Homegrown spirit brand Bushwacker Spirits, which is headquartered on Southgate Circle here in Sarasota, seized the spotlight at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, clinching the double gold medal in its Ready-to-Drink competition for the company's Coconut Rum Cream, which is flavored with natural coconut, coffee, and chocolate.

Founders Michael Smith and Carter Echols launched the company in 2020 with hopes of immortalizing the tropical Bushwacker cocktail (think a tropical white Russian) and making it more accessible by bottling it in a ready-to-drink format. 

"To earn Double Gold with our first-ever entry at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is a huge success for our brand,” Smith says. "We are immensely proud of this achievement, which underscores our team's commitment to curating and delivering the finest ready-to-drink cocktail for our valued customers."

Bushwacker Coconut Rum Cream was one of over 5,000 other entries from all around the world.

Bushwacker Spirits is located at 3135 Southgate Circle, Sarasota. For more information and to find where you can purchase a bottle, click here.