When you think about it, coastal Alabama’s Bushwacker Trail is a lot like the famed Appalachian Trail.

OK, maybe not a lot. But there are certain similarities. Trying to sample and rank every spot that serves coastal Alabama’s signature cocktail, like trying to hike more than 2,000 miles, is a big task. It might not require the same level of physical fitness – except where the liver is concerned – but it’s a daunting, nigh-heroic commitment. Most of us on the Bushwacker Trail are comparable to the AT’s “section hikers.” We line up a few days of vacation, we hit it as hard as we can, and then we nurse our bruises until the next time. Maybe, over the course of years, we can claim to have done the whole thing.

The AT’s through-hikers have a reputation for being a different breed: Leathery creatures with thousand-yard stares, mental states that don’t lend themselves to casual conversation and weird nicknames bestowed by fellow travelers. Same for those who’ve spent too much time on barstools with a view of the surf.

According to local lore, it’s been 49 years since the Bushwacker – an adult milkshake whose core flavors include coconut, rum and chocolate – took the coast by storm. Ahead of the celebrations we probably can expect in the Great Bushwacker Golden Centennial of 2025, we’re doing a little section hiking. Last time we hit some of the spots that tend to top Bushwacker rankings. For this outing, we go a little farther.

5. Avenue Pub

4575 S Wilson Blvd, Orange Beach

The Avenue’s Blonde Bushwacker ($11) tends to be highly ranked in surveys, and I absolutely can see why it would have its fans. Made with vanilla vodka, Frangelico and ice cream, it leans hard into the vanilla end of the flavor spectrum. It’s served in a plain plastic cup so it doesn’t get major points for presentation, but it makes up for that in location: You get a splendid view of the waters inside Perdido Pass. I can’t say it was a personal favorite: It was so sweet it was almost like eating a cup of chilled vanilla cake frosting. But, again, I can see what that would appeal to some folks. You know who you are. Maybe if I’d sprung for the optional topper, that would have cut the sweetness a bit. Then again, it’s 100-proof vanilla-bean liquor, so it probably isn’t going to chance the flavor profile that much.

4. The Steamer Baked Oyster Bar

123 W. 1st Ave., Gulf Shores

You could pay festival prices for a drink at the Hangout Fest and drink it while standing in the heat, or you could exit the event, walk a block up the street and enjoy something while sitting in the dark, air-conditioned environs of a local restaurant. The latter approach brought me to the bushwacker at The Steamer, which was perfect for the moment at a bargain at $9.99. The telltale soft-serve swirl lets you know that it came from a machine, but it’s got character. Specifically, it showcases the coffee flavor that’s frequently part of the Bushwacker spectrum. It tasted like Kahlua and alcohol and coconut, and it was easily the coldest bushwacker I’ve ever come across. It literally froze the condensation that formed out the outside of the cup, and I had to eat it with a spoon. Good stuff.

3. GT’s On the Bay

26189 Canal Rd, Orange Beach

GT’s ranked high in an exhaustive 2021 Bushwacker survey published by Mobile Bay Magazine; written by Phillip Kendrick, it’s required reading for anybody considering the through-hiker approach. I won’t go quite so far as to say this Bushwacker ($11) is required drinking, but it is a really tasty one, artfully presented in an actual glass, which you can enjoy in an airy, lighted restaurant with lots of fascinating stuff on the menu. The balanced flavor leans toward chocolate, with just enough alcohol presence to assure you that you’re getting your money’s worth. There’s a cherry down in there somewhere, like a hidden bonus.

2. Bahama Bob’s Beach Side Cafe

601 W Beach Blvd, Gulf Shores

Southern Living loves this place, which reopened earlier this summer after being shut down by a fire in 2023. It’s an interesting place, with a big deck and a bright cozy beach pub feel to its interior dining and bar area. Style points are minimal on the Bahama Bob’s Bushwacker ($10): It comes in a plain Styrofoam cup with a bit of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate up top. But I was pleased to see the bartender mix it using an old-fashioned milkshake mixer, rather than just shooting it out of a premade frozen-beverage machine. Though plain, it delivered an excellent rum-chocolate-coconut balance from the first sip to the bottom of the cup.

1. Papa Rocco’s

101 W. 6th Ave., Gulf Shores

This was another Hangout Fest escape, and it paid off. I did not expect the self-professed “home of warm beer and lousy pizza” to serve me a Bushwacker individually made to order from scratch, with ingredients going into the blender right in front of my eyes, but that’s what I got. Though ice-based it was surprisingly creamy, with a good balance of flavors and no overwhelming alcohol taste despite what looked like a generous pour of rum. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Bushwackers extruded from a soft-serve machine, but it’s a real treat to see that you’re getting the work of a skilled craftsman.

Bonus: Bushwacker Tiramisu at CoastAL Orange Beach

25722 Perdido Beach Blvd, Orange Beach

I’m going to say right up front that I’m not the world’s biggest tiramisu advocate. Give me a choice between regular cake and soggy cake, I’ll take the regular version every time. That said, CoastAL’s signature addition to the list of Bushwacker-flavored treats was good enough to earn a mention in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism’s guide to the Bushwacker Trail. CoastAL tends to win on presentation, location and quality, and this dessert measures up: The individually-packaged presentation helps deliver better-than-average Tiramisu texture, and it’s pretty enough that you almost feel bad about mauling it. Ingredients include Cocoa, shaved chocolate, mascarpone cream and “Bushwacker ladyfingers.” Chocolate dominates. I didn’t taste anything in the way of rum or coconut, but it was a pleasant dessert made better by a pleasant setting.