The Imbibe 75: the people and places shaping drinks in 2020
Akua Kyerematen Nettey’s Berry Bissap
A cold glass of Berry Bissap, a hibiscus drink originating in West Africa. Photo: Nina Roberts
Published in Imbibe Magazine on Jan/Feb 2022
Bissap is a popular hibiscus drink in West African countries, originating in what’s now Senegal and The Gambia. Akua Kyerematen Nettey grew up drinking bissap in her hometown of Oklahoma City. Her mom, originally from Ghana, made it for the family, occasionally throwing chunks of frozen pineapple into the spicy, magenta drink. Nettey loved bissap’s unique flavor and always wondered why she never saw it sold in stores.
Fast-forward to today, and Nettey’s line of bissap drinks called Berry Bissap is available at some Whole Foods and Erewhon Markets, among other specialty stores and via e-commerce. Nettey sold her first batch of bissap at an Oklahoma City farmer’s market five years ago. By early 2019, Nettey was selling bissap in local Hudson Valley stores after relocating to the area. Berry Bissap took off in 2020, despite the pandemic and its chaos, and comes in four flavors: Original, Citrus, Mixed Berry, and Pineapple.
Besides reducing bissap’s typical sugar content, Nettey kept her Berry Bissap recipes traditional. She uses hibiscus and spices from partner farms in Ghana, often sourced by her mom.
“Mampro” is written on the Berry Bissap bottle. Photo: Nina Roberts
“I reformed it a bit,” says Nettey of the recipe in reference to the sugar content, “but I’m not sacrificing the flavors, and I’m keeping the indigenous spices.” One of her goals is to expose mainstream customers in the U.S. to flavors and products imported from, or rooted in, West Africa.
Nettey remembers venting to her boyfriend (now husband) while launching Berry Bissap, “There’s no African representation on shelves!” Berry Bissap is unapologetically West African, packaged in colorful labels with “West Africa” and “Mampro” (a neighborhood in Accra, the capital of Ghana) prominently written.
“I want the consumer to see Berry Bissap as a bright, vibrant brand that reflects the West African people,” says Nettey. “I can definitely speak for Ghanaians—we love flavor. We love our food. We love color. That’s just who we are, and I wanted our brand to reflect that.”