What is a Staycation?

Don’t worry, we won’t give you the overdone “Merriam-Webster says…” That’s because a staycation can have a variety of definitions, and it all depends on what you want. Feeling the urge to take a break from your average Tuesday and pretend you’re a foodie tourist in your own town? That’s a staycation. Want to melt into a spa day and savor a fancy dinner, but still want to sleep in your own home that night? Boom. Staycation. Afraid coming back home will give you the “I should really fold that laundry and clean out the fridge” vibe? A great staycation can mean booking a night at your favorite (or a new!) hotel, which can be a luxurious splurge, or just a fun way to get away for an evening and let someone else clean your room in the morning. Need some inspiration? We’re partial to our own hometown, so we’ve crafted a local lineup that makes a great spring break staycation in Louisville, Kentucky:

Boutique and Foodie Tour on East Market

Throw on a smart outfit that can take you day to evening, and get ready to do NuLu like a newbie. If you have your favorite haunts, we love that. But for a staycation, step into an itinerary like ours — or one you make on your own — that mixes in a few new spots, or at least visiting at a different time of day. 

Want to start at a leisurely pace? Settle into a table at Butchertown Grocery Bakery (opens at 8AM) for beignets, chicken and waffles, and a bone marrow Bloody Mary (cold brew is also a welcome start). Stroll five minutes and you’re off Main and onto East Market, where you can peruse the local shops. Admire quirky decor and unique furniture at Red Tree, find a funky tshirt to represent your neighborhood at Louabull, and browse the new kid on the block — Paxton’s Nulu just opened in March 2024 and boasts a curated collection of stylish, yet affordable men’s clothing for almost any occasion. Need a swoon worthy staycation souvenir? Wild Hats is on your route, and the artists in this bespoke hat shop create truly custom wearables that sing “I’ll own this forever and a day.” 

When you’re ready for lunch, go casual at Royal’s Hot Chicken for Nashville-style fried chicken sandwiches (and a boozy milkshake, because hey, staycation!). Then, come visit us (we’d toss a smiley emoji in here if we could) at our East Market Street location, and we’ll send you home with all the ingredients you need to make the mouthwatering cocktails we list below. End your evening with elevated Latin American fare at Mayan Cafe (try the Veracruz duck mole and thank us later) or get a taste of Havana at La Bodeguita de Mima: The Forbidden Mojito and Cubano sandwich would get two thumbs up if we weren’t using them to hold our glass and food…too good to put down. 

Staycation Cocktails to Make at Home

Whew. What a day. That applies whether you followed our staycation suggestion above, or you just…had a day. Now, lean into those spring break vibes and make yourself (and maybe a few friends) one of these delightful cocktails. We made sure they’re easy to make and give you that classic tropical feel (and taste!). 

Blue Hawaii

It’s giving 1950’s flair, a lagoon-blue hue, and you probably have all of the ingredients on your bar cart besides Blue Curaçao, which you can find easily. We love the sweet pineapple-infused citrusy flavor of this drink, which carries just enough bitter orange flavor to keep it all balanced. No wonder it’s been a vacation favorite for almost 70 years!

Blue Hawaii Recipe:

• 1 oz rum

• 1 oz vodka

• ¾ oz Blue Curacao

• 2 oz pineapple juice

• ½ oz lemon juice

• ½ oz simple syrup

• crushed ice

1. Pour the rum, vodka, blue curacao, pineapple juice, lemon juice and simple syrup into your cocktail shaker. Add about a cup of ice and shake until cold and frosty.

2. Strain the drink into a glass (hurricane if you have it) filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a drink umbrella if you have it, along with an optional pineapple wedge or orange slice, and cocktail cherry.

(Credit to ACoupleCooks for our favorite version of this recipe!)

3-Ingredient Pina Colada

Three ingredients and you’re basically in the tropics with a frozen pina colada in your hand. Does it get any better? 

The Easiest Pina Colada Recipe:

• 6 oz pineapple juice

• 3 oz coconut cream (the author of this recipe loves Coco Coconut Cream or Coco Lopez)

• 1 ½ oz light rum

• 1-2 cups ice for blending

* This is a single serving, but can easily be doubled or tripled!

1. Mix all your ingredients in the blender and mix until smooth. Pour into a tall glass, and have fun with garnishes: we like a pineapple wedge and cocktail cherry. 

(Credit to Crazy for Crust for this brilliantly easy variation!)

Sex on the Beach

Whether the name makes you laugh or cringe, no one can argue this is one tasty drink. Invented in the 1980’s (naturally), it was invented by a Florida bartender to sell peach schnapps!

Sex on the Beach Recipe:

• 1 ½ oz vodka

• 1 ½ oz peach schnapps

• 2 oz cranberry juice

• 2 oz orange juice

• Ice 

1. Fill a tall glass (preferably hurricane) with ice

2. Pour in vodka and schnapps

3. Add cranberry juice, then orange juice. Garnish with a cocktail cherry and wedge or fresh orange. 

Watermelon Rosé

Like a picnic in a wine glass. Juicy watermelon, perky rosé, and you. The subtle tartness of the wine is a brilliant complement to the watermelon’s fruity notes, and the blush pink frozen goodness in your glass? Spring break perfection. 

• 4 cups cubed watermelon, frozen (six hours or overnight)

• 1 bottle of rosé wine, frozen into at least two ice cube trays (+ leftover wine for blending)

1. Freeze your watermelon cubes in a plastic bag overnight (or at least 6 hours).

2. Fill two ice-cube trays with wine and freeze overnight (or at least 6 hours).

3. Pour frozen watermelon and frozen wine cubes into a blender along with leftover wine from the bottle. 

4. Pour into wine glasses and garnish with mint.

Now, put up that out-of-office email for at least a day, relax, and enjoy your staycation…it’s well deserved! All of us at Cox’s & Evergreen will be clinking glasses too. Cheers!Insert your text here