Frozen Bushwacker
The Gulf Coast Bushwacker: dark rum, coffee liqueur, dark crème de cacao, cream of coconut and milk, frozen. Batch sizes for Margaritaville machines.
Jump to recipe ↓A beach-bar legend along the Florida and Alabama Gulf Coast, the Bushwacker tastes like a chocolate milkshake with a rum kick.
It’s built like the Mudslide in the machine manuals, so it shaves and blends the same way.
Bushwacker recipe
Ingredients (1 drink)
- 1 oz dark rum
- ¾ oz coffee liqueur
- ¾ oz dark crème de cacao
- 1 oz cream of coconut (paid link)
- 1½ oz whole milk
- 2 Tbsp vanilla ice cream (optional)
Plus: a full ice reservoir. Garnish: Whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, toasted coconut. Glass: Hurricane glass.
Instructions
- Fill the ice reservoir.
- Add all ingredients to the jar.
- Run the cycle (Slides program on Fiji).
- Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
How much to make in your machine
Every Margaritaville frozen concoction maker is designed around a particular volume of liquid — the shaver portions ice for it. The table scales this recipe to the margarita liquid volume printed in each model’s manual (Key West DM1000 / DM1946 3 × 12 oz drinks: 9.75 fl oz; Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM2000 3 × 12 oz drinks: 13 fl oz; Tahiti DM3000 per 24 oz jar: 8.67 fl oz; Bali DM3500 half chamber: 11 fl oz; Bali DM3500 full chamber: 22 fl oz). Amounts are rounded to the nearest ¼ or ⅓ oz.
| Ingredient | Key West DM1000 / DM19463 × 12 oz drinks | Bahamas DM0500 / Fiji DM20003 × 12 oz drinks | Tahiti DM3000per 24 oz jar | Bali DM3500half chamber | Bali DM3500full chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dark rum | 2¼ oz | 3 oz | 2 oz | 2½ oz | 5 oz |
| coffee liqueur | 1⅔ oz | 2¼ oz | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 3¾ oz |
| dark crème de cacao | 1⅔ oz | 2¼ oz | 1½ oz | 2 oz | 3¾ oz |
| cream of coconut | 2¼ oz | 3 oz | 2 oz | 2½ oz | 5 oz |
| whole milk | 3⅓ oz | 4½ oz | 3 oz | 3¾ oz | 7⅔ oz |
| vanilla ice cream (optional) | 4½ Tbsp | 6 Tbsp | 4 Tbsp | 5 Tbsp | 10¼ Tbsp |
Scaling is our calculation, not a manufacturer recipe. Fruit- and ice-cream-heavy drinks vary more; adjust with the Shave Only / Blend Only controls. The Key West DM1900 isn’t listed because we haven’t verified its manual yet.
Machine notes for this drink
- Dairy and cream liqueurs make a thick, shake-like drink. Use the Slides setting on the Fiji (the Tahiti manual also lists Mudslides), soften ice cream for five minutes first, and rinse the jar soon after serving.
- Cream of coconut separates in the bottle; shake or stir it until smooth before measuring, or the batch will be unevenly sweet.
- The ingredient list is written for a single 12 oz drink, which matches the 1-drink setting on Key West and Fiji dials. Multiply by 2 or 3 and set the Number of Drinks dial to match.
- This batch uses about 5 fl oz of liquid for 1 drink. If your drink comes out watery, the manuals’ first fix is to follow the recipe volumes or manually shave more ice; if it’s too stiff, add liquid and Blend Only.
Why this recipe works
Coconut and milk make it creamy; two liqueurs add chocolate and coffee.
About coladas, tiki & rum drinks
Tropical rum drinks lean on pineapple, coconut, passion fruit and citrus. Cream of coconut is the secret to a smooth colada; it adds fat that keeps shaved ice silky. Most of these recipes include two or more juices, which makes them lower in alcohol per ounce than they taste — but the rum still adds up across a batch.
Tips for the best texture
- Use the Slides setting if your machine has it.
- Rinse the jar promptly after dairy.
- A rum float on top is a beach-bar tradition.
- Chocolate syrup in the glass first looks great.
- Never put anything but ice in the ice reservoir, and don’t fill the jar past its maximum line — both are warnings in every manual.
- Too thin? Hold the toggle in Shave Only for a few seconds, then Blend Only to mix it in. Too thick? Add an ounce of liquid and Blend Only.
Serving & make-ahead
Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, toasted coconut and serve in a hurricane glass. Tropical drinks shine with big garnishes — pineapple wedges, orange wheels, cherries on a pick and a paper umbrella. Hurricane glasses or tiki mugs hold the larger pours. For a crowd, a Tahiti lets you run a colada, a rum punch-style drink and a virgin version side by side.
Variations
- Rum float: Float ½ oz dark rum on top.
- Peanut butter: Add 1 Tbs peanut butter.
- Banana: Add half a banana.
Mocktail swap
Replace spirits with 1 oz cold brew, 1 Tbs chocolate syrup and extra milk.
Shop the ingredients
- Coco Real Cream of Coconut (paid link)
- Libbey Cool Cocktails Island Hurricane Glasses, 15 oz, set of 6 (paid link)
We link to mixers, syrups and juices only — alcohol isn’t sold through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Where is it from?
Popular in the Gulf Coast region; claimed by several bars.
Is it strong?
About 2½ oz of spirits and liqueurs per drink.
Dairy-free?
Use coconut or oat milk.
How much ice should I put in the machine?
Fill the ice reservoir with ice cubes — the machine shaves the amount it needs for the cycle (dial models size it to the 1, 2 or 3-drink setting). The manuals recommend ice that has been out of the freezer for 10–15 minutes.
Will this work in a regular blender?
Yes — add about 1½–2 cups of ice per 12 oz drink and blend until smooth. The texture will be coarser than shaved ice.
Please drink responsibly. Alcoholic recipes are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Never drink and drive.
