Dave Matthews is more than just a band if you live on the East Coast of Canada - it's also an iconic drink that was created in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
The Dave Matthews drink is the perfect fruity cocktail to enjoy at any time of year. Filled with flavors of coconut, pineapple and cranberry, it's a sweet drink to satisfy even the manliest of men - after all it's named after a rock band legend. Embrace the sugar hangover cause this is one of those easy drinking cocktails you won't even notice having drank 6 until it's too late.
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Where Did This Cocktail Come From?
The Capitol Complex in New Brunswick's capital city of Fredericton is the creator of this delicious drink. The owner of the Capitol, Wes Ward was quoted saying that he made this cocktail on a slow night in 1998 while listening to Dave Matthews - hence the name.
The Dave Matthews cocktail is similar to the Italian Surfer, though many of the recipes call for vodka or omit pineapple juice. Though there's now variations of the drink, the original is made up only of coconut rum, Amaretto, cranberry juice and pineapple juice. I personally like to top with a maraschino cherry and a lime wedge, but this is purely decorative.
Substitutions
There's few substitutions I recommend for this drink, as it's perfect just as it is. As for recommendations, I love using Disaronno for my amaretto versus Bols (the cheaper alternative) as I find it creates a smoother taste.
For the coconut rum, Malibu is my liquor of choice. The coconut Bacardi is a close second if you don't have Malibu on hand. Keep in mind, however, that the Bacardi rum is 14% stronger than the Malibu coconut rum.
Mixologist Tips
As directed by Wes, the best way to make this drink is to fill a cup with ice then top with the ingredients before shaking in a cocktail shaker -ensuring a nice foam. Alternatively, some people suggest blending all of the ingredients (minus the ice and toppings) and then pouring over ice for extra froth. I'm a traditionalist in that I love a classic cocktail shaker.
Dave Matthews Drink
Equipment
- Cocktail Shaker
- Glass
Ingredients
- 1 fl oz coconut rum Malibu recommended
- 1 fl oz amaretto Disaronno recommended
- ¾ cups cranberry juice
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ice enough to fill glass
- Maraschino cherries optional, for garnish
- lime wedges optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Fill your glass all the way with ice.
- In a shaker glass, combine all ingredients except garnishes and shake well.
- Pour the drink over the ice and optionally enjoy with garnishes of blood orange, lime wedges and maraschino cherries. Serve immediately.
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