{"id":1647,"date":"2026-06-09T16:09:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T16:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1647"},"modified":"2026-06-09T16:09:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T16:09:37","slug":"an-acclaimed-oakland-chef-talks-about-his-afro-latino-craft-cocktail-cookbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1647","title":{"rendered":"An acclaimed Oakland chef talks about his Afro-Latino craft cocktail cookbook"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to culinary names in the East Bay, Chef Nelson German is among the biggest. But when the chef-owner of Oakland\u2019s Afro-Latino and Dominican restaurants alaMar and Sobre Mesa decided to write his first cookbook, he took an unusual path.<\/p>

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Instead of sharing recipes from the kitchens where he\u2019s been a chef for nearly 30 years, he decided to build the book around a collection of his craft Caribbean cocktails \u2014 despite stepping behind the bar for the first time just eight years ago.<\/p>\n

We chatted with him recently to learn more about his newfound appreciation for the art of the cocktail and his new cookbook, \u201cCaribbean Cocktails: Drinks and Bites From the Afro-Latino Diaspora\u201d (Ten Speed Press, $24).<\/p>\n

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Responses have been edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> This is your first book! Tell me more about the inspiration behind it.<\/p>\n

A:<\/strong> At first, I was working on a cookbook, but when we pitched the book out, the team knew that I do cocktails and asked what I thought about doing a cocktail book. It was an amazing opportunity \u2014\u00a0 I love cocktails. I was forced to do it one time at my business, and it became one of my biggest passions. [The book] has the culture and still has some storytelling in there, \u00a0but it does something that\u2019s fun and really celebrates not just my roots but a lot of underrepresented people. Caribbean culture is getting highlighted a lot right now, especially Afro-Latinos like Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans \u2014 all sorts of different people \u2014 and it was the right timing for something really cool and different.<\/p>\n

Q:<\/strong> It seems like you did a ton of research for this book. What was that process like, and how did it inform the recipes you developed?<\/p>

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A:<\/strong> Things really started in 2018 during a First Friday in Oakland. I\u2019ve probably been a chef for about 29 years \u2014 it\u2019s the love of my life. But as a restaurant owner, you\u2019ve got to do it all. You\u2019ve got to be a plumber, an electrician, and sometimes a bartender. It was a time when I had to make a decision. I put myself behind the bar, and I fell in love with it. It was like cooking, but it was nerve-wracking, because I was in front of people. It was so invigorating for me. From then on, after that night, I told myself I wanted to do it more and put myself behind the bar for almost a year learning the craft, researching through books and the Internet, and talking to peers in the industry \u2014 people who had been bartending for years, especially bartenders of color.<\/p>\n

Hearing these stories made me realize how much respect I have for bartenders and people who are at the bar. It made me realize how important they are \u2014 they\u2019re like chefs. They\u2019re creators. They\u2019re telling these beautiful stories, and that first drink that hits the table sets a precedent for the whole experience.<\/p>\n