38 | VIPPensacola.com
T
he sun, the sand, the sparkling water glittering
like jewels in a treasure chest…it all calls for
something cool and delicious…like a cocktail.
Or a milkshake.
Or…both?
Such is the wonderful mash-up of the Bushwacker,
and nowhere on the planet will you find a more
fabulous and tasty specimen than the Bushwackers
blended up by the skilled shake-makers behind the bar
at the Sandshaker Lounge on Pensacola Beach.
This creamy concoction is a work of sheer genius, its
unique blend of Kahlua, rum, chocolate, and cream
directly inspired by a trip that The Sandshaker’s original
head sandman took to the Virgin Islands in 1975. And
while this thick drink is a far cry from being virgin,
there’s a certain island flare to the whole thing that
makes it ideal for Pensacola Beach; and for the past 40-
odd years, adoring fans have been lining up at the bar
to keep The Shaker shaking up their specialty.
The building itself is a piece of local history, originally
having been the hotel lobby bar for the Mai Kai Motel,
and the entrance is right where guests of days gone
by once checked-in for their stay at the beach. When
the motel closed in the early 90’s, it could easily have
been lost to the tides of change, but patrons of The
Sandshaker kept business bustling right on up until
Hurricane Ivan mercilessly swept through in 2004.
The extent of the hurricane damage necessitated
closing, but rather than letting it stay down for the
story by
Liesel Schmidt |
photos by
Rebecca Hutton
count, loyal locals Sonny and Beverly Campbell
decided to rescue and resuscitate the bar and add
a few changes that would really make the place a
shake shack worthy of note. “They wanted to keep the
same local-bar feel that was so iconic to the bar, but
change it just enough that it would draw new people
and show why the place is so special,” says Sonny’s
son Joe, who serves as the point man for Sandshaker’s
marketing. “The local crowd is what has always given
the Sandshaker its flavor, and it’s like a family that
just keeps growing because new faces that come in
Shake It Up
Jennifer Zayszly, Bartender, Sonny & Beverly Campbell, Owners
& Sarah Villar, Bartender
38-39 Swizzle_Sandshaker- rev..indd 1
6/26/17 2:49 PM