The Sandshaker Lounge opened for business in 1971, becoming the first stand-alone bar on Pensacola Beach. The lounge is located near Pensacola's most visited beaches including Casino Beach and Quietwater Beach.

The lounge is not only the oldest bar, but also the most famous bar on Pensacola Beach.

The Sandshaker Lounge made history in 1975 by contributing a drink recipe that would become world famous. That year, the previous owner of the Sandshaker Lounge visited Sapphire Beach Village at St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands where she tasted a drink called the "Bushwacker," an adult version of a chocolate milkshake including ice cream and Khalua. The owners returned to Pensacola Beach with their own version of the recipe and the Sandshaker Lounge became "Home of the Original Bushwacker."

Thirty-four years later, the drink is still the most popular drink at the Sandshaker Lounge, as well as every bar on Pensacola Beach. As a result of the drink's popularity, the beach now hosts the annual Bushwacker festival where residents try different variations of the drink and celebrate their own tradition of a cool drink on the beach.