Come on a CoolCraft Summer Safari with Me!

West Volusia Tourism Invites Visitors to Cut Out Some Time this Summer for a CoolCation

It's time to don your pith helmet and hit the trail! West Volusia Tourism’s award-winning beverage competition, CoolCraft Summer, is returning for its fourth year, starting June 23 through September 1, with a Summer Safari.

Across West Volusia County, 23 local coffee roasters, breweries, tea purveyors, and mixologists have crafted unique beverages inspired by different animals for the fourth annual CoolCraft Summer Beverage Competition. All summer long, visitors can embark on a flavor-filled safari, sampling these wild creations and voting for their favorite.

Each participating location was tasked with creating a featured beverage based on the event's theme, "Summer Safari." Whether it's a WILD (alcoholic) or MILD (alcohol-free) beverage, each CoolCraft Summer Safari creation captures the spirit of the animal it is inspired by. Lions, Tigers, Kangaroos, and Pink Panthers are among the animals that have been chosen. Travelers will be able to try each drink and vote for their favorite at coolcraftrail.com/summer.

Need a break after hitting the trail? Stay overnight with one of our “CoolCation” partners. Throughout the region, downtown hotels like the DeLand Hotel, Holiday Inn Express and Suites - DeLand South, and the Comfort Inn DeLand, and riverside resorts like Hontoon Landing Resort on the St. Johns River, will be offering special rates for the Summer Safari. If you book a stay with any of these partners, using the codes or links posted on the CoolCraft Beverage Trail website, you'll receive a CoolCraft Summer Safari goodie bag at check-in filled with souvenirs, specials, and drinks!

This summer’s animal-inspired concoctions include both alcoholic and alcohol-free beverages.

The Table Restaurant - Lion

Alcoholic (Wild) Beverages:

● Chapel Tap - Monkey - The "Church Monkey" blends Sweet Baby Jesus Chocolate/Peanut Butter Porter with banana essence and a cocoa/banana rim—exactly what any monkey would order swinging into a bar.

● DeLand Cocktail Company - Peacock - The beautiful "Peacock" is made of exotic citrus, Puerto Rican rum, fresh coconut, and dark berries, flaunting a peacock’s vibrant strut in every refreshing sip.

● Central 28 Beer Company - Parrot - The "Parrot Safari Mojito Lager" has lime and mint in a 4.5% ABV lager, giving any parrot’s squawk a summer twist.

● Table Restaurant - Lion - The "Sahara Sunset" combines Rum Haven, Stoli Razz, pineapple juice, a splash of strawberry purée, and a little bit of Sprite, roaring with a lion’s bold, tropical energy.

● Nest - Gorilla - The "Jungle Juice" is NEST's award-winning red Sangria you’ve come to love, served in its signature orange cup, evoking a gorilla’s bold jungle swagger.

● Amour Du Vin - Wolf - The "Wolf Smoked Old Fashion" blends four ounces of wine-based whiskey, orange bitters, and wood-chip smoke, howling with a wolf’s fierce, smoky spirit.

● Wander Bar Cocktail Lounge - Bat - The "Blind Date" showcases G4 Blanco Tequila, paired with date syrup, lime juice, and a few other flavor-enhancing libations, inspired by bats’ vital role in agave pollination.

● The Bistro at Courtyard DeLand - Fox - The "Fox Tail" is a mix of pineapple, cranberry, coconut water, and red wine cherry with orange garnish, slyly bursting with a fox’s cunning charm.

● Blue Springs Brewing - Manatee - The "Mango Coolada" is made with cream ale, mango, and coconut, a refreshing summer beer drifting with a manatee’s gentle tropical calm.

● The Elusive Grape - Pig - The "Kermit’s Revenge" blends Whistle Pig Rye Whiskey Old Fashioned with mezcal wash, mole bitters, candied bacon, and dark chocolate orange peel, a favorite of one famous frog.

● Abbey Bar - Leopard - The "Leopard Summer Sangria" combines white wine grapes, cranberries, orange zest, and cinnamon, pouncing with a leopard’s zesty, spiced allure.

● Persimmon Hollow Brewing Co. - Moose - The "Muddy Moose Brown Ale" is a smooth and rich brown ale with notes of burnt sugar, toasted wood, and dried fruit, the kind of beer a moose might sip if it traded antlers for flannel.

● Chica’s Cuban Cafe - Cockatoo - A bold, tropical Piña Colada riff shaken with coconut rum, aged dark rum, pineapple, lime, and a double hit of passion fruit. Served over pebble ice in a cockatoo mug—bright, creamy, and ready to strut.

Alcohol-free (Mild) Beverages:

● Bernards Market - Raccoon - The "Toasted Trash Fire Cold Brew" is a rich, refreshing chocolate-coconut cold brew, lightly sweetened, served over ice, topped with fluffy swirls of chocolate and coconut cold foam, a sweet treat that kinda resembles a raccoon’s playful, bold rummage from the right angle.

● Trilogy Coffee - Swan - The "Among My Swan" blends earl grey tea, house-made blackberry-sage syrup, milk, dried blackberry topping, and mint leaf garnish, gliding with a swan’s elegant grace.

● Sidecar Market - Badger - The "Berry Badger" is a latte with honey, cinnamon, organic blackberry, and vanilla syrups, Sidecar’s spin on the classic Honey Badger drink.

Need a break after hitting the trail? Stay overnight with one of our “CoolCation” partners!

● Desert Sage Lifestyle Wellness - Elephant - The "Pink Elephant" is a bold, beautiful elixir of earthy turmeric, fiery ginger, aromatic lemongrass, and vibrant pink lemonade, handcrafted to awaken senses and uplift the soul with restorative, joyful wellness.

● Parvathy's Kitchen - Panther - The "Pink Panther Rose Milk" is a delightful, fragrant drink made with chilled coconut milk, basil seeds, and infused with rose water for a refreshing twist.

● Berryville - Rabbit - The "Sugar Hop" stays true to its name with a blend of cotton candy ice cream, blue marshmallow syrup drizzle, whipped cream, cotton candy, pink snowball “bunny feet,” and marshmallow “bunny tail.”

● Pat and Toni’s Sweet Things - Chimp - The "Chocolate Covered Banana Milkshake" blends banana creme pie milkshake, chocolate drizzle, hot fudge, whipped cream, and banana Runts, enough to make any chimp go bananas.

● Whit’s Frozen Custard DeLand - Kangaroo - The "Kangaroo Kick Shake" is made of creamy Whit’s custard, cafe mocha, Biscoff cookie crumbles, and cookie butter, topped with toasted Kataifi “grass” and a down-under straw-topper hat, inspired by a kangaroo’s grassy diet and Aussie coffee love.

● The Club at DeLand - Butterfly - The "Butterfly Garden" blends lime, blueberry, and tropical punch in a healthy energy tea, with zero sugar, vitamins B and C, fluttering with butterfly vibrance.

● Centro Tea Co - Sea Turtle - The "Matcha Moon Tide" showcases a sweet lavender lemonade and organic matcha, gliding with a sea turtle’s serene grace.

For a complete list of CoolCraft Summer participating locations and to begin planning your summer visit with savings on accommodations, visit coolcrafttrail.com/summer.