Over the weekend we were jones-ing for some brunch and decided to go for an impromptu jaunt to historic downtown which resulted in cocktails, tastings, and tours. Oh, my!
What could be better? Load up the stroller, grab the diaper bag, don’t forget the baby, we’re going out!
After much deliberation we decided to check out the menu at Ice Plant Bar which is the restaurant upstairs from the St. Augustine Distillery.
We put our names on the list to be seated (under Magnolia, as always) and were informed that there was an hour wait. This is a very typical amount of time to expect to wait at restaurants in Downtown St. Augustine on the weekend. Especially right now during Nights of Lights.
Now, I’ve only been on the job as a mom for ten months, but I’d like to think I’m pretty pro at navigating life with a baby. She and I have flown to the other side of the world 3 times now after all. (but that’s a story for another day).
With all that being said, I was ready to reach into my thoughtfully curated bag of tricks, toys, and snacks to keep Magnolia entertained for the hour long wait. Then suddenly, we realized we had plenty of time to take the (now self-guided) tour at the distillery. A perfect distraction!
We switched gears, walked over to the distillery entrance, showed our ID’s and started our crash course into old Florida history.
Did you know that the building the Distillery and Ice Plant Bar call home was originally constructed in 1917 to serve as Florida’s first commercial ice plant? Did you know that the St. Augustine area was also home too many successful bootleggers during Prohibition? Fun facts!
During this first part of the tour we were given a sample of the Distillery’s vodka in the form of a Florida Mule. I’m a pretty big fan of the Moscow Mule, so this was easily my favorite drink sample of the tour.
Next we moseyed through a maze of bourbon barrels, gazed upon a massive mash cooker and experienced the fermenting scent of “sweet mash”.
Our last stop of the tour led us to the tasting room where we tried the distillery’s handmade gin as well as their pot distilled rum. Both were fantastic and refreshing! After our last samples we filtered out into the gift shop where you can purchase any liquor and mixers sampled along the tour as well as other distillery merch.
The gift shop is quite impressive. If you’re on vacation and looking to bring home a special reminder of this historic city, look no further!
Must try Moscow Mule! 
Bourbon at the St. Augustine Distillery 
Photo-opp outside Ice Plant Bar
By this time about 30 minutes had passed and our table was ready! Perfect timing!
We went upstairs into the beautiful and bright dining room and ordered right away. One Aperol Spritz, one Moscow Mule, the Eggs Benedict on Mushroom Toast and a Half Pound Ice Plant Burger. Everything was fabulous! Magnolia especially approved of the potato hash that came with my eggs benny.
It was such a fun *see where the wind takes us* kind of day. We really enjoyed our time at the Distillery and Ice Plant Bar. A place that you might not automatically assume is great for babies, but was highly family friendly. An elevator was offered to us for getting up to the restaurant and we were brought a highchair before we could even ask!
Excellent service, a wonderful meal, and a fascinating (free!) tour. This is a must on your next visit to St. Augustine!
