Mauby

"Mauby (also called mavi, mabi or maubi) is a tree bark-based beverage widely consumed in the Caribbean. Its flavor is initially sweet, somewhat like root beer, but changes to a prolonged, but not astringent bitter aftertaste. It derives its name from the central ingredient, the bark of the mauby tree, a buckthorn commonly referred to as “soldierwood” or “naked wood”. Strips of the bark are steeped in boiling water, to which a hefty amount of cane sugar and a variety of spices have been added. On many islands, a portion of a previous batch is used as a starter, and the whole is left to ferment for several days. Fermented or not, it’s drunk ice-cold. In folk medicine, mauby is variously ascribed the ability to lower cholesterol, counteract arthritis, reduce high blood pressure, act as an aphrodisiac, relieve dysentery, lower diabetics’ blood sugar, and to be an excellent thirst-slaking “cooling” beverage. Chilling time not included in preparation time."