Two Top Tiki Bar Cocktail Recipes

With warm weather comes time to kick back on your deck, invite some friends over to bbq - maybe open up (or build) that backyard Tiki Bar. And, of course, you'll need the proper beverages to go along with your outdoor activities. Here are two drinks that are sure to make you the envy of your neighborhood, based on secret receipes "borrowed" from well known watering holes on both coasts...


Key Lime Pie Shooter
2 oz Light Rum
1 oz Licor 43 (the "Key" ingredient - very important!)
1 oz Sour Mix
1 oz Half & Half
Splash of Roses Lime Juice
Shake with ice and strain into a small rocks glass.

Note: This can also be made as Martini. Rim chilled martini glass with lime juice and crushed graham crackers...

Recipe from "Pete" at Hogs Breath Saloon in Key West


Dana Point Mai Tai
1 oz Light Rum
1 oz Dark Rum (Myers or Goslings Black Seal work well)
1 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Creme De Noyeaux (or almond substitute like Orgeat or Amaretto)
Splash of Grenadine
Shake with ice and pour.
Float a little more Dark Rum on top

Recipe from the Wind & Sea in Dana Point, California (originally from the Kona Inn, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii)


"Mahalo" to renowned bartender and boat drink aficionado Kevin McFarlin, aka "K1A", for the insider info...K1A currently creates his masterful mixes at Seagle's Mar-Tiki Bar in St. Mary's GA.

Trop Rockin: Steven Youngblood gets Trop Rock on the air in PCB, John Friday escapes, Homemade Wine wins awards, & Robert Daniels sells some cereal.

Late 2009/early 2010 was a tumultuous time for Panama City, Florida singer/songwriter Steven Youngblood.  “Born with one foot in the water”, as he says in the title track to his “Guitars & Fishing Poles” cd, Youngblood was raised around sail boats and fishing. He picked up his first guitar at the age of eight and never looked back.  With the sand and sea of his coastal home as a back drop and musical inspiration from the likes of Jimmy Buffett and Eric Stone, Steven eventually found himself writing about subjects that were naturally near and dear to his heart - from laid back tracks like “Island Time” and “Cross On The Reef” to more upbeat tunes like “Picture Perfect Sunset” and the tongue-in-cheek “Hope My Ship Comes In”, all found on his debut disc. As he was wrapping up and getting ready to release that album in late 2009, doctors discovered a problem that would require some surgery. "I thought my voice was just getting kind of raspy from all the bar gigs I was playing." he says, "Turned out I had a lump in my throat that was pushing on my vocal cords!" The hospital stay took him off the road and it was several months before he could perform a full show again. At almost the same time, Youngblood, a radio engineer by trade, approached a floundering local AM station about the idea of putting Trop Rock on the air there. The owner agreed and Trop Rock 1290 was born (http://www.troprock1290.com/troprock%20home.html). Jimmy Buffett is a staple of the station, but most of the playlist is made up of Independent Trop Rock artists from across the country, mixed in with a variety of Island music and even North Carolina Shag tunes. The perfect accompaniment to a day at the Panama City Beaches. He continues to add new songs to the station all the time and plans to have an FM signal this Summer.  On the recording front, Steven has a new single he's working on called "Tan Lines", written by his good friend, Charlie Black, a Nashville songwriter with dozens of Number Ones to his credit. He hopes to follow that with another full cd some time next year. In the meanwhile, you can catch Steven (often with his wife Sandra on Steel Drums) playing watering holes all along the Redneck Riviera, from Joey's Oyster Bar, and Margaritaville in PCB to Fuddpuckers in Destin.  He's also a regular fixture at events for both the Panama City and Emerald City Parrot Head Clubs. www.stevenyoungblood.com or more info and upcoming dates (artists can also submit songs for Trop Rock 1290 there)

John Friday is a self–described "Tropical Balladeer and Displaced Pirate" who originally hails from Maryland.  The singer/songwriter's eclectic background includes a stint as a crabber on the Chesapeake Bay, as well as assorted attempts at college, studying subjects from biology to business.  After an injury ended his thirteen year Army career, Friday settled in the Naples area of Florida and started writing songs and performing in the local bars.  In 2009, he released his first full length cd, "Coastal Dreamin'", which included the rollicking ditties “Ain’t Missing a Thing” and “Rita’s Going Wild”, as well as a cover of the Little Feat classic, “Willin’”… "The last two to three years have been kind of a blur", says Friday - referring to all the increased activity in his busy schedule. In 2010, he was part of the talent line up for the "Puerto Los Somewhere" cruise to Cozumel - one of the first of what is now a plethora of Trop Rock cruises, and played a number of Parrot Head friendly festivals - including the Six String Music Songwriters Invitational in New Orleans (http://sixstringmusicnola.com/) and the patriotic Red, White & Tunes Festival in Southwest Florida (http://redwhiteandtunes.com/). He also made a trip to Hawaii to play for the Pau Hana Parrot Head Club and finished fourth (out of over 400) in the Landshark Lager Battle of the Bands in Nashville. Friday finished the year by releasing another full length cd, "Tropicalized".  In addition to the title track, which can be heard on Trop Rock music outlets like BeachFront Radio, the disc includes "Tennessee Whiskey/Jamaican Rum", co-written by well known Parrot Head songwriter, William Melton . He plans to expand his activities even further in 2011 with more House Concerts and festival gigs, both solo and with his band The Caribbean Connection. Asked where he thinks Trop Rock is going, John says "I want to honor the roots, which is Jimmy Buffett, but there's also more to it", adding, "I write about escapism - whether it's about escaping the snow or a bad relationship". He'll be heading up to New Jersey for the third annual Spring Fling (http://www.springphling.com/) in May, with stops along the way - including a House Concert for the Atlanta Trop Rock Alliance. http://www.johnfriday.com/

Formed around brothers Tod and Ryan Sheley, Homemade Wine began booking gigs as an acoustic act around their hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, back in 2008.  Older brother and percussionist Tod has a serious Trop Rock pedigree, as a founding member of  St. Somewhere (www.myspace.com/stsforever), as well as having played with well known Tennessee Trop Rock acts Tall Paul (http://www.tallpaul.com/) and Jake & The Half Conched Band (http://www.lifeonthegulf.com/ ).  Three years later, they are an award winning band with six members, a cd, and a touring van they spend ALOT of time in. "It's been a blast! We just got back from 27 days on the road", said the younger Sheley sibling at the time of this writing. "Mostly around North Florida and the Georgia/SC coast. We played for about 12,000 people at the Taste of Charleston and headlined St. Patty's in Savannah. But we also did some great gigs in places like Greensboro NC and Columbia, SC." The cd in question is "Music For A Salty Soul", which came out in the Summer of 2010 and includes some songs that had been floating around the Trop Rock universe in demo form (including my Ipod) for some time - the catchy country/caribbean "Take Me Down To The Tropics", New Orleans flavored "Sweet Adele", and the melancholy "Seeking Harbor". The cd also included "Her Kiss", the Number One Trop Rock Song of 2010 on BeachFront Radio's Top 40 (the cd also won "Album of the Year", Ryan won "Best New Male Trocker", and the group took home "Top New Trop Rock Band"). After a stop at the New Jersey Spring Phling the end of this month, Homemade Wine will head to Washington, DC to begin recording their second cd, which they hope to have finished by the end of Summer "I want to be done and home in time for football season!" says Sheley. http://www.homemadewinemusic.com/

Last but not least, what do commercial jingles, TV voiceovers, and Trop Rock have in common? Robert Daniels! Daniels is a professional songwriter (member of the Nashville Songwriters Association), and voice-over talent who splits his time between New York City and the sleepy southern coastal town of Murrells Inlet, SC.  When he’s not pimping breakfast cereal or taking you to the next commercial break, he and his acoustic guitar can be found performing Country, Blues, and Rock covers in cafes and nightclubs around the Big Apple. Two of his original compositions, "You Don't Have To Be In Mexico" and "Gotta Love a Girl Like That", have received airplay on numerous Trop Rock radio stations.   www.myspace.com/robertdanielsmusic

Fernandina Beach, FL and St. Mary's, GA. Beaches, Bars...and Cindy Dean The Porno Queen.

This blog being called "Beaches, Bands & Bars", I plan to cover all of those subjects (and more). Up until now, most of my attention has been directed to the music you make take along for a trip to the first and last B's in the title. Starting with this post, I'm going to begin a series on coastal getaways  - with an eye toward secret spots and local favorites. Some information will come from websites and other online , but - as much as humanly possible - I will try to cover places I have personally been to or, at the very least, try to use "reliable sources"; people I know who have spent time living and/or visiting the area. The goal is to give you an "insider's look" at places you might want to visit, or maybe hip you to a new spot at a beach you have already been to. If you have any suggestions - or want to add places I missed, that's what the comments section is for! My first stop is a "two fer", covering neighboring towns in Georgia and Florida...

Take the first exit off I95 as you enter the Sunshine State (or last one on your way out, depending on which way you look at it) and head East and, eventually, you will find yourself in Fernandina Beach, Florida. http://www.fbfl.us/   Known as the "Isle of the Eight Flags" for all the various groups that have laid claim to the island at one time or another, Fernandina Beach sits on Amelia Island in the extreme North east corner of Florida, right on the Atlantic Ocean. On the southern end of the island sits the Ritz Carlton luxury hotel. With over 400 rooms, four restaurants, a golf course, tennis center, spa, and pristine private beach, the Ritz has been the backdrop for a number of movie and tv shoots and is a great escape for those with caviar tastes. http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/AmeliaIsland/Default.htm    For the rest of us, there are plenty of more affordable accommodations in Fernandina.

Just a stone's throw up A1A/Fletcher from the Ritz is Peter's Point, a public beach with clean facilities, outdoor showers, and plenty of free parking. Spend some time soaking up the sun there, then head further North to Sliders Seaside Grille. Located just a dunes throw from the water, Sliders is a 60 year old former roadhouse with a rock and roll past. Guitarist and current Allman Brother Derek Trucks played his first paying gig there as a teenager, Leon Russel has been a musical guest, as has famous former Buffett harp player Fingers Taylor with KD Moore. Currently undergoing some second floor renovations, the main restaurant and bar is still open. But, the best place to pull up a stool is at the tiki bar out back. Sit at the bar and you can sip a cold Corona while watching the surf roll in, or park it at a table and enjoy the island breezes and live music. I, myself, have spent many hours there chowing down on fried pickles and Grouper sandwiches, but locals in the know also swear by the Crab Cakes and Bourbon Scallops. Their locally famous and highly dangerous Key Lime Pie shooter, concocted and perfected by bartender and fireman "K1A" (full disclosure, my brother Kevin) left when he did. But he tells me he has passed the recipe on to one of the new staff members, so it's worth asking for one when you visit. An added attraction is that you can park right on the beach behind Sliders. From there it's just a short walk to the bar if you get hungry or run low on tailgating supplies. Note: I don't recommend driving onto the sand unless you have a four wheel drive and know how to use it - or a $20 bill in your pocket to pay the local who pulls you out. Rumor has it good looking girls usually get a discount... http://slidersseaside.com/

Next stop in Fernandina is what is being touted as the "Northernmost Tiki Bar" on A1A, the just added back deck bar at Sandy Bottoms Beach Bar and Grill. They recently doubled their seating capacity by putting tables and chairs on the beach. So, although there is a full service restaurant and several places to enjoy adult beverage inside, the best place to be is sitting right in the sand. Sandy Bottoms has nightly drink specials, a good selection of Rum and excellent wings. They also have a webcam so you can see and be seen.  http://sandybottomsamelia.com/ 

If beachside bars and boat drinks are NOT what you're looking for, you can always head to Fort Clinch State Park, home of one of the most well preserved 19th century forts in the country. With historical reenactments, a fishing pier, camping, and a largely unspoiled beach, Fort clinch offers family friendly activities. And, for those that might want to work off last night's plate of fried shrimp, there are also mountain biking and hiking trails. As a State Park, there is a small fee for cars and camping.  http://www.floridastateparks.org/fortclinch/


If you like to balance your beach time with shopping, Fernandinda Beach also has a historic district, with lots of quaint gift shops and clothing stores, including "Last Flight Out", famous for having been visited by Jimmy Buffett a few years back. At the marina, you can catch a ferry to Cumberland Island, charter a fishing trip, enjoy a river cruise or sunset sail, or just hang out and watch the shrimp boats bring in their catch. And, when you work up a thirst, you're just a short walk from one of the oldest bars in Florida, the storied Palace Saloon. Over 100 years old, The Palace was opened as a true "gentleman's establishment," with complimentary towels hanging from the bar to wipe the foam from patron's mustaches. Only slightly changed and occasionally upgraded since then, the Palace now has three bars, including a pool and game room and a nightclub, but you can still feel the ghosts of old ship captains that once walked the floors.   http://thepalacesaloon.com/

At the marina, you can also catch a ferry ($20 round trip) to our next stop: St. Mary's, Georgia.

St. Mary's, Georgia is a riverfront town with a boatload of Southern charm. http://www.stmaryswelcome.com/ It is also home to the Kings Bay Submarine Navy base. Step off the ferry and head directly across the street to The Riverview Hotel - a 95 year old hotel and restaurant. With only 18 reasonably priced rooms, each uniquely decorated, it's a great place to spend the night. Check in, then head downstairs to for dinner at Captain Seagles Restaurant, where locals swear by the Calamari (I've had them - perfectly cooked and delicious) and my mom's favorite, Shrimp and Grits. With Lang's Seafood Market just across the street, there is plenty of fresh fish for the kitchen. Want a pre-dinner cocktail? There are two bars to choose from. Seagle's Saloon is overseen by "Cindy Dean the Porno Queen". Behind the bar for more than a decade, Cindy is a local legend with a heart of gold but a sailor's tongue, known for holding court over a diverse group from lawyers to construction workers. Don't go in if you're easily embarrassed or have thin skin! On the other side of the restaurant is Gala's, recently dubbed the "Mar-Tiki Bar", a combination of their signature drink, the Martini, and the Aloha vibe bartender "K1A" brought to it when he started a few months ago. Try a specialty cocktail like the Eye of The Hurricane, or a Martini made with one of their many flavored vodkas like Double Espresso, Kiwi, Mango, and Acai Berry. The last time I stopped by Seagles, the owners' son, Kevin, was working hard to refurbish one of the two large outdoor patios and talking about starting to book more live music, including - possibly - some Trop rock. Heads up: the Saloon allows smoking, the "Mar-Tiki" Bar does not.  http://www.riverviewhotelstmarys.com/

Like Fernandina, St. Mary's also has a shopping area, with antiques, book and gift stores, an ice cream shop and more. There are also museums and trolley tours for history buffs and a waterfront park for the children (be sure to bring plenty of  bug spray during the Summer months, when the sand gnats can be especially annoying).

And, finally, if you REALLY want to seek out a local gem, you'll need a car to drive to Lucky Dawgs. Located at the corner of a small strip mall and gas station well away from the water, this former hot dog joint has recently gone Parrot Head. They opened an outdoor patio and tiki bar, built a stage, and decorated it all like the Jimmy Buffett songs they play over the sound system on Radio Margaritaville. Live music from regional bands, Low Country Boils, and nightly drink and all you can eat seafood specials keep the locals happy. http://luckydawgscamdenga.com/

  

That's it for this "insiders look" at the beaches and bars of Fernandina Beach, Florida and St. Mary's, Georgia. Two towns separated by a river and well worth a visit.

Thanks to my brother, one time Fernandina and current St. Mary's resident and world class bartender, Kevin (aka "K1A"), for the help with this post....