Mamajuana

MAMAJUANA

It's a tipical drink from the Dominican Republic.

Besides being rumored to be an aphrodisiac, with many natives of the Dominican Republic claiming that the drink has similar effects, Mamajuana is also consumed for its medicinal value.
Mama Juana is a mixture of bark and herbs left to soak in rum (most often dark rum but the use of white rum is not uncommon), red wine and honey.
To refill add 2 fingers (depth) of HONEY, 3 fingers (depth) of SWEET RED WINE then fill the rest of the bottle with DARK RUM.
In addition to the standard recipe, it is common for individuals to add other ingredients such as cinnamon, raisins, molasses, and lemon or lime juice. The concoction is usually kept at room temperature and served in a shot glass. As with many other alcoholic drinks the longer the maker lets it sit the better it tastes.
Common advice from Dominicans is to first remove the bitterness from the elements above by soaking in red wine for a week or so, turning every once in a while, then throwing the wine out. Then, fill the bottle of soaked bark/herbs with 1/4 honey and 3/4 dark rum, possibly adding vanilla, ginger or cinnamon sticks if you like those flavors. After a few days, drink, then repeat the honey/rum mixture until the flavor of the bark/herbs disappears. Some say you can do this 15 to 20 times, while others say a single concoction of bark/herbs can be used for years.
Mamajuana is commercialized in two ways;
 1. bottle (or a bag) with the ingredients, a do-it-yourself version. You need to take care of the curing and maceration process yourself:
2. Ready-to-drink, a finished product which has undergone the complete process and afterwards it is filtered and bottled.

 Happy drink!