The Dawa is sipped at sunset across East Africa in a time-honored happy-hour tradition –– a perfect sundowner cocktail to enjoy after a safari game drive or back at camp watching the sun’s last rays streak across the vast sky.
‘Dawa’ means ‘medicine’ or ‘magic potion’ in Swahili, it's a mixture of vodka, muddled limes, ice, and Kenyan honey. The Dawa was first invented 38 years ago at Nairobi’s Carnivore restaurant, famous for sizzling cuts of grilled meats (including game like crocodile and ostrich).
Much like a swizzle stick, the traditional honey-coated Dawa stick is used to swirl the honey and muddle the limes into your cocktail. Some say, the Dawa stick has magical powers of its own!
Dawa Cocktail
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons white sugar or 1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 ounces vodka
Crushed ice cube
1 whole lime, quartered, with skin on
3/4 cup of lime juice
1 Dawa stick (see below for substitutions), twisted in creamed honey, or 2 tablespoons of honey
2 ounces vodka
Crushed ice cube
1 whole lime, quartered, with skin on
3/4 cup of lime juice
1 Dawa stick (see below for substitutions), twisted in creamed honey, or 2 tablespoons of honey
PROCEDURE
1. Put lime and sugar into a whiskey tumbler.
2. Crush limes slightly, add ice, pour in the vodka, and add lime juice.
3. At this point you twist a Dawa stick into some honey and add the stick to the drink. A wooden honey stick or other type of stick twisted in honey will work.
4. Muddle limes with Dawa or honey stick. The more you crush the limes into the mixture and stir with the honey stick, the sweeter your Dawa will taste.
Photo and recipe via VinePair
2. Crush limes slightly, add ice, pour in the vodka, and add lime juice.
3. At this point you twist a Dawa stick into some honey and add the stick to the drink. A wooden honey stick or other type of stick twisted in honey will work.
4. Muddle limes with Dawa or honey stick. The more you crush the limes into the mixture and stir with the honey stick, the sweeter your Dawa will taste.
Photo and recipe via VinePair