top of page
A white drink with a crimson-red layer on top. The drink is garnished with a dark orange wheel and a few pineapple fronds. Additional orange slices can be seen behind the drink.
A light blue tropical drink cartoon with a straw and a citrus wheel

“You made it! I knew you would. And guess who made it back with you? I better find him before security does. Thanks for everything!” - Dr Seeker, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Dinosaur


Inspiration

Originally called "Count Down to Extinction", the attraction Dinosaur was tamed down and renamed in the year 2000 to match the film. As the rider, you have arrived at the Dino Institute to take the Time Rover back in time. Our guide Dr Seeker sends us into the Late Cretaceous period to recuse Aladar the iguanodon before the meteors break the atmosphere. In the end, you just barely make it back with the iguanodon. In making the cocktail inspired by Disney’s critically acclaimed ride and movie Dinosaur we started from a name and went from there. The fruity flavors of guava and pineapple combine with the bloody redness of aromatic bitters for a drink reminiscent of the dinos and their fate.



Workshopping

Iguanodon: I-GUAVA-DON

The Dinosaur ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a personal favorite of mine and Axnna’s, thus we had to frame it in the same joking manner as the ride takes with itself. Iguanodon sounds a heck of a lot like “ee-guah-VAH-don”, so starting with guava nectar felt like a good place to start. I had yet to have a cocktail that uses guava juice in it, so that’s what this drink would eventually become!


The final syllable of iguanodon is “DON” and I often come into possession of bottles of Don Q rum at the behest of two community members who make their way between Puerto Rico and Philadelphia. Every bottle of Don Q at the XBar was furnished by them, so “thank you” to both lilabe and annietoya! Y’all are excellent people, wonderful mods, and made for amazing co-hosts during the charity livestream! In any case, of the bottles of Don Q we have, I reached for the pineapple one, which was new at the time of this stream. It went well with the guava nectar I had supplied and fared even better with a bit of lime juice. Just like that, we had a cocktail!



The Meteor

There’s something so ironically comedic about the Dinosaur ride, and I couldn’t help but add something to the drink that was reminiscent of the dinosaurs’ impending doom. Axnna recalls a time when she went on the Dinosaur ride twelve times in a row. If I were in her shoes, I’d go mad and likely maniacally laugh at the repeated “They’re not gonna make it! They’re not gonna make it! – You made it! I knew you would”. Like, I did make it Dr. Seeker, and we have eleven times already.


Seriously though, how to represent the meteor that killed all the dinosaurs? I’ll put it plainly. Put some pineapple fronds in there (the dinosaur forests). Douse the drink in Angostura bitters (the blood of the dinosaurs). Drop a dehydrated orange wheel on it (boom. meteor). There you have it, a drinkable Disney’s Dinosaur.



Flavor Analysis

A trick to the senses as the smell of the drink masks the forward fruit flavors of guava and pineapple. It has a floral raspberry yet citrusy note that hints at cinnamon. This drink has some sweetness that is nicely balanced out by the other tart components.

Disney's Dinosaur

Disney's Dinosaur

  • 1.5 oz (44 ml) Pineapple Rum (Don Q Piña)
  • 1 oz (30 ml) Guava Nectar (Ziyad)
  • 1/2 oz (15 ml) Lime Juice
  • Top with 3-5 dashes Angostura Bitters

Method: Shake & Strain

Garnish: Pineapple Fronds & Dehydrated Citrus

More drinks inspired by: Disney

Guided Recipe in 60 Seconds: YouTube

Watch Us Mix this Recipe Live!

Comments?

Did you try the recipe? Got a comment or rating? Share it with us in our Discord community!

bottom of page