What is a sweet potato drink?

Mobbie is a sweet potato fermented drink made from sweet potatoes, water, lemon juice, and sugar. Mobbie is a fascinating Caribbean beverage with a quirky history.

Origins and alcoholic roots:

The Carib islanders crafted an alcoholic drink from mâ’bi, a type of red sweet potato.

Early British colonists in Barbados adopted this beverage, affectionately calling it “mobbie.” For a while, mobbie was one of the few options for Brits to replicate their beer-drinking customs in the Caribbean.

Shift to bark-based mabi:

In the mid-19th century, a worm epidemic devastated sweet potato crops. Islanders turned to the bark of the mabi (or behuco indio) tree as a substitute. Sugar and spices like cinnamon were added to reduce bitterness, aid fermentation, and increase alcohol content. By the early 20th century, mabi evolved into the less-fermented, non-alcoholic version we know today.

Home brewing and commercial versions:

At-home mabi brewing still exists throughout the Caribbean and immigrant communities abroad. Commercially-produced versions are popular among recent generations who’ve abandoned home brewing.

​References

Stewart, Amy. The Drunken Botanist the Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks. 1st ed., Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2013.

Jiang, Tian, et al. "The botanical profile, phytochemistry, biological activities and protected-delivery systems for purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.): An up-to-date review." Food Research International (2022): 111811. All About Mabi, a Delightfully Funky Drink From the Caribbean (seriouseats.com). Simple Mauby Recipe Using Mauby Bark - We Trini Food.