Ales | Dog friendly and serving delicious brews, this brewery is at the top of Phil’s list. Order a “Christina!” It’s half kombucha, half light beer! The group loves Osprey Tacos next door too. Listen to Episode 003 to hear more about Old Coast and the infamous guac drop by the crew’s bestie, Elias!
So you heard it from some locals – these are the favorite bars in St. Augustine, and the Boozy Blondes agree! The boys filled great 6-packs! Have you visited their town? What are some of you favorite places to stop? Email the Boozy Blondes with your favorites!
On May 4, 2024, the St. Augustine Craft Brewers’ Festival celebrated its 5th Anniversary at the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida! This is basically a Boozy Blonde’s playground and the girls recap the event in this episode so you can plan for the 2025 fest!
The festival offers three different ticket types: General Admission, VIP and Designated Driver:
General: (850)available, 1pm entry time, access to food trucks, live music and unlimited tastings – tasting glass provided by Ice Mule Coolers
VIP: (100) available, get you early entry (12pm), private bathrooms, an air-conditioned pavilion and catering provided by Meehan’s Irish Pub, a local favorite. You get guaranteed parking and a private beer station plus access to everything listed in general admission ticket description.
Designated Driver tickets: all proceeds benefit Epic Behavioral Healthcare, a non-profit specializing in the prevention and treatment of substance use and mental health disorders
There were almost 30 breweries on site at this event! The girls grabbed their tasting glass and tasting glass necklace (courtesy of Fishardy Fishing Carters) and took off running towards the closest brewery. They almost hit them all!
Dog Rose Brewing Co | hear Chrissy interview owner Courtney Murr in this episode who is also the Festival Director! Dog Rose is located in St. Augustine, Florida.
Ancient City Brewing| Another hometown brewery with two locations – one downtown and one over by the St. Augustine outlets. You can hear more about Ancient City in Episode 003.
Ruby Beach Brewing | Located in downtown Jacksonville, the girls stopped here before a Jags game in 2023.
Hourglass Brewing | The girls interviewed Ashley aka FloridaHopMama in Season 2, and she gifted them a collaboration beer from here Episode 029. At the festival, Chrissy drank Macro-Dose and it was 19.2%! Molly had the Margs on Deck – a crushable summer gose with black sea salt, coriander, lime and blue agave nectar (6.4%).
Pareidolia Brewing | The blondes were so excited to meet owners Pete and Lynn! This brewery is located in Sebastian, Florida, so about 2 hours south of St. Augustine, and the girls recap their visit in Episode 020. At the festival Molly tried the Citra Surfer, Citra forward juicy IPA with notes of grapefruit and Chrissy had the Don’t Be Blue…Berry a 5.3% wheat beer, with blueberries obviously.
Cask | Cask was there – Cowford Ale Sharing Klub. This is a group open to all who are of legal drinking age and who wish to learn and share information about home brewing. They have monthly meetings at local breweries to share and sample their homebrews and even host their own competitions. The girls met some of the members at the Palatka Beer Fest in November 2023.
Cueni Brewing Co | Cueni is in Dunedin, Florida, and if you visit their taproom, you’ll see they have the best flight boards!
Fishweir Brewing Company | The girls love Fishweir. They stopped there on their first leg of the Jax Ale Trail (Episode 006)! Molly drank the Kush Terpene Hazy (with no THC) and Chrissy enjoyed the Gatorade Seltzer.
Reve Brewing Co | Reve is another Jacksonville brewery, and at the festival the blondes met the owner Eric who is also a brewer and Mike, another brewer and his wife Jennifer. They brought two beers to the festival: Light Into Ashes (6.2% hazy IPA) and Far Side of Fantasy (6% sour with cherry, lime and lactose).
Alcatraz Brewing | The girls were too late to sample their beer! So sad. They sold out quickly – another reason to get the VIP tickets. That extra hour really helps to give you a jump on all the tastings.
Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co | The girls visited Ivanhoe in Orlando, Florida, not too long ago – October 2023 and loved it! At the festival they came armed with four beers – Joyland (7% American IPA), Park Hopp’r, a 5% pilsner, Halftoberfest, a 5.42% Vienna lager and Guavacation, a 4% berliner weisse beer with guava and raspberry.
First Magnitude Brewing Co | The girls both had the Anastasia Sour here – it had the prettiest can! It was a sour beer with raspberry, hibiscus and vanilla. First Magnitude is out of Gainesville, Florida.
Old Coast Ales | This is another St. Augustine brewery you can hear more about in Episode 003. The girls love hanging out here and love Osprey Tacos next door too!
Bog Brewing Co | And Bog was also there rounding out the St. Augustine breweries! You can hear more about Bog in Episode 003.
3 Mavins Brewing | They are based out of South Florida and use simple clean ingredients in their beer like honey, agave nectar and maple syrup. They brought their Amber Lager (6.2%), Encore Session IPA (4.7%) and the Pink Lady (5.5% pale ale).
Southern Swells Brewing Co | The girls visited Southern Swells on leg 3 of the Jax Ale Trail and you can hear all the details about this brewery in Episode 050!
Southern Philosophy Brewing Co | The Boozy Blondes really connected with Gallagher and Nicole at Southern Philosophy. They are located in western Georgia, and the girls really wish they were closer! They brought four beers with them: The Lagoon (4.1% lactose free sour conditioned on coconut with pineapple, clue curacao, Sicilian lemon, lime and tangerine puree), Cinco de Mustache (5.5% Mexican lager), Chipotle Smoked Porter (6.5%) and Sowega Honey Haze (8.3% IPA).
INK Factory | Another favorite of ours – you can hear all about Ink Factory in Episode 050 Jax Ale Trail Volume 3, including the amazing burger from Hard Pressed that was on site when we went. They had two beers at the festival – Surfadelic, a hazy pale ale and Triple Whip Volume 7, a smoothie sour with pineapple, mango, key lime and white chocolate!
Azalea City | Another Boozy Blondes favorite, out of Palatka, Florida. Molly had one of her faves, Fresh Squeeze Hazy IPA, and Chrissy had the Irish Coffee Stout. You can hear from Azalea City’s owner Andrea Canover in a behind the scenes interview Episode 035.
Dees Brothers Brewery | The girls were so excited to see Dees Brothers at the festival! They are located in Sanford, Florida, and the girls had just been there a couple weeks before the festival for Sanford’s Mini Masters event. And you can hear bout Dees Brothers in Episode 034 Sanford Breweries and Bars). Dees Brothers is a great brewery with amazing beer and equally amazing food. They brought Thunder & Lightning (7% American IPA), Dees Bier (5.6% Hefeweizen), Lakeside Pilsner (5.2% Czech style pilsner) and Aquadnauts (10% Belgian-style Quad).
De Bine Brewing Co | The blondes loved Zak. Zak is the head brewer and operations manager and De Bine which is located in Palm Harbor, Florida. They brought four beers with them: Safety Glasses (5% hazy IPA), Czechered Past (5.1% pilsner), Fire the Cannons (5.4% Red Ale) and Wappy Sprayberry (Mixed Berry Wheat 6-ish%).
Aardwolf Brewing Co | Aardwolf is another downtown Jacksonville brewery! They brought some Star Wars themed beers with them for the event – Princess Leia Cake (vanilla and lemon hazy IPA), The Power of the Darkside (Empire stout with coconut, banana and peanut butter), C3Pilso (just beer) and This is the Way (pistachio coconut sour).
Whew! Be sure to start looking for tickets in March 2025. This beer festival lives up to the hype. It’s in a beautiful location and hosts A TON of amazing breweries serving up great craft brews! Don’t miss it!
The Boozy Blondes love magic. If you listened to Episode 054 | Nashville, Part 2 – House of Cards, you heard them gush about just how much they love it! In this episode the girls fill you in on all you need to know to see an amazing magic and mind-reading experience hidden right in their backyard!
The girls each have a different DOE. Molly is drinking a Blood Orange Creamsicle (learn how to make it here or beg Chrissy to do it for you!) and since Chrissy smashed her Creamsicle before recording, she opted for a mimosa. Both great morning drinks!
Bill and Rebecca Abbott are your hosts at the Magic Hideaway in the Casa Monica Hotel in the heart of St. Augustine, Florida. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Bill Abbott is an entrepreneur, magician and showman. He has performed over 5000 shows in 11 countries and is the creator of magical illusions seen on America’s Got Talent, Good Morning America and The Steve Harvey Show! Before his residency, he and his wife Rebecca frequently visited St. Augustine, and a few years ago they decided to make this beautiful city their home and opened the Magic Hideaway in the Casa Monica.
There are two shows on Saturday nights starting at 6pm or 8:30pm. The experience lasts two hours and tickets are $125 per person. With your ticket, you get
Complimentary cocktail
One-on-one magic with Bill in the Cobalt Lounge before the main show
Hour long magic and mind-reading show in the intimate Magic Hideaway room
Post show photo and autograph opportunity with Bill
The first hour is cocktail hour and one-on-one magic with Bill, then the second hour is the performance in the Magic Hideaway. When the girls arrived they were greeted by Rebecca who performed a magic trick for them. She escorted the girls to their cocktail table in the Cobalt Lounge, and a server came over to take their order. Before the show you can order food and drinks here, but the girls just enjoyed a drink. Pro-tip: order an additional drink before you enter the Magic Hideaway for the main performance. Once it starts, you can’t leave. Do this at least 20 minutes before the main show start time.
Bill performs magic tricks for each table during the cocktail hour and engages with the attendees. Before going into the Magic Hideaway he gathers everyone together for a group trick. Photography is allowed during the cocktail hour, but not during the main performance (the Boozy Blondes had an exception because of the podcast).
Rebecca leads each group to their assigned tables inside the Magic Hideaway right before the show. The room is small and intimate, so there isn’t a bad seat. The performance is about 60 minutes and is interactive. Be prepared to be involved – the girls both participated in multiple tricks! Because of the small group size, almost everyone, if not everyone, was involved at some point during the performance.
The girls don’t want to give any spoilers, so you’ll have to visit for yourself. Be sure to get your pictures with Bill following the show; it feels like a red carpet moment! The Boozy Blondes had an amazing evening and would definitely go back for another show. They were lucky enough to have a few minutes to interview Bill and Rebecca after the show, so be sure to tune in to this episode to hear what they have to say about the best magic tricks and how they ended up in St. Augustine, Florida!
Here’s a recap of what to remember:
Dress to impress. The Casa Monica is swanky, and this is an opportunity to sparkle and shine!
Remember photography is only allowed during the cocktail hour.
Order an extra drink before you go into the Magic Hideaway room.
Share your thoughts and photos with the girls at boozyblondespodcast@gmail.com if you attend, and when you check in, be sure to let Rebecca know the Boozy Blondes sent you!
General Admission Tickets are $50 ($60 at the gate) or you can get VIP tickets for $120, which give you access to the festival an hour early, plus extra VIP perks.
The Craft Brewers’ Festival features unlimited beer tastings from over 25 craft breweries from North and Central Florida and the surrounding areas. And bonus! You get a custom souvenir tasting glass.
This festival is more than just beer. There’s live music, food trucks and fun boozy vendors like the Boozy Blondes who will be there getting their drink on and passing out swag so make sure you say hello and claim your free Boozy Blondes koozies and stickers.
Here’s a list of some of the breweries you can sample at the Craft Brewers’ Festival:
The Boozy Blondes did it! Season 2 is in the books. It was full of special guests, amazing travel destinations and so much fun!
The girls celebrate this milestone with, what else, Champagne as their DOE! They reflect back on the 2023 season and highlight their guests, top moments, struggles and wins.
Those Boozy Blondes sure had a great group of boozy friends joining them in Season 2:
One of the blondes’ most favorite parts of creating and hosting this podcast is connecting with and meeting other amazing people passionate about the beverage industry! They are incredibly grateful for the time and enthusiasm all their guests provided this season (and in Season 1) for the Boozy Blondes Podcast!
Tune in to this episode to hear Chrissy’s favorite moments from this season (running the gamut from Paris, France to the Jax Beach Waffle House!) and how well Molly did meeting the goals she set for herself in Season 1.
The girls look forward to Season 3 and have fun libation vacations planned already! They are sending you a big cheers and thank you for reading this blog and listening to their ridiculous, yet resourceful, podcast. CHEERS!
If you’ve been listening to the Boozy Blondes over these past two seasons, you’ve learned they love their food and booze festivals! This episode reviews another fun festival – right in their own backyard at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park! If you like booze, local eats, music and animals (especially reptiles), this fest is for you!
Similar to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival in Episode 016 and Busch Gardens Bier Fest in Episode 015, CROCtoberfest pairs great drinks with great munchies at a place that offers extra entertainment (in this case a zoo!) to keep fest-goers busy while they enjoy sampling around the park. Unlike Epcot and Busch Gardens, there is much less real estate to cover as you wind through the park to the sampling booths, and major bonus, everything is included with your admission ticket!
The DOE is Lavender Lemonade by Jacksonville’s Camp Craft Cocktails gifted by Field Drinker Tanya to the Boozy Blondes (thanks, Tanya!). These cute concoctions housed in mason jars come in a variety of fun flavors – just add your choice of liquor! Easy and delicious!
As stated earlier, all food, drinks, animal viewing and music are included with the price of admission – plus you get a souvenir mason jar glass! Tickets are $75 for general admission and $150 for VIP – and $40 for designated drivers! If you’re reading this before October 7, 2023 (2023 festival date), click here to see ticket options. (If you’re reading this after that date, be sure to check back next year for ticket options and details!)
CROCtoberfest announces vendors on its Alligator Farm social media sites, so be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram. In 2022, the girls visited all the booths at the festival! #overachievers
The girls talk about the pros and cons of this event but both agree, they would love the opportunity to attend again and would highly recommend this festival to all their boozy friends and designated drivers out there! Listen to this episode to hear about all drinks and food the girls sampled and some tips and tricks for attending.
PROS
CONS
offers local St. Augustine beer
one day only each year
not as crowded as other festivals
during hurricane season
good pricing
some vendors ran out of food and/or beer early
opportunity to see animals
Have you been to CROCtoberfest? Do you have another awesome boozy fesitval the blondes should know about? Send them a message below or on Instagram!
Patti Southard and Wayne Lake opened Casa de Vino 57 about five years ago. From day one, their goal was to make everyone who visited the cozy wine bar tucked away on Treasury Street in St. Augustine feel like friends and family. The Boozy Blondes can attest – they felt so welcome and comfortable chatting with Patti and Wayne, they hung out for three hours after the interview, only dragging themselves away when their husbands said it was getting late and they were coming to pick them up!
While Wayne stuck to water during the interview, Patti enjoyed a glass of sparkling pinot noir rose, and the blondes shared a wine flight, which looked more like a wine tower! They loved the presentation of the flight and were told to drink from the bottom to the top (lighter wines are on the bottom of the flight and the wines get bolder as they go up).
Patti and Wayne got together years ago over their love of wine and dreamed of opening a wine bar. Wayne had years of experience working with wine, and Patti had years of experience drinking wine! Perfect! They found the property at 57 Treasury Street which included a beautiful courtyard and apartment above the downstairs bar. The original structure was the Joaneda House and built in 1806. It is one of the ten oldest structures in St. Augustine on the narrowest street in all of America!
In addition to its boutique wine selections, Casa de Vino 57 also offers beer and wine-based cocktails as well as amazing charcuterie boards with vegan cheese options! They host monthly wine walks and Full Moon Tastings as well as live music Thursdays – Sundays! You can join the Wine Club and schedule private wine tastings.
Be sure to follow Casa de Vino 57 on Facebook and Instagram and keep up with their website to stay in the know for all the fun events!
So sad – the Boozy Blondes are still apart! But you can eavesdrop on their happy hour call when you listen to this episode!
Backed by the marsh and the Florida sun, Molly is drinking 903 BrewersBirthday Xtrafunfetti Sasquatch Imperial Stout (11.3% double milk imperial stout – not pictured – that was her pre-call cocktail) while Chrissy took in the view high in the mountains sipping on wine from her Wine Insiders shipment (listen to Episode 011 – Booze Delivery: Winc, Wine Insiders, Beer Drop, Drizly and More! to learn about great booze delivery services tested by the blondes).
Back in St. Augustine after a cold Christmas in PA, Molly has been enjoying her favorite bars downtown and the laid back beach bars (listen to Episode 023 – Pub Pedal: St. Augustine Beach Bars: Jack’s BBQ, Salt Life, Beachcombers, Sunset Grille, Mango Mango’s and More!) and finally snagged the Sunset Grille t-shirt! Molly’s parents were in town, so of course, she brought them to Forgotten Tonic to check out the festive Miracle Bar (listen to Episode 004 – Behind the Booze – Forgotten Tonic Interview with John Moore).
Their visit posed a great question – is it okay to drink a Bloody Mary after the morning hours? The girls will reveal the popular vote during their Happy Hour Volume 3 call. Molly says yes, Chrissy says no.
Still in the chilly mountains of north Georgia, Chrissy has been exploring local breweries and came across a hidden gem – White Side Brewing. It sounds like she stumbled upon a Great Gatsby party! Oh, and bonus, Chrissy took 2nd place in the annual Tournament of Champions (TOC)! (Have you had the pleasure of listening to that episode yet?) And after a hike to Sunset Rock, Chrissy enjoyed her well-earned drink at The High Dive in Highlands, NC. Chrissy also raved about her hangover-free wine drinking thanks to the Ullo Wine Filter – try it for yourself and drink more wine! #worthit
The blondes will be reunited again soon, but until then, listen in while their spill their adventures, new boozy concoctions (Chrissy’s Garden Party Spritz is a must-try!) and shout-outs to the special people who made an impact during the week – in this episode shout outs to Rachel Molina (TOC competitor) and John Moore (Forgotten Tonic). Don’t forget to post a question via DM on the Boozy Blondes Instagram – like @chandrasekharkartik did and really stumped Molly.
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!
Wander off the beaten path and join the Boozy Blondes as they interview John Moore, the owner of Forgotten Tonic in St. Augustine, Florida.
Forgotten Tonic in St. Augustine, Florida
The DOE is a Chai Espresso Martini featured on Half Baked Harvest (vodka, kaluha, espresso, coconut milk, chai-honey syrup). The girls chose this drink in honor of all the tasty craft cocktails the team at Forgotten Tonic serves up.
Forgotten Tonic is a great locals bar and hidden gem for tourists on historic Aviles (pronounced Av-ah-lees) Street. John was in the process of rebranding this location when the pandemic hit, so when restrictions were lifted in June 2020, Forgotten Tonic celebrated its re-opening and has been a favorite for the blondes.
Chrissy meets John for donuts (and Boozy coffee) to learn more about John and his bar. Surprisingly, he wasn’t always in the food industry. He went to college for Electrical Engineering and when he started working after graduation, he soon realized he did not have a passion for it.
He went to work at PF Chang’s and loved it! He started as a busboy, moved to bartender, then national trainer and he opened new locations, and then went into management. After PF Chang’s John went to work with a former coworker who opened his own bbq restaurant in Jacksonville. Here he learned all about whisky and helped open more restaurants around Jacksonville. Soon after, he decided he wanted to open his own bar and restaurant and found the location on Aviles Street.
Before Forgotten Tonic was the trendy bar and restaurant featuring “modern twists on comfort food, an extensive wine list and craft cocktails,” it was a bicycle shop, sailboat sail material shop, art gallery, a few other restaurants and one of the first public schools in the country!
Miracle Christmas-themed Pop Up Bar Party
John talks about the reality of owning a bar. What the guests see is 1% of reality. In the interview, hear some of the other 99% of what happens and things John wished he knew before opening.
Forgotten Tonic was chosen as a Miracle Christmas-themed pop up bar again (2020 first year). This is a huge honor as only about 100 bars around the world are chosen (105-110 in 2020). Forgotten Tonic was referred by Annie of Death or Glory in Delray Beach. The Miracle bar is like National Lampoons house threw up inside Forgotten Tonic – so many fun decorations, themed drinks and glassware. All Miracle Pop Up bars donate a percentage of retail purchases to a specific charity, this year the James Beard Foundation, Open For Good Campaign. Forgotten Tonic donates 10% of Miracle retail sales to this cause.
Boozy Blondes with Their “Nice” Shots
The Wolfpack went before Christmas and got two SanTaRex drinks (blanco tequila, mezcal, melon liqueur, almond orgeat, lime, tiki bitters), Yippee Ki Yay Motherf****r (Barbados rum, rhum agricole, overproof rum, ube & coconut orgeat, acid-adjusted pineapple juice) and Elfin’ Around (prosecco, gin, mulled wine reduction, grapefruit shrub, aromatic bitters, orange bitters). Plus Nice shots. 🎅
You still have time to check it out this year! The Miracle bar is open November 20, 2021 – January 31, 2022. Please share your pictures with us if you go! Keep up with Forgotten Tonic through its Facebook and Instagram accounts. Reservations are accepted and recommended by booking through its website or calling directly.
Boozy Blondes 