Downtown Pensacola has a new craft cocktail bar. These are 5 must-try drinks.
Vinyl Music Hall’s new outdoor concept, B Side, is hard-to-miss with its green and white-themed outdoor courtyard space, neon lights shining bright at night over the tiled bar, giant Jenga in the AstroTurf area and Proper Burger serving juicy smash burgers, signature sauce and tallow fries. But its craft cocktail B Side bar, which officially opened to the public this month on 11 E. Garden Street, has already gotten everyone talking.
The space is owned by B Side and leased to Proper Burger. Vinyl co-founders and cousins, Harry Levin and Evan Levin, are running the B Side operation alongside B Side co-founder Teri Levin, while Artisan Restaurant Group is focused on providing the quality food from neighboring Proper Burger.
What else does B Side have in store? Vinyl Music Hall to expand with new outdoor stage, restaurant and bar this August
The new B Side Bar’s drink menu is spearheaded by Operations Manager Aureliano “Aure” Gandara, who has been part of Vinyl and the projects that followed it since its conception, such as Vinyl's 5 1/2 bar and now B Side.
“We put in our work. We’ve hopefully made a very nice, comfortable, easygoing laid-back vibe, but at the same-time high-end, high-quality ingredients, craft cocktails and combine that together,” Gandara said. “Hopefully we’re going to have something that is just going to take off and hopefully be a staple in Pensacola 10, 20, 30 years from now.”
Ultimately, he said the group has succeeded in creating that experience for customers.
“We have a nice breeze, we have a great view, everybody can see our lights coming down the street,” he said. “Every time I go table touch, every single person that has walked through these doors in the last week ? I’ve talked to almost all of them ? have said: ‘I love the vibe.’ I don’t know if that’s a new thing but everybody is just like ‘I love the vibe.’ That’s what they all keep saying. It is a vibe. We’re going to roll with it.”
But in addition to the Miami-esque Florida “vibe,” the craft cocktails, expertly designed by Gandara, are a destination of themselves. But if beer or wine is more your jam, they have that too. Keep this list handy on your next trip downtown, as these were five of our must-try cocktails on the menu.
Banana Old Fashioned
What’s inside? Howler Head Banana Bourbon, black walnut bitters, demerara
How much does it cost? $14
What does it taste like? Think all the tasty notes of a freshly baked slice of banana bread, but with a punch of bourbon. Even for those who would typically turn their nose up at artificial banana flavoring, the freeze-dried banana garnish on top seals the deal with all the right flavors and smells replicating the real thing.
Note from Gandara: “If you’re not familiar with demerara, it’s just like a brown sugar basically. Instead of using white sugar to make a simple syrup, we take brown sugar and white sugar together. Everybody, so far, has really enjoyed this Banana Old Fashioned."
Cloak of Aurelius
What’s inside? J?germeister, Blackberry balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup
How much does it cost? $11
What does it taste like? This is well-balanced, surprisingly sweet blackberry infused drink comes with a punch of the licorice-like J?germeister. Loaded with notes of fresh citrus and undertones fruit flavors and cinnamon, this is the perfect spiced fall cocktail in flavor, and in color, with a dark and moody amethyst hue.
Note from Gandara: “This is a very strange twist on a J?germeister drink. We garnish it with a little orange peel just to give you that citrus in your nose whenever you take a sip out of it. So that is an important part just to kind of get that smell….it will be a completely different experience than what you have probably experienced before.”
London Rug Cutter
What’s inside? Earl Grey infused Absolut Vanilla Vodka, fresh lemon juice, orange bitters topped with champagne
How much does it cost? $13
What does it taste like? Served in a dainty champagne flute, this beverage embodies all the flavors and sentiments of pouring a glass of tea with a squirt of fresh lemon over afternoon tea. While this was a popular menu staple at Vinyl’s former bar, 5 1/2, and not necessarily new to B Side – it still ranks as one Pensacola’s most unique, and delicious cocktails.
Note from Gandara: “The London Rug Cutter, along with the Cucumber Collins, were two of the most popular drinks at the old 5 1/2 bar, so I decided to bring this one back. We infused vanilla vodka with Earl Grey tea, and then we strain it, then we serve it with fresh squeezed lemon juice, then we top it with champagne. I didn’t even think I would like it because I don’t like champagne or anything bubbly at all, but it ended up being one of my favorites.”
Strawberry Fields Spritz
What’s inside? Grey Goose Strawberry Lemongrass Vodka, fresh lemon juice, strawberry puree, simple syrup, topped with soda
How much does it cost? $13
What does it taste like? Think Starbucks Strawberry Refresher, then pour it in a wine glass with a lemongrass-infused vodka. This drink is sunshine in a glass, easy to drink, with the perfect blend of natural fruits and botanicals. This drink is a prime example of why fresh ingredients make a difference with fresh flavors that artificial syrups fall short of replicating.
Note from Gandara: “This one I named after the song, ‘Strawberry Fields’ by The Beatles because my mother is a fanatic. The Beatles are her favorite band, so I basically created this one for my mom. It’s a strawberry and lemongrass vodka, which my mother loves lemongrass. She’s been begging me to plant it all around my house. But yeah, it’s a vodka infused with strawberry and lemongrass, and then we have your fresh squeezed lemon juice, fresh strawberry puree, homemade simple syrup and then it’s topped with a splash of soda. Very refreshing, very light, with a very balanced flavor.”
Caribeno Daiquiri
What’s inside? Plantation 3 Silver Rum, coconut puree, fresh lime juice and simple syrup
How much does it cost? $11
What does it taste like? It wouldn’t be Florida without a beach drink on the menu, and this creamy coconut-forward drink transports you to Pensacola Beach’s white sands. You’ll find this drink served in a margarita glass, garnished with a dehydrated fruit slice. However, unlike the artificial syrups that can sometimes be found in a pina colada, the drink is driven by natural flavors, including a driving coconut puree.
Note from Gandara: “Most people think of a daquiri, and they automatically go to a frozen strawberry daquiri. So, we were shooting for an original, OG daquiri flavor…the nice balance, not overly sweet, not sugary. Just a fresh, house-made, made with love flavor. 100% coconut puree."
For more up-to-date information, follow B Side Pcola on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: B Side bar opens in downtown Pensacola
