Caribbean Cocktails — History, Diaspora, and Foodways

Cookbook Author and Tasting Event

A conversation with chef and mixologist Nelson German, and culinary anthropologist and chef Andréa Lawson Gray

Explore their new book Caribbean Cocktails: Drinks and Bites from the Afro-Latino Diaspora, with topics including:

• the global history of sugar, rum, and the Caribbean
• how food and drink reflect migration and cultural exchange
• the cultural histories embedded in everyday ingredients
• how contemporary chefs and bartenders engage with tradition

This project explores Caribbean food and drink as a lens onto broader histories of migration, cultural exchange, and the African diaspora. While the book includes recipes, the conversation behind it centers on how ingredients such as sugarcane, citrus, and spices move across geographies, and how food and drink function as carriers of history, identity, and memory. 

There will be a sampling of small-bites and a non-alcoholic beverage. Book sales and signings available. More details to come! 

About the Book: 

Sip and savor the bold flavors and vibrant culture of the Afro-Latino diaspora with over 40 drink recipes and 20 food recipes from Top Chef alum and acclaimed chef-restaurateur Nelson German, the culinary visionary behind Meski, Sobre Mesa, and alaMar Kitchen and Bar. 

For Afro-Dominican chef Nelson German, drinks and food are about connection—whether it's sharing stories over cocktails on a stoop in Washington Heights or gathering with friends under the warm, buzzy lights of his restaurants. In Caribbean Cocktails (Ten Speed Press, June 2, 2026), he brings the rich culinary history of the Afro-Latino diaspora straight to your home bar and kitchen, blending tradition, personal storytelling, and modern mixology.

About the Authors:

Nelson German is the Dominican American chef-owner behind Oakland's alaMar Kitchen & Bar, the Afro-Latin cocktail lounge Sobre Mesa, and Meski, a soulful Afro-Latin brunch and dinner destination
in San Francisco. A Top Chef Season 18 contestant and one of Plate’s “2020 Chefs to Watch,” Nelson's unorthodox culinary style blends his Dominican heritage, African roots, and Mediterranean and Asian
influences with a deep love of local, sustainable California ingredients. His work has been featured in the New York Times, SF Chronicle, Ebony, Forbes, KQED, KRON, and more.

Andréa Lawson Gray is a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author who has shared the richness of Latino culture, history, and cuisine through her cookbooks, Convivir and Celebraciones Mexicanas.

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