8 Gulf Coast treats to try if you love a good Bushwacker (Who doesn’t?)

Walk into almost any bar along the Gulf Coast and you’ll find a Bushwacker is on the menu. In Alabama, it’s on the dessert menu too.

Throughout the state, the creamy cocktail — typically made with rum, Kahlúa, milk, cream of coconut and chocolate liqueur — has become a flavor in its own right, showing up in cheesecake, doughnuts, rolled ice cream and even bags of coffee beans. Here are eight spots putting their own spin on the Bushwacker.

1. OSO at Bear Point Harbor, Orange Beach

Ask around and guests will steer you to one treat at this waterfront restaurant: the Bushwacker cheesecake. The dessert pairs espresso and coconut cheesecake with a chocolate coating and a drizzle of vanilla rum sauce, and it’s best enjoyed with views of the marina. Longtime customers may also remember the Bushwacker pancakes, a stack of three espresso-chocolate pancakes smothered in Kahlúa chocolate, rum caramel and coconut cream. Maybe it’s time to start a petition to bring them back. 

2. Cowbell Rolled Ice Cream, Gulf Shores

Cowbell Rolled Ice Cream, voted one of the best ice cream parlors in the 2026 Best of Alabama Awards, gives the classic cocktail a booze-free twist. The Bushwacker, which the shop calls “the flavor of the island,” starts with fresh cream mixed with coconut and rum extract, then chopped and rolled right in front of you. It’s finished with a drizzle of chocolate- and coffee-flavored condensed milk, then crowned with crushed Oreos, whipped cream and a cherry.

3. Kelly’s Specialty Pies, select Alabama retailers

Pensacola Beach, Florida, bakers Tom and Amanda Cotton have turned the Bushwacker into a frozen pie. Kelly’s Specialty Pies makes the dessert with Malibu coconut rum and Kahlúa coffee liqueur. It joins a rotating lineup of handmade, Southern-inspired flavors like Key lime, piña colada and chocolate-peanut butter, but it’s the one that feels made for Alabamians. It’s a best seller at several shops, including 34 Market in Dadeville, 3 Arrows Meat Co. in Spanish Fort and Fairhope, and Locals Market in Mobile.

4. Drowsy Poet at The Foley Station, Foley

Once a 1950s service station, this historic downtown Foley coffee shop now fuels customers with handcrafted drinks. The Bushwacker latte is the star, a pick-me-up that combines espresso, milk, chocolate and coconut, spiked with housemade rum syrup and a rum floater, then topped with whipped cream. Order it hot or iced, or go all in on a “poetchino,” the shop’s witty name for its signature frozen version.

5. Parlor Doughnuts, Gulf Shores

Parlor Doughnuts began in Evansville, Indiana, and now has shops from Pawleys Island, S.C., to Gulf Shores. Its small-batch, layered doughnuts are close cousins of the cronut, with buttery, flaky dough that’s fried and glazed in flavors that go well beyond the classics. The Gulf Shores also has something you won’t find elsewhere: the Bushwacker doughnut, packed with coconut, rum, coffee and chocolate. It’s everything you’d expect from a cocktail-turned-pastry.

6. CoastAL Orange Beach, Orange Beach

Live music, sweeping Gulf views, boardwalk access and local seafood are all part of the draw of this beachfront Orange Beach restaurant and bar. But the real showstopper is the Bushwacker tiramisu: Bushwacker-soaked ladyfingers layered with mascarpone cream and sprinkled with cocoa and shaved chocolate. It’s served all day, so dessert first is a perfectly good plan. Want the classic drink too? Head to the beach bar for their chocolate-drizzled cocktail.

7. The Southern Grind Coffee House, Orange Beach

Thanks to The Southern Grind Coffee House, you can get your Bushwacker fix right at home. This part-coffee shop, part-gift store, which has two locations in Orange Beach, turns the cocktail into coffee with its Beach Whacker beans. They’re flavored with notes of Kahlúa, chocolate, coconut and vodka, just like the drink. Brew a pot as is, or pour it over a scoop of the shop’s ice cream for a Bushwacker-style affogato. Grab a 12-ounce bag to test it out, or go big with a five-pound bag if you’re a true devotee.

8. The Steamer Baked Oyster Bar, Gulf Shores

Best known for steamed seafood trays piled with Royal Reds, crab legs and oysters, The Steamer Baked Oyster Bar has another draw: a signature Bushwacker that blurs the line between cocktail and dessert. Instead of blending it with ice, the restaurant dispenses it from a soft-serve machine, giving it a thick, creamy texture like ice cream while keeping the chocolate, coffee and coconut flavors of the classic. Want more kick? Ask for a floater on top.