Our featured drinks

For most of the world outside of Florida, the state is known for one form of export, citrus. Sure the state has groves upon groves of oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and limes, but they are also known for plenty of other items as well. As you venture further down the peninsula, the groves tend to fall away and you are left with giant stalks of sugar cane. As a Floridian child, you learn that a section of sugar cane can be an all-day snack. You simply peel hat you can off of the tough exterior and begin to gnaw away at the juice-filled meat of the plant.

This is all to say that when I saw the Sugar Cane Mojito at Dawa Bar in Harambe, brought out especially for the Sundowner Celebration, I was thrilled!

A typical mojito requires four main components: mint, lime, simple syrup (or sugar and club soda), and white rum. In the case of the Sugar Cane Mojito, the sugar cane juice serves as the sweetener to this refreshing cocktail in the place of either sugar or simple syrup. The muddled limes and mint are what make a mojito such an invigorating beverage, and you can see and taste how fresh both are coming from Dawa Bar.

Moving back towards the raw ingredient of sugar cane, a long, slender section of sugar cane is used as a garnish in the drink. While it is perfect for mixing the drink as it begins to settle, you sip, not chug a mojito after all, you can also chew on the pulp to give yourself something sweet between sips. While I didn’t see many other guests partaking in the sugar cane, it brought me right back to my childhood days in Florida.

The bartenders at Dawa Bar are clearly masters and mistresses of their craft, and it shines through in this specialty drink. It isn’t often that you find an adult beverage that cools and relaxes while simultaneously awakening your senses and making you want to get up and go, but that is precisely what you get with the simple, sweet and delicious Sugar Cane Mojito.