Botanical Garden Hosted Caribbean Cocktail Workshop
The New York Botanical Garden event explored the history and preparation of the traditional Dominican drink Mamajuana.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Cocktails
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The New York Botanical Garden held an event focused on the cultural history of Caribbean ingredients and the craft of making Mamajuana. Attendees participated in a workshop to assemble their own jars of the traditional infusion.
Why it matters
The event highlighted how food and drink preservation acts as a vital tool for maintaining cultural histories linked to migration and colonialism. It provided a platform for exploring the significance of traditional culinary traditions in modern settings.
The featured Mamajuana recipe uses a base of 50 percent dark rum, 40 percent red wine, and 10 percent honey. Participants were instructed to age their mixture for at least six months before consumption.
The players
New York Botanical Garden
This institution is a prominent botanical research and public garden located in New York City.
Nelson German
He is a professional chef who operates restaurants in California's Bay Area and co-authored a book on Caribbean drinks.
Andréa Lawson Gray
She is a culinary anthropologist who collaborated on a book dedicated to the history and recipes of Caribbean cocktails.
The details
Chef Nelson German and culinary anthropologist Andréa Lawson Gray discussed the history of Caribbean ingredients while leading participants in an assembly workshop. Their new book, 'Caribbean Cocktails', provides 20 food recipes and over 40 drink recipes to readers.
Timeline
September 17, 2026: The New York Botanical Garden hosted the cocktail event.
March 2027: The earliest date when participants can open their Mamajuana jars.
Culture Shift
The preservation of Mamajuana mirrors a growing cultural movement where individuals use traditional culinary practices to maintain historical ties. This workshop connects current domestic trends to the broader, long-term effort to archive familial and colonial histories through food.
Participants who attended the workshop must wait at least six months to age their jars before they are ready for consumption. This requires a long-term commitment to the aging process for those looking to replicate the traditional Dominican drink at home.
The takeaway
Preserving drinks like Mamajuana is a patient process that requires months of waiting to allow botanicals to fully infuse. You can apply this slow-craft approach to other homemade infusions by documenting the date of creation to ensure proper aging.
Further reading
Learn more about local mixology trends in our Cocktails section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Riverdale Press.
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