Pitches

Pensacola is on pace with the country’s rising trend for bars and restaurants to offer alcohol-free mocktails, beer, wine, and other creative varieties, in both low and no-ABV form. You’ll find that many restaurants and bars are adding alcohol removed spirits to their mocktails to shake up a more complex and layered flavor profile. The options are plentiful–vodka, rum, gin, tequila, whiskey, aperitif, bitters, and beyond all have an alcohol-free alternative option featured in many of the mocktails highlighted below!

For mocktails head to Union Public House for the sultry rhythm made with Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic tequila, notes of hibiscus, lime and honey. It’s well balanced and smokey. Brother Fox’s Sunday brunch menu offers both alcohol-free Aperol spritz and mimosas to keep the Sunday Funday party going without the hangover. Brother Fox’s dinner menu features standout mocktails as well, including a peach old fashion. Drift’s Cos “no” is the perfect mocktail to sip on while enjoying beautiful Pensacola Beach and catching a sunset. Salt’s Herb Your Enthusiasm features NA-gin, basil, grapefruit, lemon, and ginger beer. George Bistro’s standout mocktail is their zero proof espresso martini featuring Lyre’s Coffee Originale, vanilla simple, and their delicious handcrafted espresso and their sister restaurant, Pearl & Horn, has a zero proof spritz featuring Lyre’s Italian Orange, Lyre’s Classico Non-Alcoholic Sparkling, soda water and garnished with an orange slice. Agapi’s cocktail menu features 3 mocktail options: no-jito, orange you spritzy, and a berry mule. Wine Bar rolled out a large non-alcoholic menu in recognition of Dry-January (2024) mostly centered around mocktails with standouts being their nah-garita, painless killer, and a palomost all crafted with NA-spirits. Wine Bar’s mocktail menu is the largest mocktail offering we have found in Pensacola! Other spots to enjoy a mocktail include The Kennedy, Old Hickory Whiskey Bar, Garden & Grain, and Mrs. Jones Cold Brew.

Ultimately, travelers can explore and savor the rich variety of alcohol-free options available in Pensacola, contributing to the inclusivity of the burgeoning trend in the food and beverage industry. Cheers to a vibrant and diverse world of zero-proof delights!

Who needs a passport when the perfect destination dupe is just a short drive or flight away. If you've been daydreaming about the idyllic white sand beaches of places like the Maldives, Bora Bora, or the Bahamas, but find the costs and travel time daunting, Pensacola may be just the answer for your next vacation. With over 20 non-stop flights to its international airport, and luxury accommodations within reach, the destination surprises and delights with its historic, walkable downtown, locally grown chefs, state and national parks, and more.

Pensacola, Fla. is the ultimate Way to Beach™ for Spring Break 2024. With can’t-miss events like the Sun Belt Conference, beachside activities, kids’ accommodations, and more, Pensacola is a must-visit destination for any family this year.

With nearly 40-miles of white sand beaches, kids can enjoy adventure within reach. Crystal clear waters offer a safe place to dive in for first-timers to paddling, snorkeling, and swimming. Families can also enjoy fun in the sun at Laguna's Adventure Park along the Santa Rosa Sound, including the Zip Rail, Ropes Course, and Clip 'n' Climb Structure, or by venturing the Pensacola birding trailand shelling on the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

For families looking for a cultured getaway, Historic Downtown Pensacola is home to several museums, including the Pensacola MESS Hall, a science museum that's perfect for children of all ages, the Pensacola Children's Museum, and the Pensacola History Museum. For the aviation and military lovers, NAS Pensacola is home to the National Naval Aviation Museum, the Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels which have practices weekly from March to November.

Pensacola is a family travelers haven with idyllic accommodations like the Holiday Inn Resort on Pensacola Beach with resort activities like pools with cascading waterfalls, a 250-foot seasonally heated Lazy River, and even specially designed Kids Suites, families can enjoy a home away from home in the ultimate kids’ paradise. Nearby, Portofino Island Resort boasts luxury sky homes with views from bay to gulf with specific kids programming including the High Tide Kid’s Club, Kids Night Out with dive in movies, Kids Korner, and more.

Pensacola has seen the influence of many cultures and countries, but the influence of the Black community has played a large part in shaping the city into what it is today.

One of the clearest examples of the influence Black Americans have had on Pensacola can be found in the Belmont-Devilliers neighborhood. In the time of segregation, Belmont-DeVilliers was the commercial and cultural hub of Pensacola’s Black community. Known locally as The Blocks, the neighborhood has been home to many Black-owned businesses, restaurants, and music venues, including Abe’s 506 Club where such musical legends as Louis Armstrong, James Brown, Ray Charles, B.B. King and Aretha Franklin all performed. Today, the Belmont-Devilliers district stays true to its history, filled with Black-owned restaurants that offer some of the best culinary offerings in Pensacola including Blue Dot Barbecue serving simple, delicious fall off the bone ribs and burgers while Five Sisters Blues Cafe cooks up classic southern soul food and delivers a swanky Sunday Jazz Brunch.

Pensacola’s Fort Pickens, one of the few Union-occupied forts in the south during the American Civil War, was accepted into the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom in 2020. The site, operated by the Gulf Islands National Seashore, was a beacon in 1861 and 1862 for freedom seekers.

Along the Perdido Key portion of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Johnson Beach honors Army Pvt. Rosamond Johnson Jr. Only 15 years old when he enlisted in the army and only 17 years old when he saved two soldiers in battle during the Korean War on July 26, 1950. While attempting to save a third, Johnson was killed, marking him as the first black soldier and first resident of Escambia County to be killed in the Korean War. At the time of his death, most Pensacola Bay Area beaches were not open to blacks except for one in Perdido Key. The beach was accordingly renamed in his honor.

Just north of downtown Pensacola lives a museum completely dedicated to Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James, the first Black officer in the history of the United States military to attain a 4-star full general rank. The General Daniel Chappie James Museum of Pensacola, Inc., housed in Chappie’s childhood home, is listed on the National Register of Historical Places and offers programs designed to tell the story of Chappie James as well as highlight the focus on aviation education. Additionally, the newly built Pensacola Bay Bridge was dedicated in his honor.

To read more about black history in Pensacola, read our blog on the places in Pensacola to honor and celebrate black history.