The Art of Modern West African Drinks: How Chef Dumebi Builds Flavour in Every Sip

I don’t approach drinks like a mixologist.I approach them like a chef.

Flavour architecture is everything. Before I even touch a shaker, I’m thinking about:

• Temperature as emotion

• Texture as memory

• Aroma as narrative

• Colour as mood

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Take the tamarind and ginger mocktail. On the surface, it’s simple.

  But in my mind, it began as a conversation between tang,

  warmth, and sweetness.

  
  

  Tamarind is bold—it arrives with intention. Ginger is the gentle fire that balances the story.

  A touch of honey rounds them both, like a soft landing.Lime lifts the entire drink like sunlight on a grey London day.

  This is why my drinks feel like dishes. I build them from the inside out—layer by layer, emotion by emotion.

  A drink should never be an afterthought.

  
  

  It should be a moment.