Bushwacker fest 09' on Pensacola Beach

PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. - This weekend an entire festival was dedicated to one drink, the bushwacker.

It's good on a warm day, kind of tastes like a milkshake, and brings thousands of people to Pensacola Beach.

"It is a great, cool, drink on what is usually a hot day minus the rain. It's sweet, it goes down easy, and it's refreshing," said Theresa Isiminger.

Isiminger is lucky. She can have a bushwacker from Captain Fun's Beach Club anytime she wants. Roberta McCloskey however drove 6 hours just to enjoy one.

"I never even knew what a bushwacker was until I tasted it last year. Once you taste it it's like a Wendy's frosty on steroids. It's really good," McCloskey said.

This is the 23rd year for the festival that not only has plenty to drink, but also has activities and musical entertainment all weekend long. More than 30-thousand cups of the famous beverage was to be poured this weekend and the preparation is intense. Jon Peterson is the "truck man" and has a huge responsibility.

Peterson creates the bushwackers that are sold. He mixes the ingredients and gets the product to the consumer fast.

"There will be a point when I step on the truck and I'll be on it anywhere from 6-9 hours constantly mixing and pumping. I fill up the tubs and as we fill them up I've got a pump here. I pump 5 gallons at a time and we send them up to the booths. That is how we do it," Peterson said.

The 2009 Bushwacker Festival wrapped up Sunday night. Lets hope Jon Peterson got to take a break and enjoy one himself.