“The concoction was originally thrown together by Angie at my suggestion as a tropical variation on the White Russian. Had it not been for Angie’s single-handed efforts, the drink would have soon been forgotten in a blurry hangover. Not yet earning a name, Angie pushed it on anyone and everyone for weeks as a creamy, kick-butt sort of Pina Colada drink.

After she finalized the recipe a few weeks later and during a particularly slow evening, two gentlemen wandered into the bar with their large dog. At least one of the men was a flight attendant based in N.Y. They were very proud of their pet which I believe was an Afghan Hound. These two fellows immediately fell in love with Angie’s concoction, and the few people in Sapphire Village at the time fell in love with the dog. The dog’s name was Bushwack, and Angie suggested that the new drink share his name.”

By the end of 1975, the popular drink had spread throughout the islands and had also made its way to Florida via visiting bartenders who fell in love with it. Over the next 45 years, the drink exploded in popularity throughout the Southeastern United States (and particularly in the panhandle of Florida) with many bars coming up with new recipes of their own. When asked what he thought of the different recipes, Tom replied “I know the drink has been tweaked continually over the years and that is just fine. How you enjoy it is what is most important.” 

- Tom Brokamp