I Love Palms. Muscle Relaxer. Dark N’ Stormy. Ankle Breaker. Bounty Hunter. If you know these drink names, then you know Smugglers Island Eats and Rum Shack.
Pam Speer has been bartending at Smugglers ever since it opened three years ago. A Georgia native, Speer has called the Lowcountry home since 1999. “Working here is fun. I love people watching,” Speer said. “The bar has a direct view of the sidewalk. So, especially during the summertime, it’s fascinating.”
Speer loves interacting with her customers and the local community that patronize the bar. The most common topic Pam hears or is asked about, by tourists or visitors, concerns trying to buy a house somewhere here in Charleston.
“People love Charleston, they love Isle of Palms and are wanting to purchase a home down here,” Speer said. She has witnessed the change in the community, not to mention all the new developments. The landscape of Isle of Palms has altered over the last 20 years and Speer embraces it.
When it comes to hobbies, Speer enjoys yoga and Pilates. Staying healthy and living an active lifestyle are her prescription for a bright future. That, combined with Speer’s passion for bartending and being around people. “I enjoy bartending because I listen to people,” Speer shared. “I love meeting new people and hearing their stories, their walks of life. Now, some stories I would never repeat. I’m like, ‘okay I’m still making my drink and I didn’t hear that.’”
Some of Speer’s favorite drinks to make are mojitos and muscle relaxers. If you want to swing by and see her, she typically tends bar on Mondays and Tuesdays.
“We are slowing down right now. SEWE will give us a little pop and then comes the spring breakers starting after that,” she stated.
From Mother’s Day weekend to mid-October, Smugglers Island Eats and Rum Shack stays busy. So, if you want to see a bright, smiling face with a thorough knowledge of Charleston, who can concoct a veritable library of delectable libations, then visit Smugglers and order a drink from Speer!
By Maurice J. Frazier
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