Mauby is made from the bark of the mauby tree, boiled with spices into a dark, bitter concentrate that is then sweetened and diluted with water. The taste is bittersweet and spiced, something like a cross between root beer and cola, and very much loved by those who grew up with it.
Look for mauby bark in Caribbean shops, sold in small bundles. Ready-made mauby syrup is also sold, but making it from bark lets you choose the sweetness and spice.
Some people leave the sweetened mauby out overnight so it starts to froth, which gives it a light fizz. The notes explain how.
The recipe
Mauby
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Cooling and chilling
2 hr
Total
2 hr 30 min
Serves
12
Makes
About 3 quarts (3 litres)
Times and quantities are our best estimates. This recipe is still being kitchen-tested, so trust your eyes and taste as you go.
Servings
Ingredient amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pot size may need adjusting too.
Ingredients
Tick items off as you gather them.
Method
Make the concentrate
Rinse the mauby bark. Put it in a pot with the 4 cups (960 ml) water, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, orange peel and star anise.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is dark brown.
Strain and leave to cool. This is the mauby concentrate; it is very bitter on its own.
Make the drink
In a large jug, stir the sugar into the cold water until dissolved.
Add the concentrate a little at a time, tasting, until it is as bitter as you like. Stir in the vanilla.
Chill well and serve over ice.
Serve it with
Ice cold, with a sweet or savoury snack
Substitutions
Mauby syrup: use about 1 cup (240 ml) ready-made syrup diluted in 8 cups (1.9 litres) water, sweetened to taste.
Brown sugar gives a deeper, more molasses-like flavour.
Storing and reheating
Keep the strained concentrate in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
The finished drink keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Cook's notes
For a frothy mauby, beat or shake the sweetened drink hard so it foams, or leave it covered at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours until it starts to bubble, then refrigerate. It ferments slightly as it stands.
People who are pregnant, or taking medicines, should check with a doctor before drinking bark-based drinks regularly.
