The Love Potion

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                        T H E    L O V E   P O T I O N

                                     INTRODUCTION

Throughout history elixirs known as love potions have been making claims to have magical powers. Today, The Love Potion, and its many variations, is a common craft cocktail name that is gaining in popularity.  And while the Food and Drug Administration does not recognize any over-the-counter aphrodisiac products as safe or effective, that has not stopped bartenders across the world from manufacturing cocktails, especially craft rum cocktails, which balance an alluring taste, an increase in energy and vigor, and the ability to woo and attract the opposite sex.

                             MATERIALS & METHODS

      The Love Potion Recipe

  • MAMAJUANA Bottle
  • light rum– 300 mL
  • wine or sherry – 300 mL
  • honey – 75 mL
  • banana Llqueur – 75 mL

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients into a single bottle and mix thoroughly before adding to Mamajuana Bottle.
  2. Pour the mixture into the Mamajuana bottle and let stand for a minimum of 5 days. After at least 5 days, discard the liquid and refill with ingredients again.
  3. Let ingredients sit for a minimum of 5 days again in the Mamajuana bottle before serving.The cocktail can be served in a chilled cocktail glass or at room temperature.
  4. Add honey in increments if needed until you feel the cocktail is balanced to your taste.
  5. Garnish with a lemon rose.

                                       DISCUSSION

Historical Origin

Throughout the ages there have been a limitless number of cocktails that have been created that allege to be aphrodisiacs or love potions. In recent pop culture, probably one of the most familiar ones is Spanish Fly.  True Spanish Fly is made from a blister beetle (Lytta vesicatoria) which is known to produce a substance called Cantharidin, which can blister skin if one encounters it. Unfortunately, history has recorded that some mixologists have taken dried blister beetles, crushed and mixed them within cocktails for consumption, to promote feelings of warmth throughout the body. However, this warmth was due to inflammation from the blistering agent, and not attraction (2). Cantharidin is dangerously toxic, inhibiting enzymatic pathways inside the human body. The result is not always irritation and blistering, but bleeding and discomfort, which can be lethal.The Love Potion cocktail, on the other hand, is a specialty craft rum cocktail that is unique, with Caribbean heritage, and renowned to be an aphrodisiac.  The enigma surrounding the cocktail comes from one ingredient and that is Mamajuana.

Mamajuana

Deep red in color, Mamajuana, sometimes spelled Mama Juana, and sometimes called “Dominican Viagra” or “The Baby Maker”, originated in the Dominican Republic. Made traditionally by soaking rum, red wine, and honey in a large squat bottle with a narrow neck called a demijohn, it is usually covered in wicker. However, prior to the introduction of rum, the native Taino Indians consumed the alcohol-free drink for medicinal purposes as an herbal tea to help relieve respiratory illness, aid in digestion and circulation, and improve sexual potency. The Taino Indians included one additional ingredient in Mamajuana that is unique and no longer included in today’s recipe.  Until a recent set of strict Caribbean laws were voted in place in November 2008, Mamajuana once included green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) phalluses which truly made the cocktail an even more exotic island drink and likely contributed to the legend of the cocktail’s aphrodisiac power. And yet, even without this colorful ingredient, rumors about the “rejuvenating” potency of Mamajuana continue to this very day.

                                        Flavor Profile

One sip of the Love Potion cocktail and you immediately taste the complex nature of the drink. The rum, wine, honey, banana liqueur, and Mamajuana not only all play an important role in the sophistication of the final product, but also contribute to the character and flavor profile as well.

Rum

It is important to use a low congener rum, a light rum, when constructing the Love Potion cocktail. The use of a low congener rum is normally absent of esters. Esters are typically found in high congener or high acidity rums and account for much of the fruitful aromas of those rums. The use of a light rum here allows the other ingredients in the Love Potion cocktail to present their aromatic properties. 

Red Wine or Sherry

It is nearly impossible to generalize the flavor profile of red wine or sherry because there are so many variables that come into play during red wine and sherry production, like “what region are the grapes grown in?” and “how was it made?”. However, instead of focusing on the differences in flavor profile, there are some key attributable similarities that red wine or sherry provide the Love Potion cocktail, for example, additional alcohol by volume, fruitful aroma, and acidity. The Love Potion cocktail is notoriously more potent in alcohol content than many cocktails thanks to the addition of wine with rum in the cocktail’s construction and is very noticeable when drinking. Another contributor to the Love Potion’s flavor profile are the additional esters contributed by the red wine and sherry. The fruitful aromatic properties of the cocktail are very clear thanks to their contribution. Finally, red wine or sherry provides a subtle tart or sour flavor due to both being rather acidic in nature. Wine ranges in pH of 2.5 to 4, while sherry ranges in pH of 4 to 5. There are several types of acids found in red wine or sherry, but the most prevalent acids found in red wines are tartaric acid, malic acid, and citric acid (3).

Honey

Honey is Mother Nature’s natural sweetener. The flavor of honey is dependent on the nectar source (the blossoms) visited by the honey bees. However, honey gets its sweetness from monosaccharides known as fructose and glucose, and has about the same relative sweetness as sucrose, making it a robust sweetening agent adding a genuine touch of sweetness to The Love Potion cocktail.

Banana Liqueur

Banana Liqueur, also known as Crème de Banana, is normally based on the distillation of a neutral spirit, normally sugar beet, with flavoring from the infusion of banana extract and sweetened with sugar. These additional flavor properties enhance The Love Potion’s aromatic properties contributing to the overall suite of esters and rich and sweet tasting complexity.

MAMAJUANA

Mamajuana contains a mixture of various barks and herbs. While many Dominicans prefer to make their own, you can also buy a bottle filled with these ingredients and common components are:

  • Albahaca (Basil)
  • Anamu (Guinea Henweed)
  • Anis Estrellado (Star Anis)
  • Bonjuco Caro (Princess Vine)
  • Bojuco Chino (China Root)Bojuco de Palo Indio (Chew Stick)
  • Bojuco de Tres Costilla (Basket Wood)
  • Canela de Tierra (Cinnamon)
  • Clavo (Whole Clove)
  • Guauci (Minnie Root)
  • Hoja de Cenelilla (Rose Wood Leaf)
  • Juana La Blanca (Button Weed)
  • Manzanilla (Chamomile)
  • Marabeli, Nigua (Cornutia)
  • Osua (Bay Rum Tree)
  • Palo Brasil (Brazil Wood)
  • Raiz de Coco (Coconut Palm Root)
  • Timacie (West Indian Milkberry)

Normally bark and herbs would impart a bitterness to the cocktail but after the original mixture is discarded and replaced with fresh rum, wine or sherry, honey and banana liqueur, more delectable aromas and flavors are released during the infusion and maceration process (4).

                                    NUTRITION FACTS

                                                  (Amount Per 1 Fl oz)

Calories:                                62.5

Total Fat:                                0 g

Cholesterol:                            0 mg

Sodium:                                  0 mg

Total Carbohydrates:              4.18 g

Dietary Fiber:                          0.3 g

Sugar:                                     2.92 g

                                       CONCLUSION

The Love Potion cocktail is a charming and delectable cocktail that includes a cherished ingredient from the Dominican Republic, Mamajuana. However, the true essence of the cocktail does not lie with the Mamajuana, but in the construction of the cocktail. For the process in preparing the cocktail from when the Mamajuana is first made, all the way to the final lemon rose garnish being added to the finished cocktail is a labor of love giving even more credence to the cocktail’s name.

                                       REFERENCES

  1. Don Zavier. (2020). MAMAJUANA. Retrieved from www.themamajuanastore.com 
  2. Carter, A. (2019). What is Spanish Fly, Exactly? Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/spanish-fly-drug 
  3. Puckette, M. (2019). Understanding Acidity in Wine. Winefolly. Retrieved from https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/understanding-acidity-in-wine/ 
  4. Rum University. (2020). Making your own Mamajuana Rum Aphrodisiac.