During our recent extended trip to Providence, Rhode Island, we didn’t really have time to explore too much of the local craft spirits scene. There are two iconic Rhode Island beverages that we tried, however, that we felt were perfect candidates to work well as a cocktail. We hope you enjoy the fruits of our “research!” Disclaimer: there are some affiliate links below, use them and we make a small amount of money from Amazon.
Lemon Ice Spike
Del’s Lemonade is a popular beverage that you can find all over town when the weather is nice. Shops, food carts, and even ice cream trucks serve this frosty delight. During our trip to the zoo, there were lemon ice carts all over the park even though the temperatures were still a little chilly. The original is a semi-solid slushy and our version plays on that fact, making it the perfect drink for summer. By the way, it didn’t get its name the way you might think. Our hotel was overrun by volleyball players in town for a tournament which inspired the “spike.” You could probably use your favorite lemonade mix if you can’t get your hands on Del’s mix, but they do sell it online.
2 ounces dells lemon ice mix
2 cups of ice
1/2 to 1 cup of water, depending on how thick you want the finished product
3 shots of Tito’s Vodka (our favorite)
Put all ingredients into a blender (we love the Ninja for this). Blend for 30 seconds. Divide between two sugar rimmed glasses and enjoy.
Irish coffee milk
Coffee milk is another Rhode Island staple but it might be a little harder to find now that coffee shops are everywhere. I looked at several places and it was never on the menu, but I bet they would make you one if you asked. This is exactly what it sounds like, the chocolate milk from your childhood, only made with coffee syrup. I found several different brands of coffee syrup available around town but none compared to Dave’s Coffee. Made in small batches, it only has three gradients: cane sugar, fresh ground coffee, and water. The way it should be done. You probably won’t be able to find coffee syrup and your local supermarket but you could make your own. Start with four shots of espresso and put that in a saucepan with half a cup of sugar. Heat until sugar is dissolved and pour into a bottle or jar to cool.
1 cup whole milk (you could use a milk substitute, but it will change the flavor)
3 tablespoons of coffee syrup
1 shot of Irish whiskey, such as Jameson’s
Pour all of the ingredients into a shaker over about a cup of ice. Shake vigorously. Uncapped the shaker and pour everything into a glass. Don’t use the shaker’s strainer or you will miss all of the delicious foam. Garnish with a drizzle of coffee syrup and relive a grown-up version of a favorite childhood treat!
We hope you enjoy our cocktail series. Leave us a comment below if you have a favorite from Rhode Island that we missed.
Not only do we love to try local food when we are traveling, but we also love to search for local wineries, breweries, and distilleries. See our Florida Cocktails post for a great example.
While visiting the Smoky Mountains, it is difficult to get out of the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville area without trying two things: fudge and moonshine. We are wine lovers but for the most part, Tennesee wine is not our thing. We prefer dry red wines and the local specialties are sweet and mostly fruit wines. Now when it comes to moonshine, we’ll try anything once! On the Gatlinburg strip, there are currently four different places to sample the local goods all within stumbling distance of one another. A short trolley ride or drive away there are several other distilleries that offer samples as well. While the days of free moonshine on the strip are over, samples are only $5 a person making moonshine tastings the cheapest drink in town.
So we have done extensive research during our week in Gatlinburg to bring you our top choices of the local distilleries and three brand new cocktails created just for you, our faithful Cruisers!
Ole Smoky
Ole Smoky advertises themselves as the first legal moonshine distillery in Tennessee and they certainly set the mold for what is expected in a moonshine tasting. “The Holler,” the original location, has restaurants (Mellow Mushroom and Dick’s Last Resort) allowing you go get a tasting while waiting for a table, an entertainment stage which often features local musicians, a daiquiri bar (just in case someone in your group prefers low-alcohol, over-priced drinks over moonshine), a Paula Deen store, Starbucks, and a 7D Adventure Ride just in case you’d prefer to do shots without the kids watching (although no one will judge and they won’t be the only kids around). Your $5 tasting fee gets you a dozen samples and at least that many corny jokes from the person pouring them. The flavors available rotate but you can count on tastes of some straight moonshine and the most popular flavors of Apple Pie, Cinnamon, and Blackberry. During our research, we also tasted their new Dill Pickle (actual pickles soaked in moonshine) and Cinnamon Toast Cream (think of the milk left behind from Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal).
Just down the street, Ole Smoky has a second location that was formerly Davy Crockett’s Whiskey. Now called the Ole Smoky Barrelhouse, this location also features a $5 tasting but here you will get mostly whiskey with a different round of related bad jokes. Make sure you try the Salty Caramel and avoid the Pecan (“tastes like a mouth full of nuts, and not the good kind”).
Sugarlands Distilling Company
Sugarlands is one of our favorite stops on the strip. The flavors are a little more refined and their apple pie is hands down the best we’ve ever tasted. The process here is just like the one above but at Sugarlands there is a bar in the back where you can purchase drinks and if you buy three bottles or more, your first round is “buy one, get one.” Unusual things to try here would be the Maple Bacon Moonshine (which makes a wicked Bloody Mary) and Hazelnut Rum. Like everywhere else, your $5 tasting fee is refunded with a purchase. If you’re lucky, you will get a real show as part of your tasting, like ours with Stokes.
Doc Collier Moonshine
Our other favorite stop is Doc Collier’s. All of their spirits are made in small batches and we were among the first to taste their products when they first opened in 2014. Back then they only offered straight moonshine, using flavored water drops to create flavored ‘shine. Now they offer a full range of craft spirits including whiskey, brandy, and cream liquors. Make sure you try the ‘Naner and Root Beer Float. They also offer moonshine slushies and your $5 tasting fee can be used towards the purchase of a drink or bottles of product.
And now, on to the cocktails!
Most purists would tell you that moonshine goes best with bad decisions and no regrets, but we prefer to mix ours. Almost any of the fruit flavors will mix well with cola or lemon-lime soda The cream flavors are often really good mixed into a Wendy’s Frosty or milkshake. We have come up with three combinations of flavors that we think you will really like. We’ve tested them out on family, campground neighbors, and of course, ourselves.
Caramel Apple Dream-Cicle
1 oz Sugarlands Appalachian Apple Pie Moonshine
1/2 oz Evan Williams Bourbon
1 oz half and half
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a whiskey glass.
Funky Monkey Martini
1-1/2 oz Doc Collier’s Chocolate Cream
1/2 oz plus a splash of Doc Collier Naner’ Moonshine
1 oz Grey Goose Vodka
1 Doc Collier ‘Shine Cherry
half a grind of Himalayan Pink Salt
ground Ghiradelli chocolate
Combine cream, moonshine, and vodka on a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a martini glass and top with a half grind of salt, chocolate, and a cherry.
Mountain Mojito
4-6 fresh mint leaves
1/4 lime
1/2 t sugar
1-1/2 oz Bacardi Silver Rum
1/2 oz Sugarlands Peppermint Moonshine
Lemon-Lime soda
Squeeze two slices of lime into a glass and add 4-6 torn peppermint leaves and sugar. Muddle together. Add rum and moonshine and stir. Top with soda. Garnish with mint leaves.
Bonus Cocktail – ‘Shine Glow
1 oz Sugarlands Wild Mayhal Moonshine
1/2 oz Sugarlands Peach Moonshine
splash of pineapple juice
Lemon-Lime Soda
Miranda, a bartender at Sugerlands, shared with us her creation that will be featured on the summer cocktail menu in the Sugarlands lounge. Pour both moonshines over ice in a cocktail glass and add a splash of pineapple juice. Top with soda and enjoy!
Do you have a favorite moonshine mixer? Let us know in the comments below and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of our adventures in the Great Smoky Mountains in the coming weeks.
We have been so busy exploring Pine Island, Cape Coral, and Fort Meyers that there is no blog post for this week. but we have been working hard to find the best cocktail with a view! We’ve tried Rum Rummers, Goombay Smashes, Hurricanes, Mojitos, and more, but don’t worry, we’re always safe and never drive if we’ve had too many.
After extensive research, we decided to go straight to the source and visit the Wicked Dolphin Distillery in Cape Coral. Wicked Dolphin is the first distillery in Florida since Prohibition and they make rum in small batches from local ingredients. If you are in the Fort Myers area, you should definitely go check them out. The tours are free, as are the tastings. We picked up two bottles (but wanted more) and have created a couple of cocktails that we thought that you, our dear readers, might enjoy (we certainly have)! In all of the recipes below, we are using Wicked Dolphin Rum, but you could use your favorite as a substitute. We bought everything we used and they didn’t give us anything for free… but hey Wicked Dolphin, give us a call and we’ll pick up anything you’re willing to donate for the mention!
If you are not familiar with cocktail mixing, you should know that a jigger is the standard measure. The hourglass-shaped bar mixing tool holds 1 1/2 ounces on the large side, which is a shot; and 3/4 of an ounce on the small side, which is half a shot. There are variations and not all jiggers are created equal so you should do a “reality check” with your jigger to know its volume. Most home bartenders are not too worried about it and when making our drinks, I rarely measure, which can be dangerous!
Our first creation we decided to call the Pine Island KOA Breeze. In a pint glass, combine 1-1/2 ounces of coconut rum, 3 ounces of orange juice, and ice. Shake to combine and top with Cranberry Sprite (you could also use 3/4 ounce of cranberry juice and top off with Sprite). Garnish with orange slices and a sugared cranberry if you have them (we didn’t).
Next up is the Pine Island Storm. We made this one out of necessity since we ran out of Cranberry Sprite (it’s only available during the holidays). Begin by chopping up a fresh pineapple and covering it with coconut rum and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 24 hours. In a shaker, combine 1-1/2 ounces each of the pineapple infused coconut rum and black rum with ice and 3 ounces of orange juice. Shake until frothy. Pour over ice and top with Sprite and pieces of the drunken pineapple (and some maraschino cherries, if you have them). Give the glass a float of more dark rum to make it happy! The picture below is actually a double because we were doing laundry and were not very close to the RV.
The last cocktail we created we called the RumSlide. Combine equal parts black rum and Bailey’s Irish Cream with ice. Shake until frothy and pour over ice. If you want to take it to the next level, swirl some chocolate syrup into the glass first!
We hope you enjoy the fruits of our labors here on Pine Island and if you have other favorite rum cocktails, let us know in the comments. You don’;t have to be on the beach to enjoy a few moments of island life!
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Know before you go
Activity Level.
Every Cruisin' with the Colemans trip comes with an activity level so you know, before you lace up, roughly how hard the walking will be. Think of it as the overall rhythm of the trip — a few days might push a little past it and a few will feel gentler, but it's an honest read on what your legs are signing up for.
Nobody knows your body better than you do. We're all for a good challenge, but pick a level that matches your current fitness and trail experience and the whole walk gets more fun. Not sure where you land? Reach out — we've walked every one of these ourselves and we're always happy to talk it through.
Grades
EasyEasy0–8 km (0–5 miles)
Gentle, mostly flat days on well-kept, easy-to-follow paths. Ideal if you're new to multi-day walking or simply want a relaxed pace with plenty of time to soak it all in.
Easy – ModerateEasy–Moderate8–16 km (5–10 miles)
A little more distance over mixed ground — mostly maintained trails, quiet lanes, and the occasional gentle climb. A good fit if you're reasonably active and ready for a few longer stretches.
ModerateModerate16–20 km (10–12 miles)
Fuller days on varied, sometimes rugged terrain with regular ups and downs. Great for steady hikers in good shape, or determined first-timers chasing a real sense of accomplishment.
Moderate – StrenuousModerate–Strenuous20–24 km (12–15 miles)
Long days with sustained, often steep climbs and descents on rough trail. You'll want solid fitness; a few exposed spots call for a head for heights, and navigation can get trickier when the weather turns.
StrenuousStrenuous24–28 km (15–17 miles)
Big days on demanding, often remote mountain terrain — serious distance and elevation for experienced, fit hikers. Expect rough footing, the odd exposed or aided section, and higher altitude on some routes.
ExtremeExtreme+28 km (+17 miles)
Our toughest walking, built for very fit, very experienced hikers. Rugged, sometimes remote mountain terrain with scrambling, exposure, and aided sections — plus altitude, weather, and navigation that all add to the challenge.
Where you rest
Accommodations Levels.
Where you sleep is part of the story, so we hand-pick locally run places that welcome you like an old friend. The level shifts a little from trip to trip depending on the route, but the goal never does: a clean, comfortable, genuinely local stay at the end of every walking day.
Most nights you'll land in friendly, independent or family-run hotels, guest houses, and B&Bs chosen for their charm and the little touches that feel like home. Some trips lean a touch more luxurious; others, especially in the remote stretches, mean simpler refuges or huts. Either way, we've picked each one to help you rest up and wake ready for the trail.
Basic – A Place to Rest Your HeadBasic
Mountain huts, refuges, and simple B&Bs. Ensuite rooms aren't a given, and you may share a dorm with fellow walkers — but what you trade in polish you more than gain back in camaraderie and a big, rustic welcome.
Classic – Charming Without the FrillsClassic
Locally owned B&Bs, guest houses, and small inns that feel like a home away from home — usually family-run, cozy or freshly kept, and well placed for the next day's walk. A warm welcome comes as standard.
Comfort – A Little More...ComfortableComfort
Characterful, locally owned hotels and B&Bs with the little extras that make a stay feel special — décor rooted in the region, the occasional spot to unwind, and sometimes a kitchen worth lingering over.
In Style – For Those who Want to Treat ThemselvesIn Style
First-class stays in boutique hotels, vineyards, and country manors — often in the best seats in the house, from hilltop towns to the water's edge, with standout service and, now and then, a truly memorable table.
Mixed – Boutique Hotels to Mountain Huts, all in One TripMixed
One trip, a bit of everything. You might bed down in Classic or Comfort rooms through the towns and villages, then a refuge or other Basic spot up in the mountains where that's all there is — an honest, memorable mix that matches the journey.
