Refreshing Mauby Drink

A refreshing drink made from the bark of a mauby tree. This delicious drink also provides some health benefits. It’s a quintessential Caribbean drink that you either love or hate.

As much as food is important in the Caribbean, beverages are running a close second.

Mauby (also called Mavi in Puerto Rico and Mabi in Haiti) is a classic drink found on many a table during Sunday dinner. It has a reputation though, either you hate the taste, or you like it.

A good refreshing drink is especially important. Nothing beats a hot day and a cooling glass of some cold beverage.

There are a few staple drinks I can think of peanut punch, rum punch, Guinness punch, fruit juices like lime or grapefruit … and then there’s mauby.

I can assure you, my recipe is going to be a “like”.

Mauby, what is it?

Mauby is a popular drink across the Caribbean, though the exact recipe can vary from island to island (you know how we like to put our own spin on things).

It’s often called the “bitter drink” and is made by boiling the bark of the mauby tree—also known as colubrina or buckthorn bark—along with spices. This creates a strong, bitter concentrate that you dilute with water and sweeten to your taste.

The flavor? It’s… a journey. Mauby has a bold, bittersweet taste with a distinctive afterbite. Some say it reminds them of root beer, but I personally don’t see it. The first sip might feel mild, but depending on how strong it’s made, it can quickly turn into a punch of bitterness or a soothing sip if you get the balance right.

Despite the kick, it’s a refreshing drink, especially on hot days. And it’s not just about the taste, mauby comes with a history of health benefits. It’s believed to help lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Caribbean grannies also swear by it for easing joint and arthritic pain. Basically, it’s the kind of drink that had ancestors saying, “Just drink it, you’ll see.”

How to Make Mauby

Ingredients for recipe

• Mauby bark – we are going to use pieces of mauby bark to make the concentrate syrup
• Cups of water – we need water to boil and also water to dilute the syrup.
• Flavorings – Cinnamon sticks, aniseed or star anise, mixed essence and bay leaves
• Sugar – any type of sugar can be used: cane sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar

Make sure to check out the recipe card for the full ingredients list and quantities.

Instructions

The process is simple once you break it down. You’ll first make a syrup-like mauby concentrate using the bark and spices. Then, when you’re ready to drink, just dilute and sweeten to taste.

1. Step 1: Clean the bark
   Depending on where you got your mauby bark, you may need to clean it first. If it came in a sealed package from a brand, you’re probably good to go. But if you bought one of those little tie bags from a market vendor or small biz? Check for bits of stone, stick, or other debris. Rinse the bark well and pick out anything that doesn’t belong.
2. Step 2: Boil and steep
   Add the cleaned bark, along with aniseed, bay leaf, and cinnamon, to a large pot.
   Pour in enough water to just cover the bark—about an inch above is fine.
   Bring it to a rolling boil, then remove from heat and let everything steep for a few hours, or even overnight for stronger flavor.
3. Step 3: Strain and store
   Once the mixture has cooled completely, strain out the solids and discard them. What you’re left with is the mauby concentrate. Store this in a clean bottle or jar in the fridge until you’re ready to use.
4. Step 4: Mix the drink
   To make your actual mauby drink, combine some of the concentrate with water and sweeten it to your liking.
   Want it strong and bitter? Use less water. Prefer it lighter and sweet? Add more water and sugar. Taste and adjust as you go.
   Some folks like to add milk, or even carbonated water to make a Mauby Fizz-style version—go wild with it!

Tips

• The color will vary. This can be lighter or darker depending on how much water is used to boil the bark. Also can vary depending on what color sugar you use to sweeten.
• Bitterness level. A good trick to make sure that you don’t get too bitter a drink at the end is to not boil the bark for too long. I have found that boiling it for longer than 5 minutes at a high rolling boil tends to lend to a more bitter taste.
• If you find the mauby too bitter. Continue to add more water to the mix. Some people also use coconut water to help cut out some of the bitterness.

Serving Suggestions

A refreshing beverage is best served cold, chilled over ice. Beastly cold mauby will make your body very happy.

Storage

The concentrate can be stored in the fridge for up to about 3 months, allowing you to make a glass of this whenever you feel like it. The made drink can be good for up to a week. If you leave it longer than that, it can get to be a bit slimy and extremely frothy. Please throw it out if that happens.

More refreshing drinks

• Ginger Beer
• Sorrel
• Pumpkin Ponche de Creme

Do you think, given the chance, you would try a little of this? Let me know in the comments, and if you like the drink, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below

Frequently asked questions

Recipe

Refreshing mauby drink

A good old-fashioned refreshing Caribbean drink made from the bark of a mauby tree. This recipe makes a concentrate that can be used over time to make the drink.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Caribbean

Calories: 542

Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

To make concentrate

• 1 loose cup of mauby bark or here about 5 – 6 sticks of bark
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups of water to cover barks
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 2 aniseed or 1 tablespoon aniseed essence
• 1 bay leaf

To make mauby to drink

• Chief mixed essence
• Sugar to sweeten I used up to 2 cups
• Water about 3 cups. Can vary for taste preference
• 1/2 teaspoon essence
• Dash of bitters

Method

 

Mauby concentrate

1. Wash mauby bark, and get rid of any stones or debris that may have been missed in the packaging.
2. Add mauby bark, cinnamon, bay leaf, and aniseed to the pot.
3. Add water to a pot about 1 inch above the level of mauby barks and spices.
4. Bring to a rolling boil and continue to boil for about five minutes.
5. Remove pot from stove and cover and leave to steep for 3 hours or can be left overnight.
6. Cool, strain, and pour the mixture into an airtight bottle (can be stored in the fridge).

To make mauby drink

1. Take concentrate and add to a large bowl
2. Add 3 – 4 cups of water to get the desired taste level.
3. Add sugar (I start with one cup of sugar) and alternate between water and sugar to get the desired taste balance.
4. Add mixed essence and bitters
5. You can also add a little lime juice.
6. Store in an airtight container. I leave it out over night for the flavors too heighten then put it in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 542kcal

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