ShareThisYou won't find many Florida businesses jumping at the chance to pay tribute to BP CEO Tony Hayward, aka Gulf Oil Spill Enemy No. 1. Especially businesses on the beach.
But one beach bar is bucking that trend.
Riptide's, a bar in St. Pete Beach, just debuted a new drink called the Tony Hayward. Described as "a mix of light and dark liquors resembling the sheen of dirty oil floating on bright blue waters," the drink is a fruity mix of blueberry vodka and blue caracao topped with a dark Harlem liquor.
The best part? It comes in a souvenir shot glass featuring a picture of an oil-soaked bird creating its own "spill" over Hayward's head.
The drink costs $5, with $2 from each purchase going toward the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. The bar sold about 300 in the first few days, and has already had to order more shot glasses.
"The folks at the bird sanctuary are really excited about it," said Riptide's co-owner, Steve Phalor. "A lot of folks weren't interested in having the drink, but they bought the glass and made a contribution."
The drink was the creation of bartender Nick Riccardi, who was looking for a way to make a statement about the spill and still attract young customers to the relatively new bar.
"I was just reading, watching TV, and thinking, 'Man, that really sucks for those birds,' " he said. "I'm all about bird sanctuaries. I've bartended on the beach, I've rescued birds myself. I've taken them to the sanctuary and helped them out."
Riccardi spent several days concocting and perfecting the recipe. He had friends and fellow bartenders taste it. Originally, he wanted to call it, simply, The Oil Spill, but Phalor convinced him to give it a BP angle.
This isn't the first local drink created in response to the spill. David Doble, owner of Tampa Bay Brewing Company, this month created a beer called the Deepwater Horizon, which put a dark, sludgy, toasty taste to the bar's True Blonde Ale.
Riccardi said the Tony Hayward was a hit when it debuted at Riptide's on a recent weekend. The more shots they sell, the more they can give to the birds. "We don't really care if we make any money on this one," he said.
Phalor said he'd love to have Hayward himself come in for a shot someday.
"I understand from watching the news ... , though, he's a little busy on his yacht," he said. "But we'd love to take his money."
(E-mail cridlin(at)tampabay.com)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
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