Beloved Local Bar Opens Its Doors at New Location

By Michael Alaimo

One of the most beloved local bars is on the move. Boat Drinks is leaving its crowded and cramped downtown spot for a larger open space in uptown. The owners and staff are excited about the new location and happy to pour more drinks, host bigger crowds,and keep all customers happy.

“Boat Drinks is a state of mind just as much as it is a physical space,” Rob Crabtree said. The co-owner and co-founder of Boat Drinks, Crabtree has been involved with the bar since he came up with the idea with his co-owner Whitney Hobbs and opening in late December 2019. They both shared the same passion and vision for what they wanted in a bar.

“Boat Drinks started with my partner, Whitney Hobbs, and I wanting to open an old school Florida marina-style bar and sling tropical cocktails with fresh juices and syrups. Frozen cocktails were a must, as was a very good selection of rum and agave,” Crabtree said.

Boat Drinks opened its doors to the public for the first time at its new location, 123 San Marco Ave on March 27, 2025. Ever since the move, they’ve been keeping the same traditions, style and food.

“In keeping with the marina bar kind of theme, we knew we wanted fresh seafood,” he said. “And of course, every bar needs a good burger. Basically, we only serve what we like to eat and drink. We figured that if we like it, others would too.”

Boat Drinks was selected as one of the 10 Best New American Cocktail Bars as part of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s 2020 Spirited Awards, which is one of the largest cocktail events in the world, according to totallystaugustine.com.

Because of this popularity, Boat Drinks had to expand and relocate. Crabtree helped plan and oversee the relocation after they outgrew the previous location with too many customers in a cramped space in downtown St. Augustine.

“We relocated for many reasons, but mainly because we outgrew our downtown location. As we say, we needed a bigger boat,” said Crabtree. “Also leaving downtown allowed us to have parking, which is a huge win in St. Augustine.”

The new location has more tables, seats and a new patio space which enables bigger crowds of people to come in and enjoy their time with family and friends.

“The uptown location is a little over double the size, so there is so much more room for us and our guests. We also have over 40 parking spaces,” said Crabtree. “Moving is never without challenges. Mostly the move took a little longer than we anticipated.”

Since the move the owners have kept the same menu, but are always looking to try new things and “tweaking recipes.”

“The menu hasn’t changed much at all,” said Crabtree. “Our service style remains the same, but now we have an awesome outside patio as well.”