Season 1, Travel - Where to Drink

Episode 015 | Busch Gardens Bier Fest

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What could be better than thrill rides, a safari, you best friends and a beer festival?! Not much, according to the Boozy Blondes. That’s why they love the annual Tampa Bay Busch Gardens Bier Fest!

The girls sip on one of their favorite bourbons, Woodford Reserve.ย  There was a special Woodford tasting tent at Bier Fest where the girls definitely spent some time!

So last year, Bier Fest ran on every weekend from August 13 – October 31. The 2022 dates for Bier Fest are only Aug 12 – Sept 5! Thatโ€™s not even a full month! But unlike 2021, it does not coincide with Howl-o-Scream (much to Mollyโ€™s delight). So there is a small window, but if you can make it, GO. The blondes loved it and would absolutely attend again.

The girls are huge Epcot Food & Wine Festival fans (listen to the Disney Drinking – Epcot Food & Wine Festival in two weeks!), and they both agreed Busch Gardens felt like a mini version of that – with more rides, more animals, less crowds and less cost. A definite win!

With your Busch Gardens admission ticket you have access to Bier Fest. Each item, food or beverage, is sold ala carte. Food ranges from about $6 – $10 per item, and drinks are about $11. BUT! They offer a sampler ticket! This is a must-have. If you listened to the Booze Cruise episode, youโ€™ll remember the girls discussing the drink package. They both love to purchase this ahead of time so the trip is worry-free when it comes to tallying up drink costs. This Busch Gardens Bier Fest Sampler is kind of like that. When purchased, the holder gets a card with a lanyard that gets punched with each sample – food or beverage (note, it’s full size food offerings, but 7oz beer or cocktail samples). Prepay and taste away!

The girls started out slow, hoarding their punches while they rode rides and explored the park, but with one hour to spare they realized they had a lot of drinking to do! As the tents were preparing the close, the girls rushed around collecting samples to fulfill the Sampler – beer, wine, bourbon – they had it all!

Both girls loved the bison sliders – that was the favorite food of the day. Unless you count the sugarcane straws that came with the girlsโ€™ mixed drinks. Chrissy ate her straw faster than she drank her drink!

Much of this episode talks about Howl-o-Scream and Halloween Horror Nights – places Chrissy desperately wants to take Molly who is insistent that she will never go. Be sure to listen to this episode if you want to join Chrissy in the โ€œletโ€™s scare the sh!t out of Mollyโ€ campaign.ย 

If you are considering visiting Busch Gardens Bier Fest, this episode is a must listen to. The girls talk about the ups and downs of the fest, some of the rides they enjoyed and animals they encountered. If you attend this year, or have in the past, definitely share your experience and pictures with the Boozy Blondes!

Season 1, Travel - Where to Drink

Episode 013 | Booze Cruise Vol. 1

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In this episode the Boozy Blondes get in vacation mode, sipping their official go-to cruise drinks, talking all things cruising. If you could consider cruising a sport, the girls would take first place every time. Chrissy is an old vet at the cruise game and taught Molly her ways โ€“ even though she has a long way to catch up to Chrissyโ€™s experience, Molly is a quick learner and together the girls absolutely crush cruising.

The DOE and official go-to cruise drink is spiced rum and ginger beer. At home, the girls typically use Captain Morgan or Sailor Jerryโ€™s for rum, but they are split on the ginger beer. Chrissy prefers Goya brand for its extra spice and Molly prefers Fever Tree or Q Mixers (because she doesnโ€™t like flavor especially spice).

When on the cruises, the girls go with Kraken rum while the boys love Zacapa. On Chrissy’s group birthday cruise in 2019, the group was known as the Zacapa crew; all the bartenders knew thatโ€™s what the group was drinking when theyโ€™d walk up to the bars!

For years Molly was convinced she should never step foot on a cruise ship. Every time she was invited, and even times when she had them booked, something would happen that prevented her from going. Finally in 2018 the sun and the stars and the moon aligned, and her butt got on that ship. And she was hooked! โ€œCruise Mollyโ€ is the happiest person you will ever meet, and Chrissy was thrilled because her partner in crime would now scheme with her to get on even more cruises.

So even though the girls are obsessed and highly recommend cruising anytime you can, cruising is not for everyone. While the girls have avoided getting seasick, some people are more sensitive to that. Others feel claustrophobic being stuck on the ship. And there are stereotypes with cruising โ€“ the short weekend cruises are non-stop partying benders and the week-long cruises are full of old people. Just remember, itโ€™s what YOU make it.

At time of recording, the girls have only ever cruised on Royal Caribbean (since then, Chrissy has cruised overseas on a different cruise line), and they love it. The following information applies to cruising on Royal Caribbean โ€“ the girls arenโ€™t sure if the same rules apply on other cruise lines.

Most if not all cruise lines have a private island, and Royal Caribbeanโ€™s CocoCay has really upped its game over the years. In 2019, they opened the newly renovated island. They built a dock all the way to the ship so you no longer have to take a tender (those are not fun) and built cabanas, pools and a water park!

So as Boozy Blondes, the girls are huge fans of purchasing the drink package ahead of time โ€“ the deluxe beverage package which includes booze, of course. Before your cruise, watch the website for sales because itโ€™s close to $100/day without any discounts. Having peace of mind when it comes to an all-inclusive experience makes the girls happy, as opposed to keeping track of how many drinks theyโ€™ve had and wondering what that final bill will look like at the end of the cruise. The drink package also works on the private island, so you donโ€™t have to pay for your drinks individually there โ€“ there are exceptions, like the pineapple drinks. Those are not included. They are super sticky, but make great pictures!

The drink package includes bottled water, coffee, discounts on bottles of wine and tastings too! Speaking of wine, you are also allowed to bring two bottles per stateroom on board with you. Even if you purchase the drink package, itโ€™s nice to have these bottles in your room for while youโ€™re getting ready or relaxing on the balcony. #backupbooze

The girls put together some lists for you โ€“ including their favorite things about cruising, pro-tips, packing tips and general things you need to know.

Favorite things:

  1. The fact that you wake up in a new place every day
  2. Great for group trips โ€“ everyone does their own booking, can customize to their preferences
  3. Itโ€™s a choose your own adventure trip โ€“ so many options
  4. The themed parties (provided by ship or you plan one for your group)
  5. All the games โ€“ trivia, bingo, casino
  6. Live music
  7. Dinners โ€“ gluttonous but so fun and always delicious
  8. Drink package โ€“ the girls love getting boozy โ€œfor freeโ€ (they pay ahead of time, they know)

Pro tips:

  1. Watch for discounts online and purchase packages and excursions before you leave
  2. Bring 2 bottles of wine per stateroom on board
  3. Go to Windjammer in the AM โ€“ they sometimes have carts with mimosa and other drinks
  4. Make friends with your servers โ€“ they will take excellent care of you and customize your dining experience

Things to know:

  1. Tips/gratuity is included in price of cruise, but bring cash for servers and housekeeping for end of trip
  2. No irons in room โ€“ can get laundry service
  3. Some cruises come with drink packages and some offer different tiers
  4. You can reserve event space for private parties โ€“ and some rooms are free! Others you pay for with private bar and bartender
  5. For the drink package, all persons in stateroom must buy it if one person does
  6. You can get non-alcohol drink packages
  7. You can order water service to have bottles delivered to your room

Packing Tips:
(listen to Pack Like a Booze Traveler for more ideas)

  1. Inner tubes + bungees
  2. Special cruise cups (like the boozy blondes cups above)
  3. Plastic bags for wet clothes
  4. Dry erase boards
  5. Lanyard + hole punch
  6. Command or 3M hooks
  7. Pump hand soap

Itโ€™s always good to research your ports before you go. While the cruise line offers excursions, you can find some pretty awesome places on your own. The girls found Rip Tyโ€™d in Nassau on their most recent cruise, and met Christine, the owner, while they were there. Watch for the Behind the Booze episode to launch later this year!

Do you have pro tips for the girls when it comes to cruising? Please share them in the comments!

Resources and Ridiculousness, Season 1

Episode 011 | Booze Delivery: Winc, Wine Insiders, Beer Drop, Drizly and More!

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The Boozy Blondes get deep in this episode as they reflect on the idea that time is the one thing you canโ€™t buy more of or make more of. Once itโ€™s gone, itโ€™s gone. Which makes booze delivery services so valuable. It saves the girls vital time when their life-stream is brought straight to them! And reallyโ€ฆis there anything better than having booze delivered right to your door? 

The market has been flooded with different options of booze delivery services. Where do you start? Which offers the best deals? Who has the best selection? Can you gift delivery services? In this episode the girls break down nine services while enjoying a glass of their DOE: 19 Crimes Red Blend mini bottles. They reference this beverage in their โ€œPack Like a Booze Travelerโ€ episode. You are sure to always find these mini bottles in both Chrissyโ€™s and Mollyโ€™s travel bags. And fun fact, the most popular booze variety to be delivered is wine.

Currently 44 states allow delivery of alcohol – and itโ€™s important to note this can differ by county in each state, so check your areaโ€™s rules before placing any orders. 

So going back to the most popular delivery, wine. The girls have tried 6 different services:

WINC (Get $20 off your first order here!)

  • 3 bottles/month ($39)
    • Sustainably sourced 
    • Offer most low sugar, organic and vegan options

WINE INSIDERS
*this is Chrissyโ€™s fave

  • High quality/ low price
  • Not subscription 
  • Free shipping with 6 bottles or more
  • Pick up locations if not home
  • Offer mystery box deals (all reds, all whites, mix)

FIRST LEAF

  • 6 bottles/month ($90)

NAKED WINES

  • $40/month membership and you can use that $40 toward purchase
  • Supports independent and small wine makers

BRIGHT CELLARS

  • wine matching quiz for taste profile
  • 4 bottles/month ($80)

VINESSE 

  • $99/ month, six bottles reserved for you – you can accept, decline or delay your bottles

Next the girls discuss delivery services specific to beer:

BEER DROP

  • great selection of beer
  • Easy to work with
  • AI-driven assortment (quiz)
  • Access to small breweries
  • $39/month
  • You can send this to someone – Molly received a Beer Drop delivery from Chrissy!

 TAVOUR

  • virtual case to fill with beer
  • Beer from 47 states (limited number released)
  • Ships to you once full

All-inclusive – wine, beer and liquor:

DRIZLY (Support our podcast by using our affiliate link here)

  • shop all local retailers and price check
  • Delivery under 60 minutes 
  • You can buy someone a drink through Drizly (Chrissy was gifted this from her brother!) As a gift, the recipient is notified and then can choose when to schedule delivery

TOTAL WINE

  • unsure how far delivery radius is? In Jacksonville, Florida, Total Wine does offer delivery services as far north as Amelia Island and as far south as St. Augustine.
  • Online ordering available for pickup, curbside or delivery. Chrissy has placed orders ahead of time and has her Boozy counterpart deliver (#phoneafriend)

The girls wrap up the episode as they do most, with their Fast Five questions. One of the questions was what drinks would you have delivered from a bar if you could and Chrissy answered Christmas drinks from Forgotten Tonic. Learn more about these drinks in our Behind the Booze with John Moore episode.

With so many options to choose from, the girls would love to hear your favorite delivery services! Leave a comment if you have a go-to. 

Resources and Ridiculousness, Season 1

Episode 010 | St. Patty’s Day

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They say on St. Patrickโ€™s Day, everyone is Irish. When it comes to the Boozy Blondes, Chrissy has Irish in her blood and Molly has Irish in her name. So naturally, the girls love celebrating this religious Irish holiday (being celebrated by the Irish for over 1000 years)! But as you listen to this episode, youโ€™ll learn St. Pattyโ€™s Day boozy celebrations are more of an American party day than Irish party day.

The DOE is Glazed Over by Mobcraft Beer. In case you didnโ€™t follow the Boozy Blondes Instagram account (@boozy.blondes) over December, the girls celebrated the 24 days leading up to Christmas with a Mobcraft Beer Advent Calendar. Glazed Over is a 7.6% Imperial Cream Ale brewed with whole glazed doughnuts and honey, sprinkled with cinnamon, vanilla and just a hint of maple. One of the girlsโ€™ favorites out of the calendar.

While itโ€™s a religious holiday, most Americans celebrate St. Patrickโ€™s Day as a drinking holiday.  Green beer, whisky, Guinnessโ€ฆeveryone is Irish on St. Pattyโ€™S Day, right? Parades are a St. Pattyโ€™s Day staple and fun fact – the very first St. Pattyโ€™s Day parade in the whole world was held not in Ireland, but the Boozy Blondesโ€™ hometown of St. Augustine in 1601! And the Boozy Blondesโ€™ original hometown of Scranton, PA, has one of the largest St. Patrickโ€™s Day parades in the country! Scrantonโ€™s โ€œParade Dayโ€ is actually the second largest in the country for a city its size. The largest St. Pattyโ€™s Day parade in the world is in New York City; the parade in Dublin is #3.

The girls look forward to celebrating St. Pattyโ€™s Day in St. Augustine every year, especially when they are in town to attend Celtic Music & Heritage Festival. Whatโ€™s better than celebrating in the first US town that ever held a St. Patrickโ€™s Day party?! This year St. Augustineโ€™s Celtic Fest is March 12-13, 2022, at Francis Field in downtown St. Augustine. Celtic Fest is a 2-day celebration of music (with performances from bands like Albanach, Steel City Rovers and Jamison), food, booze, shopping, Highland games and kid areas. Daily passes are $15, but you can purchase a 2-day VIP pass for $80. This VIP pass gets you access to all listed above but also includes a free beer, t-shirt, special area access and private bathrooms.

Friday night (March 11th) hosts a whiskey tasting for $50. The Boozy Blondes bought their tickets minutes after they recorded this episode. They will get to sample 7 whiskies and learn the stories/history behind them. We’ll see if the girls remember the stories after sampling all that whiskey…

For the Boozy Blondes, no St. Pattyโ€™s Day is complete without the perfect costumes, and you can expect to see the girls decked out in their Celtic green! They would love to see your St. Pattyโ€™s Day dubs, so be sure to share your pictures and tag @boozy.blondes on Instagram!

Whether or not you attend Celtic Fest or the St. Pattyโ€™s Day parade in St. Augustine, there are plenty of great bars and restaurants to visit to soak in the Irish culture, no matter what time of year. Some of the blondesโ€™ recommendations are Barley Republic, Meehans, Bull & Crown, Kings Head British Pub, Ann Oโ€™Malleys and Chatsworth (with amazing Guinness stew).

Slรกinte!

Season 1, Travel - Where to Drink

Episode 009 | Keel & Curley Farm

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The Boozy Blondes dug out their boots, hats, overalls and plaid and spent the day down on the farm – Keel Farms…and Winery…and Brewery. Yes, so many fun things all on one piece of property! Quick background – Keel Farms was started by Joe Keel in 1981 across 10 acres in Plant City, Florida. In 2003 it transformed to a nursery for blueberries, and Joe used the end of year crop of blueberries to make wine. His first batch was 10 gallons.

By 2013 the farm expanded to 35 acres and regularly produced craft beers and ciders…along with the wine, of course. In 2018 Joe’s son Clay and his wife Carmen took over and focused on making the farm a family friendly, fun place to visit with dedication to sustainability and community.

The DOE is Dog Rose Crewing Company’s Lion’s Head Honey Sour, a 5.2% kettle sour with honey made by the bees posting up in the lion’s head at the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine!

Keel Farms is definitely a destination, and the girls loved every minute spent on the farm. They happened to visit on Halloween, and there was a special event that day benefitting a big dog rescue. Because of its popularity the girls arrived right at 11am when it opened to try to get a table (they had called weeks prior to make a reservation, but they were already booked up – so, plan your trip well in advance). You know how important food is to the girls, and if they wanted to try a variety of ciders, wines and beers, they need to start with a good base!

Because of the special even, Keel Farms was offering the deal of a lifetime – at least it felt like the deal of a lifetime that day. If you said at the bar, for $10 you could get a bottomless flute. With your flute, you could try ANYTHING Keel Farms had on tap! This was a dream come true for the Boozy Blondes! (And Phil!) They tried almost everything on tap and both agreed the favorite was the seasonal pumpkin cider.

The food was delicious. They shared the fried gator tail as an appetizer, which had a surprisingly beautiful presentation! Rainer had the Cubano, Molly had the Wine Smash Burger and Phil & Chrissy split the Blue + Bleu Smash Burger.

After tasting until their hearts’ content, the girls got full sized pumpkin ciders and took off to explore the farm (and walk off those burgers). Keel Farms encourages guests to wander the property with a drink in hand, and the girls did just that. They had booked a tour, and Elizabeth was their tour guide. Full of dad jokes and an expert tractor driver, Elizabeth took the group through the production site and spent a little time with the Boozy Blondes following the tour (listen to her interview in this episode).

There is so much to do at Keel Farms, the girls want to go back as soon as they can. When they return, some must-dos include:

  1. Talk to Omar, head brewer
  2. Try Pecan Brown Ale
  3. Attend another event supporting the community
  4. Bring more friends
  5. Yoga in the vineyard
  6. Other tours (especially if Elizabeth is the tour guide)

Make sure to follow Keel & Curley Farms on its Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up with all the fun events they host throughout the year like trivia nights, live music, wine and flower arranging, charcuterie board making, 5k wine runs, etc.

As always, share your experience with the blondes! If you’ve been to Keel & Curley Farms, share your pictures and tell them about your experience through the Anchor app or in the comments below!

Resources and Ridiculousness, Season 1

Episode 008 | Tailgating!

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The Boozy Blondes cover the fine art of tailgating. Yes, itโ€™s an art. Itโ€™s what the blondes look forward to most before (and sometime during) any outdoor event! Their experience over the years has led them to compile a valuable list of tailgating must-haves. Read on and follow the Amazon link at the end of this entry to access the ultimate tailgate accessory list.

The drink of the episode (DOE) is Pinot Noir. What?! Totally not a traditional tailgating go-to libationโ€ฆunless youโ€™re Chrissy who downed her weight in White Zin during her college years. Think about that. Running around, playing yard games, causing ruckus, chugging white zin. (Anyone else getting mouth sweats?)

When the blondes recorded this episode it was the start of Fantasy Football season. Molly (Fantasy Team, White Knucklers, shout out to The League) was 1-4, getting killed. We are happy to report this Boozy Blonde made an amazing comeback and took 3rd place in the Central Florida League!!!

During this episode the Boozy Blondes talk about the history of tailgating in their lives, and reminisce about tailgate days together over the years. Favorite tailgates include University of Central Florida (UCF) games and OAR concerts at The Amp. With their competitive nature the blondes always include games at their tailgates. Beer pong, Frisbeer and Flip Cup are their faves.

Chrissyโ€™s favorite tailgate ever took place August 30, 2014, in Dublin, Ireland. UCF played Penn State in the Croke Park Classic. (Days) prior to the game fans partied/tailgated at bars in Temple Bar Terrace. What better place for a tailgate than Dublin?! Game day was exciting – it was a close game, but the Nittany Lions pulled out a victory in the final seconds with a 36-yard field goal kicked by Sam Ficken. Boooooooo.

Living in St. Augustine, the Boozy Blondes arenโ€™t far from Jacksonville, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. TIAA Bank offers a Tailgaters Lot – a dream come true for Chrissy and Molly! Traditional tailgating yard, real bathrooms (not outhouses), a full bar and TVs! Airstream Ventures have also got into the tailgate game by opening up River City Railway across from the Tailgaters Lot, 25 rail cars available to rent out!  This is a must-do for the Boozy Blondes!

Dream tailgates – both blondes chose NFL events for their bucket list spots. Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers) for Molly and the Superdome (New Orleans Saints) for Chrissy. Both girls love the energy and team pride both cities emulate during game day and want to be a part of it.

So what do you think? Where should the Boozy Blondes experience tailgating? What are your favorite tailgate games? Favorite tailgate foods and drinks? The girls would love to hear from you, so send your thoughts through Anchor, comment on this blog entry or send an email!

Check out the Boozy Blondesโ€™ ultimate tailgate list here. Cheers!

Resources and Ridiculousness, Season 1, Travel - Where to Drink

Episode 007 | Pack Like a Booze Traveler

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Hotels have become a home away from home for the boozy blondes, so much so that they streamlined the packing process to ensure their stays include the comforts of home – throughout their stay at their home away from home. Itโ€™s got to be homey, right?

The DOE for this episode is Coppertailโ€™s Rum Passionfruit Lime Sour, a fruited Berliner Weiss with passionfruit, lime, bittering herbs, and aged on Gambler’s Bay Spiced Rum-soaked oak staves.

In this episode the girls explain packing hacks to make your stay more comfortable. Theyโ€™ve even included a list so you can score some of these overnight must-haves!

Some quick tips –

  1. Wine drinkers – grab the mini bottles. These donโ€™t depend on bottle openers, and if you bring a regular sized bottle but donโ€™t finish it (what? Is that a thing??), you donโ€™t have to worry about transporting it back or dumping it if youโ€™re getting on an airplane.
  2. Invest in a hot pot. Hotel room coffee makers are nasty. This handy device boils water in just a minute or two, and you can use this for instant coffee, tea, oatmeal, etc!
  3. Bring plastic cups with lids (as found on Amazon). These are perfect for roadies or in-room drinks. No one wants to drink out of the germy, dirty hotel room glasses (insert Rainer gag here).
  4. Obviously you need something to fill these cups so grab your favorite beer or liquor and mixer!

Listening to the episode before your next trip is sure to help you plan to make your stay more comfortable and make your future self very happy. A list of the travel must-haves can be found here.

Is there something the girls forgot? Share your travel must-haves and hacks in the comments below!

**Side note, during the episode the blondes questioned whether or not cabins have refrigerators on cruise ships. They do!

Season 1, Travel - Where to Drink

Episode 006 | Jax Ale Trail – Vol. 1: Lemonstreet Brewing, Tabula Rasa, Fishweir and Buchner’s Bierhalle

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Just north of the blondesโ€™ hometown of St. Augustine is the city of Jacksonville. Fun fact, Jacksonville is the largest city by landmass in the continental US. DUUUVAL! This means there is plenty of space for delicious breweries. Visiting them all would take a lot of time and dedication – two things the Boozy Blondes devote to research for their podcast!

Molly & Chrissy on the JAX Ale Trail

Jacksonville is home to the Jax Ale Trail – a collection of 22 breweries across the greater Jacksonville area. In this episode the blondes make it to 3 (plus a bonus German Speakeasy)! So looks like they will be devoting a lot more time to exploring the Jax Ale Trail! If the other 19 breweries are half as good and fun as these first three, the girls have a lot to look forward to!

The Jax Ale Trail passport can be picked up at any one of the 22 breweries and passport owners earn prizes as they collect stamps:

  • 4 stamps = a koozie
  • 8 stamps = a t-shirt
  • All 2 stamps = ??? Itโ€™s a surprise! The blondes really want to earn this one!

To earn your rewards, drop off your passport at the visitors center at 110 N Laura Street, Suite 120 in downtown Jacksonville.

The DOE is Chocolait from Fishweir Brewing – a barrel aged sour with chocolate and orange.

Lemonstreet Brewing Company

First stop on the Jax Ale Trail was Lemonstreet Brewing. It has such a great space! So many private spaces to hang out in. Gabe was the bartender (also Director of Sales for Lemonstreet) and served the girls a flight. The favorite was Pink Automation, a sour with pineapple, jalapeรฑo and hibiscus. The food truck on site was To Be Frank serving delicious hot dogs!

Next stop was Tabula Rasa, not far away. Corey was the bartender here serving the girls a flight. Owner Ryan gave the girls the โ€œciderโ€ to try called Thorin Appleshild. Technically itโ€™s not a cider – brewing cider requires a different license in Florida because itโ€™s considered to be in the same category as wine. Each state is different, for example in PA, ciders are considered to be in the beer category. ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ Regardless it was delicious! It is an ale brewed with apple cider and finished in bourbon barrels for 5 months.

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa has a beautiful outdoor area with fire pits and frisbee golf. They offer sโ€™more kits and host open mic nights!

Th final stop on the Jax Ale Trail was Fishweir Brewing in the Murray Hill neighborhood. As sour lovers, the girls were thrilled to choose from so many options! Fishweir also offers Champagne drinks – Champagne + your choice of sour on tap. Fishweir has a light and airy welcoming feel and offers lots of events, including โ€œPosture & Pintsโ€ on Sundays!

Chrissy at Fishweir

With three stamps on their passports, the blondes decided to check out one more place. They had heard of a German Speakeasy located on the same street as Fishweir. They located Buchnerโ€™s Bierhalle after walking through Blackhat Vapor. Buchnerโ€™s is amazing; itโ€™s like walking into a different world!

Buchnerโ€™s has an extensive menu including five different charcuterie boards! After a day full of drinking beer, the girls switched to wine and enjoyed a charcuterie board, giant soft pretzel and schnitzel – a great way to end the day in Jacksonville.

Boozy Blondes with Ryan in front of Buchner’s

Buchnerโ€™s has a large outdoor beer garden with long picnic tables and hosts numerous events throughout the year including an Oktoberfest celebration, of course! Ryan was the girlsโ€™ server and was fantastic – if you visit, ask for Ryan and tell him the Boozy Blondes sent you!

This biggest takeaway from the first leg of the Jax Ale Trail is to get recommendations from the bartenders. The girls enjoyed so many different beers they probably would not have tried otherwise. Molly would never go for a beer with spice (like the jalapeรฑos in Pink Automation) and Chrissy shies away from ciders because they are typically super sweet (Tabula Rasaโ€™s cider beer was not sweet).

Have you been to any of the breweries in the ale trail? Share with us – #jaxaletrail #onlyinjax

Stay tuned for our second leg! We will have earned our koozie after that!

Foundations, Finales and Fuddled, Season 1

Episode 005 | Get to Know the Boozy Blonds

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Get to know the Boozy Blondes in this episode! The DOE is Pink Automation from Lemonstreet Brewing in Jacksonville, Florida. This was the girlsโ€™ fave from Lemonstreet (sour with Jalapeรฑo and hibiscus flavors) when they visited during the JAX Ale Trail, Vol 1 (episode coming January 13, 2022).

The idea for this podcast is Chrissyโ€™s brainchild – she had a dream the girls started a podcast and told Molly about it, who was 100% on board! The girls travel a lot, so they want this podcast to be a resource for other booze travelers as they recommend different bars, breweries, distilleries and wineries from the places they visit. They also share interviews with owners and management personnel from some of their most favorite watering holes.

Another reason for the podcast is for the girlsโ€™ personal interest. They figured this will make a great audio diary some day when they are both living their best lives in an old person home reminiscing about their adventures with their BFFs.

The girls met around 1994 as rivals on the field hockey field in NEPA (Northeastern PA). Molly was scared of Chrissy for a long time, but the universe kept bringing the girls together through the years up north at concerts and at the Viewmont Mall. Then one day they both met up in St. Augustine, Florida, and the rest is history!

Some of their shared hobbies (besides getting boozy) include:

  1. Traveling
  2. Going to concerts
  3. Themed parties
  4. Cruising
  5. Playing yard games
  6. Being out on the water

They both shared unique jobs over the years:

  1. Horseback riding lessons (C)
  2. Telemarketing (M)
  3. Home staging & decorating (C)
  4. Retail (both)
  5. Roving Bank Teller (C)
  6. Ice cream shop (M)
  7. Coffee Shop (both)
  8. T-Mobile (C)
  9.  Servers (both)
  10. Montage Mountain Amphitheater (M)

They talk about their schools and favorite sports teams, and the episode concludes with a Would You Rather game Chrissy created for Molly. Play along and see how many answers you match with Molly!

Left to Right – Rainer, Molly, Chrissy, Phil

Cheers!

Behind the Booze - Interviews, Season 1

Episode 004 | Behind the Booze – Forgotten Tonic Interview with John Moore

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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 wasnโ€™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 Changโ€™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 Changโ€™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 โ€œmodern twists on comfort food, an extensive wine list and craft cocktails,โ€ 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 Elfinโ€™ Around (prosecco, gin, mulled wine reduction, grapefruit shrub, aromatic bitters, orange bitters). Plus Nice shots. ๐ŸŽ…

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.