Raising the Bar

Raising the Bar

A bridge crane on rails hangs suspended overhead as guests sit at the bar sipping drinks. But these aren’t regular drinks. These craft cocktails are produced with fresh, local ingredients, in-house produced ice and more than a few dashes of expertise.

It is with these drinks that the Ice Plant is raising the bar for St. Augustine’s craft cocktail scene.

One of the local leaders in the craft cocktail movement, the Ice Plant is deep-rooted in history. The Ice Plant has successfully played off of the building’s history to create a one-of-a-kind cocktail bar.

The original Ice Plant was established in St. Augustine in 1927 when the facility created huge blocks of ice for shrimp boats and local customers. The original crane (that now hangs over the bar) is the same one that was used 90 years ago to pick up huge blocks of ice.

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Live Mermaid Spreads Good Vibes and Positive Messages

Live Mermaid Spreads Good Vibes and Positive Messages

Lynette Bower feels at home under water. But more than that, she finds a sense of peace and positivity swimming in the sea. By being a live mermaid, she is able to bring these feelings of joy and happiness to terra firma delighting both children and adults.

Growing up by the ocean, Lynette learned to snorkel at a very young age. She used to swim with the fish and pretend she was a mermaid by crossing her ankles together to make a pretend tail. She always felt a great connection with sea creatures. She would frequent places like the Miami Seaqaurium where she and the dolphins would gaze into each other’s eyes. She also loved watching Jacques Cousteau on television so she could learn about the fish she came face-to-face with while snorkeling.

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St. Augustine’s Solar Stik Provides Power Worldwide

St. Augustine’s Solar Stik Provides Power Worldwide

Using American-made components and constant innovation, St. Augustine-based Solar Stik creates portable power solutions that enable self-sufficiency for the soldier, the sailor and beyond. In doing so, they save lives, change lives and help revive American manufacturing.

Although much of Solar Stik’s work today involves building systems for the front lines and combat zones, the more than decade-old company has developed an array of products – some of which average civilians may have encountered without realizing it. In visiting Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, you may have used one of their Renewable Equipped Vending (REV) machines. These solar-powered machines vended beverages throughout SeaWorld and Aquatica during their trial placement in the parks.

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San Sebastian Winery: Dedicated to Your Good Taste

San Sebastian Winery: Dedicated to Your Good Taste

Wine is arguably the most beloved beverage in the world. One could also argue that St. Augustine is one of the most beloved cities in the world. At least, we think so.

Thanks to San Sebastian Winery, we have a double superlative: the most beloved beverage made in the most beloved town.

Since 1996, San Sebastian Winery has been making wine locally on King Street in one of Henry Flagler’s East Coast Railway buildings, just a few blocks from historic downtown.

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Lifting St. Augustine’s Spirits

Lifting St. Augustine’s Spirits

A group of St. Augustine locals shared a dream and created a business collaborative. They wanted to bring the national movement of distilling super premium, small batch spirits to our community. And they wanted to do it better than anyone in the world.

As St. Augustine Distillery turned their dream into reality, they gained a widespread reputation for their handcrafted products and lifted our spirits along the way.

They knew that if they could bring some of the world’s best distilling experts here – the oldest and coolest small city in America – with access to locally grown sugarcane, wheat, corn and citrus, they could develop a finer quality spirit than just about any other place in the world.

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Pioneering Education in St. Augustine

Pioneering Education in St. Augustine

Keeping up with technology is paramount in our children’s education. But so is ensuring tomorrow’s leaders have a foundation in basic skills. While these two educational models may seem at odds, St. Augustine’s Cristina Pope and Teri Aboulafia have successfully married the two in The Pioneer School.

The Pioneer School is a private, non-profit middle school that blends high-tech education with the teaching of life skills.

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Made in St. Augustine® Joins Forces with Narrow Magazine

Made in St. Augustine® Joins Forces with Narrow Magazine

With more than 100 music venues and 1,000 musicians within 12.74 square miles, St. Augustine’s music scene is nothing to sneeze at. With the environment primed, St. Augustine now just needs that one breakout artist to secure the nation’s oldest city’s place on the music map.

Narrow Magazine aims to help make that happen. Proponents of local musicians, Narrow spreads the word about artists through St. Augustine’s free monthly music magazine. The publication is all about finding and helping local musicians become the next Jason Isbell, Dirty Heads or Twenty One Pilots. Narrow is well on its way to make the nation’s oldest city the country’s next great original music scene.

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Mix it Up!

Mix it Up!

It’s what Cesar Diaz, founding director of Cocktail Capital, does best.

What does he mix? Latin and South American cuisine to produce delectable tapas and full menus. Artisan and rare spirits to craft masterful cocktails. An eye for spaces and an understanding of people to create exceptional environments. The result? Odd Birds, Damianas, Milagro on 12th and Arepa Life.

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