I hate St. Patrick's Day. I LOATHE St. Patrick's Day. It's an arbitrary holiday to celebrate an immigrant class that was detested for a long time and now is just an excuse to drink (which, let's face it, further exploits said immigrant group). Normally I'd be okay with such ideas (e.g.: Cinco de Mayo and its fiesta de exploitación) but not on St. Patrick's Day. Perhaps what ruined it was the time I went to Savannah to celebrate St. Paddy's Day and ended up barfed upon and stuck in a throng of 100,000 drunkfrat boys hell-bent on groping anything with breasts or things that resembled breasts.
Or maybe I'm just bitter because my heritage is woefully absent from American holidays. There are no Ukrainian celebration days (sorry St. Kuksha of the Kiev Caves, maybe we'll be getting wasted in your honor next year) and the only day that remotely tries to celebrate Native Americans is also Columbus Day and no one gives a shit about Native Americans. As I have no Irish ancestry whatsoever I could care less about the fact that you're 1/64th Irish and so proud of it that you'll puke in the streets.
Anyways. Today and tomorrow I'll be showcasing cocktails from underrepresented immigrant groups that don't have their own celebration days.
Dawa (African cocktail)
- 1 teaspoon sugar or 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 oz vodka crushed ice cubes
- 1 whole lime, quarter with skin on
- 1 dawa stick, twisted in creamed honey (odds are you don't have one: use a popsicle stick dipped in honey)
Put lime and sugar into an old fashioned glass. Crush limes slightly with muddler, add ice and pour in the vodka. At this point you twist a dawa (or popsicle) 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. Muddle limes with dawa or honey stick. The more you crush the limes into the mixture and stir the sweeter the taste.
According to Ye Olde Internetz, Dawa means "medicine" or "magic potion" in Swahili. In other words, a dawa is said to be so potent that it will cure whatever ails you. The recipe is based on a Caipirinha which was introduced to Kenya and this is now one of the most widely consumed cocktails in the country.
Now the fun part: tell me what nation/nationality/ethnic group should be featured tomorrow. Let's see if I can find (or devise) a cocktail for some other arbitrary, completely underrepresented group. Tonga, anyone? Brunei? Hmong? Mighty mighty Kazakhstan? Leave it in the comments below.
God loves a cheerful giver.
Thanks to the wildness that was the St. Paddy's day parade in Hoboken, NJ this past weekend, a lot of folk are thinking about canceling the parade next year.
Had my parents migrated to Ireland instead of the US, I could've been the illest Irishman there ever was!
What do they drink in American Samoa?
Good article and I agree about this ridiculous "holiday."
Tell us how to make Airag. In detail.
I looked a drink to celebrate my eastern European heritage. The White Romanian sounds gross:
* 3 oz Stolichnaya® Vodka
* 1 1/2 oz Kahlua® Coffee Liqueur
* 1 oz Banana Liqueur
* 3 oz Milk
* 2 Slices Bananas
patrick, i'm pretty sure you could still accomplish that, or imitate it. you with an irish accent would be amazing.
Alan - I am confused as to why a drink from Romania would have tropical fruit in it.
Michael,
So am I! I googled "romanian cocktail" and that was the first result. My guess is the drink is a American-invented variation on a White Russian. They just picked a nearby former communist country.
When I visited Romania, everyone either drank Red Bull/ vodka or just vodka.
what don't you loathe, Danielle?
...I think a Norwegian cocktail would be nice. Good luck finding an amazing one
As for me...I will be drinking incessantly even though I am NOT Irish at all---my ex boyfriend was! Does that count for anything?
Oh Chelsey. Just for you I will attempt to find a Norwegian cocktail, preferably one served in your remote corner of Iowa.
....in addition to a drink from American Samoa (I get the feeling they primarily drink beer...), Airag, potentially something authentically Romanian, and whatever else you people recommend. Keep it comin'.
Guarapita, you drink it on the afro-influenced coast of venezuela, you can get it in all sorts of flavors from passion fruit to chocolate. we can celebrate chavez expropriating an irish eucalyptus plantation, yay.
I LOATHE Danielle's: horrible writing, attempts at being clever and pretention.
i have had celtic pride beaten into my skull since i was a wee lass, but not anymore! i am all celtic-ed out, though i will probably wear green tomorrow.
danielle, i love your column.
I concur with Bebop. While we can all agree that St. Patrick's Day is one of the biggest amateur nights in annual drinking, there's no need to sully it with amateurish writing as well.
What the hell is wrong with Danielles column? I love it.
Ah, disagreement.
Upcoming festivities. Many sure to have one too many as to forget themselves.
This column is wack. Danielle, drink a goddam green beer and get over it.
Dell, I'd like a drink from Sudan..... or world peace, whatever you can come up with! I know you're a busy gal!
I'd rather be totally hammered on St. Patty's day than full of loathe.